Sonny Johnson

Professor Daniel Shine

Mass Communicationn 1110

16 December 2023

Portrayal of Blacks

While researching the portrayal of Blacks in television, I noticed that the film has

changed drastically over time. From the early days of television and film, when black characters

were often portrayed as lazy, unintelligent, and criminal, to today's more fair and accurate

portrayals of black characters in various roles, the progress has been significant.

In the early days of television and film, black characters were often portrayed as bad people and

menaces to society. This was especially true in the 1950s and 1960s when black characters were

often portrayed as servants or criminals. For example, in the classic television show "I Love

Lucy," Ricky Ricardo was a Cuban immigrant who was often described as a criminal, and his

character was painted negatively. Similarly, in the classic film "Gone with the Wind," the

character of Mammy is a black servant portrayed as lesser than the whites. In the 1970s and

1980s, black characters began to be described more positively. For example, in the television

show "The Jeffersons," the character of George Jefferson was a successful businessman

portrayed as intelligent and hardworking. Similarly, in the film "The Color Purple," the character

of Celie is a strong and independent woman described as smart and capable, with a ton of

potential.

In the 1990s and 2000s, black characters began to be portrayed in various roles. For

example, in the television show "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air," the character Will Smith is a

successful college student described as funny, attractive to women, and very good at sports.
Similarly, in the film "Black Panther," the character of T'Challa is a powerful and heroic leader

portrayed as strong and courageous.

Today, black characters are portrayed in various roles, from successful businesspeople to heroic

leaders. In the television show "Black-ish," the character of Dre Johnson is a successful

businessman described as incredibly talented, charismatic, and successful. Similarly, in the film

"Hidden Figures', 'the characters of Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan, and Mary Jackson are

heroic mathematicians portrayed as strong and courageous.

More recently, filmmakers and directors have had more black stars in lead roles in movies.

Denzel Washington is an excellent example of this. He is the lead actor in many movies. In one

of my favorite films, “Flight,” Denzel stars as a pilot who saves many lives during a plane crash.

Although there was negative connotation around his character and the decisions made during the

flight, the movie's theme portrays that Denzel Washington made a miraculous decision on how

he maneuvered the flight. If the movie had been filmed forty years earlier, the movie's theme

would have an entirely different script and theme.

Overall, the portrayal of blacks in television and film has changed drastically. From the

early days of television and film, when black characters were often portrayed as lazy,

unintelligent, and criminal, to today's more fair and accurate representation of black characters in

various roles, the progress has been significant.