Identity of African American Men Essay

No metaphor digest capture completely the complexity of cultural kinetics in the U. S. Melting good deal ignores the persistence and reconfiguration of the paganity e precise(prenominal)where the generations. Mosaic, much much apt for pluralistic societies such(prenominal) as Kenya or India, is too static a metaphor it fails to take in to study the easy penetration of some ethnic boundaries. Nor is salad domain appropriate the ingredients of a salad bowl argon mixed exclusively do non change. Rainbow is a tantalizing metaphor, b atomic number 18ly rainbows disappear.Symphony, like rainbow, implies near perfect congruity both fail to take into number the variety and image of ethnic ap dismantle workforcet in the United States. The well-nigh accurately descriptive metaphor, the one that best explains the dynamics of ethnicity, is kaleidoscope. the Statesn ethnicity is kaleidoscopic, i. e. complex and varied, changing form, pattern, excuse continu whollyy shifting f rom one fixed of relations to any(prenominal) other disasteridly changing. When a kaleidoscope is in motion, the offsets give the behavior of relationships.The viewer sees and endless variety of multicolour patterns, just as takes place on the Ameri do-nothing ethnic landscape. - Lawrence Fuchs ( literary productions for Com invest 1032) personal identity in America was the issue chosen by my English 201 study group. This radical was taken from chapter twenty both of the Literature for composition Reading and Writing contention text book. However, I focused the ample theme of Identity in America to the to a greater extent narrowed theme of The give a port of Afri green goddess Ameri tin can manpower in the media. I chose this theme or subject bea because I felt that I can relate to it and as a count of fact, it was also interesting to me. But in point to behavior my seek on the particular stem, I came up with the fol pitifuling(a) question, How has the iden tity of African American hands been dis contend by the media cast appearly or positively? This question was chosen in clubhouse to provoke an argu custodyt for discussion. I conducted some(prenominal)(prenominal) interrogates in order to acquire knowledge ab push through my selected topic.The medias exhibit of the identity of African American men can be discussed or looked at from two angles negatively or positively. First, from my experience I can say that the media displays African American men in both lights, negatively and positively. But after conducting interviews with several individuals, my survey has somewhat changed. I was al appearances mindful of the negative insures of African/ corrosive men in the media. But I was not aw be that this display had evolved overtime. My first interview was conducted with April T.Glasgow, a communications major at the University of the Virgin Islands on Wednesday 20th February 2008, at approximately ten o measure in the mornin g. We conducted the interview at her dormitory rooms lobby. I had explained the topic prior to meeting with her, so she already had an mind some what issue the discussion would be addressing. Generally, her opinion was that sullen men were world exploited and portray negatively by the media. She also tell strongly that swarthy men were too often depicted or given the roles of thugs, gangsters, and pimps in videos and magazines.In addition, a suggestion she made on how we could resolve this stereotype was that non-white good deal must unite and stand up against these negative portrayals especially those in rap music videos. The scrap interview was carried out that same day with professor Alex Randall. His world(a) records were that the media has changed over the years. The negative portrayals of the 1960s and 1970s return changed, Randall state. Randall felt that in forward-looking propagation, hatful of color were treated much fairly and given a more positive portrayal in the media.Randall stated that thither were many positive images in the media of African Americans, such as Denzel Washington, Barack Obama, Michael Jordan, and eyeshade Cosby. In addition, Randall utter that in front years no such image could subscribe been seen in the media. We atomic number 18 demythologized human beings and its our choice to strike what part of the spectrum of negative and positive images we would destiny to emulate, said Randall. This educational activity impacted me and middling changed my opinion on the topic. At that point in conducting my primary winding explore for the paper, my position on the topic has somewhat been altered.after conducting the interviews with April T. Glasgow and Professor Alexander Randall I cast off become more open object to the issue. I would admit that I was initially a bit biased and uncommunicative on the topic prior to evaluating the topic from both sides negatively and positively. In order to decide w hich position I was passing to take I would have to do more utility(prenominal) seek on the topic. Since I started this interrogation paper my annotation and assessment of the media have taken a different turn.I now correspond and contrast men of other quickens in the media to African American men. My secondary look into was, for the most part, completed using profits sources. The obligates that I discovered on the clear were very useful and contri preciselyed greatly to my research. collar mesh names were analyzed to achieve the secondary data for my paper. The first article I examined was The Medias Bias against mordant men in America. The article was basically a discussion of a piece create verbally in the New York Times about the plight of American black men.The author, Armstrong Williams, stated that the New York Times article was another example of major media outlets using negative statistics to consistently cast black men as the scourge of this acres. Willi ams made several strong and interesting statements throughout the article that I thought was beneficial to this research paper. For example, according to Williams, The continual coverage of the black mans plight or else of his progress only hinders his growth, holds back our republic from true equality, and hides the truth about the opportunities and challenges that we all face(Williams 4).Williams also suggested that the American unrestricted should challenge the lack of coverage of American black progress in this country (Williams 5). In the last century black men have literally at rest(p) from being slaves to business owners, government leaders, lawyers, doctors, firemen, generals, entertainers, and educators. No other oppressed class of people anywhere else in the world has forward-looking its standing in a union this quickly (Williams 6). I was in truth affect by the way Armstrong used this statement to present his argument.In addition, Williams stated that the incidence of drug use, crime, scandal, divorce, and other social ills have increased dramatic eventtically for pureness men, but these statistics are not reported as problems about white men in America (Williams 6). Approximately 9 out of 10 serial killers are white males amongst the ages of twenty and thirty five. unless we neer hear these statistics repeated over and over again in the mainstream press, fashioning these crimes synonymous with one particular race as in this case with blacks (Williams 9). subsequently in the article Williams explained the image the media is creating internationally.The foreign media continuously places black men in negative positions such as give instruction dropouts, irresponsible fathers, and victims of perpetual racism. The manner in which these stories are constructed and then, displayed to listeners and readers eliminates the possibility of believing that black men do not have positive roles (Williams 10). Therefore, I agree with Williams that t he repetitious negative articles can create a vicious cycle of harmful images and woeful expectations of black men. The Black Image in the White Mind is the title of the second internet article that I examined.The article was useful in constructing my opinion on the topic of how African American men are displayed in the media whether negatively or positively. The article presented some useful statistical data that was quite interesting and to date shocking to me. In this article by Robert M. Entman, he stated that a score shot of a Black suspect is four times more apt(predicate) to appear in a topical anaesthetic goggle box news report than of a White defendant (Entman 2). He went on to say that the incriminate is two times more likely to be shown physically restrained in a local anesthetic television news report than when the accused is a white man (Entman 2). match to Entman, The name of the accused is two times more likely to be shown on screen in a local TV news repo rt if the defendant is black, rather than white (Entman 2). In addition, he stated that while black actors are now more visible in media, it is an open question as to how considerably they are being represented (Entman 2). The third base article that I examined was Black spring chicken and press media current research and rising questions and I found it to be the most interesting of the three.This article was written by Craig Watkins, an Associate Professor of Sociology and Radio-Television- Film at the University of Texas at Austin. The article was basically an schema of some of the important research findings and sudden issues that examine the changing relationship between black American youth and the mass media patience (Watkins 5). Watkins stated that for most of its fib the mass media industry has produced images that distort and evade the complexities of the African American experience (Watkins 9).He stated that contemporary media representations of African Americans can be best described as paradoxical because blacks are simultaneously underrepresented and overrepresented in American media culture (Watkins 9). According to Watkins, blacks are underrepresented in many areas of mass media they are over represented in television sports broadcasts and crime and violence related portrayals (Watkins 13). Watkins said that images of blacks in magazines have increased but they are predominantly portrayed in athletic roles. According to Watkins, African American men are more likely to appear as athletes or musicians (Watkins 14).The strongest statement throughout the article was when Watkins stated that the athleticization of the black men in the media reproduces and popularizes long-standing myths about biological and intellectual differences between blacks and whites (Watkins 15). Further abstract of Watkins article indicated that when African Americans are portrayed in television news it is principally in aggressive, violent, or criminal roles. Al so, a recent analysis of the film industry asserts that blacks tend to be restricted to low budget features that focus disproportionately on crime, violence, and youth delinquency.The repetitious display of blacks in athletic roles creates a limited range of adult and professional role models for recent black males being that they are go about with only few media images of successful African American men. The internet articles that I examined distinctly showed that there is strong evidence to evoke that African American men are negatively and unfairly displayed in the media. later on examining these internet articles, I felt that even up though they were some positive images of African American men in the media the volume of images are in some way biased or negative.After evaluating and examining my internet sources, I turned back my concern to my English 201 text book, Literature for write up Reading and Writing Arguments to get some more insight on the matter. musical co mposition reading through chapter twenty-three, I came up on a inverted comma from Lawrence Fuchs that I found to be tied in well with my overall all theme of identity in America. I unconquerable to place this quote at the base of the research paper a distinguish of introduction to the overall theme. I chose this quote because it describes the complexity and internal employments of identity in America.Speaking of conflicts between identities, Hotel Rwanda is a film that displays such conflict to the extreme. This film was shown in class by my English professor because she said that it was in some way related to our theme and that it could also be used as a part of our secondary research. I did not really understand the connection with our theme until I saw the film. Hotel Rwanda is a historical drama about the hotel manager Paul Rusesabagina played by Don Cheadle during the Rwandan racial extermination and was direct by Terry George in 2004.The movie is actually based on the R wandan genocide that occurred in 1994 where almost one jillion of both Tutsi and Hutu individuals were killed. In the movie which is a reflection of what actually took place, the media was used to part conflicts between the Tutsi and Hutu. Throughout the actual conflict the media was used as a shit to falsely display Tutsis as the scourge of Rwanda. For example, the radio station, RTLM was used to opening negative and despise messages about the Tutsis such as Why do we hate the Tutsis? They are cockroachesRwanda is Hutu land. (United Arts. Dir.Terry George. United States, 2004) altogether in all, it is quite evident from the primary and secondary research that there are both negative and positive displays of African American men in the media. Since the interviews I am more aware that the display of African Americans has changed over time for the better. However, from the net articles I have discovered that there are still a gang of negative images of African American men in the media. In addition, I larn that there are still many biases when presenting African American men in media whether on radio, television, or magazines.Overall, the research was very interesting and informative. April T. Glasgow and Professor Alexander Randall were very helpful in making my research paper a success. From carrying out this research paper I was able to conduct some interesting interviews, especially with Professor Randall. I was truly able to critically interpret and analyze the investigation in addition to improving my overall research skills. The research process was a information experience that I will never forget. Works Cited Barnet, Sylvan, Burto William and Cain E. William. Literature for Composition.New York Longman, 2007. Entman, Robert and Rojecki, Andrew. Media and its word-painting of Black Americans. racerelations. about. com. New York. 2008. . Glasgow, April T. personalized Interview. 20 Feb. 2008. Hotel Rwanda. Dir. Terry George. Lions Gate Films and United Artists, 2004. Randall, Alexander. Personal Interview. 20 Feb. 2008. Watkins, S. Craig, Black Youth and the great unwashed Media Current Research and Emerging Questions. < http//www. rcgd. isr. umich. edu/prba/perspectives/winter2000/cwatkins. pdf>. Williams, Armstrong. The Medias Bias Against Black Men in America. 31 March 2006. .