African Americans, as well as many other minorities, were not allowed to act in films. Instead the genre “Black Face” was invented by white supremacist to serve as definition of African Americans at that time. Although this depiction served no justice to the African American population it became a popular past time of white supremacist. John Bull in blackface describes black face as a “sane white man blacking his face and hands with burnt cork, painting his lips and eyes to resemble those of an African nigger, and then , to complete the incongruity, attitying himself in English evening dress while he sange ditties allegedly emanating from the cotton platations of Ole Virginny!" (Feostead 1946, p. 55) This period lasted from the 1830s to the 1840s.
Eventually Blacks did begin to break into the film industry, but they only served as reinforcements of white supremacist views. Black were defined by the sterotypes of unfit black vernacular, primary users of drugs, and character filled with hostility. In Elizabeth M. Perse novel, Media effects and society, Perse explains one of the key correlations between media and society is “The effects of Media bias on stereotyping (minorities).” (Pg. 2)
A study released from the American Psychological Association studied the The mass media and judgments of risk: Distinguishing impact on personal and societal level judgments. The Abstract is listed below:
Recent research findings about whether mass media reports influence risk-related judgments have not been consistent. One reconciliation of the differing findings is the impersonal impact hypothesis, which suggests that media impact occurs with societal level judgments about general problem importance or frequency but not with judgments about personal risks. Three studies, with 465 undergraduates were conducted to test this hypothesis. Results support the impersonal impact hypothesis by suggesting that personal and societal level judgments are distinct and that media reports exert their primary influence on societal rather than personal judgments. Although media reports influenced judgments about societal risks but not about risks to one's self under the conditions examined in the present research, personal judgments may be affected under other conditions. Conditions under which media reports may have differential or similar effects on personal and societal-level judgments are considered in relation to the base rates of an event occurring, the strength of the media case that a problem exists, and the individual's identification with the problem. (55 ref) (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)
These survey results serve as proof and confirmation that media, such as film can have damaging effects on the societal views of others. However the positive outcome of this survey results is that all people are not affected by the brain washing effects of the media.
Within in my essay I plan to develop the struggles of the minorities in film from African Americans, Latinos, and Native Americans. I also plan to use early films to explain the minorities’ view of film, as well as an in-depth look at Stuart Halls excerpt.
Sources: John Bull in Blackface Michael Pickering Page 181 of 181-201 Vol. 16, No. 2, May, 1997
http://psycnet.apa.org/journals/psp/47/4/693/ Database: PsycARTICLES [ Journal Article ] Tyler, Tom R.;Cook, Fay L., Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, Vol 47(4), Oct 1984, 693-708.
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