African American Actors Actresses in the White Dominated, Research Paper Example

African Americans actors in the film industry have been a controversial conversation in media and culture throughout the history of cinematography. Many roles played by African American actors have often depicted negative connotation and perception of what it is like to be Black in a culture that is predominately white. These roles help shape the stereotypes of African Americans society and have continuously transpired into the modern day cultures throughout the decades. Black culture, just like all other cultures has had to adapt and evolve within this superior world of white society.

The importance of Cinematography in our culture is undeniable. Film has been around for many decades and has provided us with a sense of an elusive reality.  It enters the livelihood of men and women and influences our social identity. It also has a significant impact our psychological and emotional thoughts of our minds. Films have played as a sense of relief during troubling times, impressionable and historical moments throughout history. It has opened the door for films to change society’s image of African American people. Films serve as a media education tools to allow society to see the Black roles as an equal with all others. It is a reflection of our existing social environment and represents what values we deem important as a population.  Because there is such a strong influence film has on a society, the depiction of characters play a vital part in how messages are transpired to the audience.  The portrayal of African Americans in films has had a long complex history for several decades. They have broken barriers on platforms as equals as their white counterparts despite the glorified mammy figure or house servant roles that were deem to be theirs.

Historic Overview

D.W. Griffith’s, Birth of a Nation is a historical illustration of how film can create a negative stereotype of African Americans. Griffith’s film has been referenced as both enthralling and appalling. “The film depicts emancipation as destructive of the private sphere as well; freedmen lust after Southern belles, and communities fall prey to “ruin, devastation, rapine, and pillage.” (Russel, 1993). The negative connotations of the film’s underlying message introduced African Americans into Cinematography in a very negative manner.

Griffith could arguably be considered a pioneer in Cinematography. He broke the archetype of films by allowing African Americans to be present on the big screen; however this historical change may have been more detrimental than beneficial in the evolution of Black actors and actresses. “Through his carefully constructed fusion of unprecedented technical wizardry and degrading racial stereotypes, Griffith sought to convince this audience that his was the “true” story of the old South and that white domination was necessary for their survival” (Russel, 1993). The history-changing moment in films served to promote an agenda whose intentions were not for the progression of African-Americans in the film industry but to encourage opposition to race within their white society.

The formation of major studios allowed for actors and actresses to establish their success on the big screen. The cinemas have indirectly been influencing humanities belief system since the early 20th century. The industry has continually pushed the limits and influenced pop culture by defining the social norm. Reid addresses films influence on pop culture and how society views racial perception:

Framing Blackness is not intended to be a complete or linear history of the black presence in the American commercial narrative cinema. Moreover, this discourse tends to focus on the construction of blackness in the most popular, ‘hit’ vehicles of commercial cinema for two reasons. First, Hollywood has played a significant, if colonizing, role in shaping all other narrative cinema languages and formal conventions, and its most successful features are arguably its most influential in this regard. Second, in these films we can most readily see both the industry’s ideological power to shape the audience’s conceptions of race and its mediation of the audience’s racial and social attitudes (Reid, 1993).

Motion pictures influence how individuals see and relate to the African American population. The idolization of Actors and actresses and the events that transpire on the big screen are embraced and established as a method of popularity. As film influences society and society influences film, it dictates a means that pop culture comprises as modern, trendy, and even popular.

The industry is extremely lucrative and with money comes power. The writers, producers, and directors dictate who plays the roles also if it is portrayed in a positive or negative manner. The industry gains revenue from ticket sales, and it can turn a substantial profit for successful productions. Modern day, the film industry is worth is 88.3 billion and growing. The growing industry also demands that motion picture finds new ways to entertain, including controversial films like those provided by D.W. Griffiths. It is no longer “loyal slaves who contentedly pick cotton, perform domestic chores, and otherwise aim to please” (Russel, 1993). Today’s roles include Denzel Washington as a successful coach against all odds in Remember the Titans and Halle Berry breaking racial obstacles in Monster Ball. African American actors and actresses have been able to play a vast variety of roles, influencing society’s perspective of racially motivated norms. Modern film has evolved to portray African American roles without limitations.

Timeline of African American Films

The only way to see the true advancements of African-Americans in the film is to look at where they started. There are pivotal moments in motion pictures where characters evolved right before the viewers eyes. Seeing the progression of Black actors and actresses also establishes an awareness of the change of societal views. Films no long use African Americans with the intentions of them filling a divisive role; instead, the limitations are no longer existent. We will take a look at how politics affected and influenced the image of African Americans in films during unjust times of segregation, Jim Crow Laws, The Civil Rights and Black Power Movement. Films have always been a parallax reflection of what is current in culture and society. The timeline shows a pivotal moment in film history, which directly influences a change in the African American image.

• 1962- Films were influenced by racial tensions and shifting societal values of African Americans in films and the type of roles that they played. “Blacks have also impacted society and molded present day laws through the Civil Rights movement, social reform in the mid1950s that has had more influence on every aspect of the United States than any other minority movement” (Berry, 2009). The African American society’s position on Civil Rights was a pivotal moment that changed how they would be portrayed in the future.  A film example is To Kill A Mockingbird, where Brock Peters was accused of raping a white girl.
• 1964- Sidney Poitier was the first African-American to win the Best Actor Oscar. He opened the door for future generations to receive such awards even though it took decades to accomplish.
• 1970s- This period sparked a rise in all African American Films. Melvin Van Peebles song sparked the Blaxploitation era, the exploitation and stereotyped role of black people, in a film. It is one of the momentous times in African American film, where a genre of films geared towards the ethnic population. Three the Hard Way depicted the three main characters to fight the white supremacist. Other influential films are Gordon’s War, Black Caesar, and Let’s Do It Again
• 1980- Eddie Murphy was a rising star that broke barriers in motion pictures and primetime television. He found a comedic success in motion pictures. Murphy was cast as a co-star to a white character; however he uprooted his counterpart and stole the attention with his charisma and comedic approach. Breaking the confines, Murphy’s career influenced pop culture by society accepting and enjoying African Americans as leads in entertainment.
• 1990-Spike Lee created contemporary films of African American during distressed times and financial hardships. “His movies — a series of outspoken and provocative socio-political critiques informed by an unwavering commitment toward challenging cultural assumptions not only about race but also class and gender identity — both solidified his own standing as one of contemporary cinema’s most influential figures and furthered the careers of actors including Denzel Washington, Wesley Snipes, Samuel L. Jackson, Angela Bassett, and Laurence Fishburne” (Anderson, 2010).
• 2002- Halle Berry & Denzel Washington Oscar win, this is the first time since 1964. It promotes a vital moment in black cultural history because not only was an African American actress and actor awarded a prestigious and white dominated award, but it showed how their character’s roles were directly influencing how society viewed Blacks.
• 2015- Present day roles in the media; Black Actors are taking a greater role in Film producing. “Even today, people of color are most often cast in supporting roles or as stereotypical characters in movies and on television” (Wilkinson, 2015). Black actors are taking leads, African Americans are creating and directing hits; however, they have still failed to obtain equality in an industry that seems to be defective.

African American Characters in Films Changed Societies Views

Films directly influence what society views as popular and cool. As the film has presented African American roles from 1960 to present day has directly influenced the acceptance of these minorities within the industry. Black actors are not slaves, they are not targets of supremacy groups, they are coaches, doctors, or whomever they choose to be. The shift in representation on the big screen has also established a much-needed form of equality in societal practices. No longer are the Blacks limited to demeaning roles, the barriers are almost non-existent among the racial lines, and the film is now an equal opportunity employer.

Black culture has depended upon pop culture to influence society into accepting and appropriating the culture. An important role that pop culture plays is that it establishes an opportunity for understanding and tolerance. There are many different characters that Blacks represent, however, blackness as a sign is never enough. Pop culture has influenced society to see the vast differences that African Americans can serve in the films. The black culture is far more than a single representation, it is vast, and it is important the films portray the differences.

Affirmative action started in 1965 and was intended to break down the barriers, both invisible and visible, to create an equal playing field for all individuals regardless of race. President Johnson devolved Affirmative Action and enforced it for the first time. There are many positions for and against affirmative action; therefore the question arises, is affirmative action real? “Defenders of affirmative action argue that socioeconomic problems, and not strictly cultural problems, are responsible for impeding equality of economic opportunity and that the federal government is thus justified in taking the appropriate actions to rectify them” (Green 1976). The real issue with affirmative action in today’s society is that establishes a limit. The roles were written for African American still carry some cultural stigmas that categorize the actors based on stereotypes. Take for example Menace II Society and Bring on the Pain. Instead of dispelling stereotypes, they further enhanced them. The industry still has a significant way to grow to allow African American actors to be viewed as diverse as they are.

Philosophic Theories

Marx’s theory regarding social class is dependent on the basis that history of all hitherto society is the history of class struggles. The position presented by Marx is based on the evolution of the human state from that which was primitive, there has been a clash of classes and the pursuit of class interest. Historically, it can show the advancement of African American actors and actresses in film and how their images have also transformed with the societal expectations. Marx does not say which the precursor is, if film changes societal views or if societal views change the roles African Americans play on the big screen. The film industry is a part of the world of capitalism, dictating between the powers of the owners and the viewers, the exploiters and the exploited.

The confrontation of power and class interest were considered to Marx as the central determinant of the historical and social process. The power and class interest represented in films directly correlates with Marx theories. The individuals who were once slaves, oppressed by their owners, shifted to free people oppressed by society. The historical roles of African Americans in films were just as tyrannical as the environment in which they lived. The class interest was for the whites to maintain the control they have always had, enslaving the African American society in an entirely new manner. The industry of Cinematography found a new manner to enslave the African Americans again for the decades that followed. Marxism theory and black culture provide an understanding of how long the evolutionary process was for African American Actors to obtain their freedoms on the big screen.

The evolution of Black Marxism is directly pointed to ‘African consciousness’ which educated on insights, commitments and politics of Black radicals. Morse (1999) asked, what is this consciousness and what is its importance for Black radical politics? Robinson responded, “I believe that the historical struggles in Africa and the New World culled some of the best virtues of their native cultures. One such virtue was a democracy, the commitment to a social order in which no voice was greater than another” (Morse, 1999). The film industry directly contradicted this progression. The African American’s voices, for the majority of history, have been stifled by their white counterparts. Robinson continues to explain that the hierarchy alternative also allows for an analysis of the existing political order. The rule of law is not limited to politics; it transfers over into every facet of society, including film.

Marx’s theory also highlights the importance of social class and how it relates to both audience interpretation and media ownership of media texts. The ownership is very important when considering a media analysis. A content semiotics and analysis may provide insight into the media texts, and Marxist theory draws attention to the material condition of reception and media production. The ownership and control of the media and the external influences of media content cannot be ignored. The ones who hold the power can determine the roles that individuals play and direct societal views in the manner it dictates.

Pierre Bourdieu sociology of taste allows for a perception of the change in cultural taste for African American in films. Bourdieu’s position on social class structure covers the entire occupational division of labor. “This implies that he grants the notion a considerably wider purview than do Marxian theories, which restrict its scope to a system of positions defined in terms of ownership of and/or control over the means of production” (Weininger, 2002). The sociology of taste is when the consumer establishes the expectations in contrast to the owners dictating their desires. For example, society wants to see an African American Cinderella, they have far more control over the changing the image than the powers of the ownership.

Sociology strives to ascertain the conditions of cultural considerations in various media’s of society. “Whereas the ideology of charisma regards taste in legitimate culture as a gift of nature, scientific observation shows that cultural needs are the product of upbringing and education: surveys establish that all cultural practices, and preferences in literature, painting or music, are closely linked to educational level and secondarily to social origin” (Bourdieu, 1984).  The change in cultural taste for African Americans on the big screen has progressed to being a social norm. Actors such as Denzel Washington, Morgan Freeman, and Will Smith along with actresses such as Halle Berry and Angela Bassett took on roles that allowed them to influence the shift in cultural perceptions. These modern-day pioneers have portrayed themselves as the epitome of ‘cool’ again shaping the viewer’s taste and perception towards the minority culture.

The African American culture is vast, and it is difficult to portray accurately an entire race on the big screen. However, showing Black actors in many different roles allows society to see African Americans outside of a generalized stereotype. Just like white, there are so many different faces, views, ideologies, and roles that they represent within society. For society to embrace the possibility for Black actors and actresses to fill any role in the film, all racial barriers in the industry need to be removed. The stigma of stereotypes are still present in the modern day, and films can directly change these perceptions.

Bourdieu also explains how the sociological view is different from Marxism in that it involves all classes of people. “Thus, his model effectively encompasses not only the “middle class” occupations that have been the source of so much grief in the Marxist tradition, but also those which have hovered at the fringes of most class analytical schemes, including positions in public administration and the state “apparatus,” the so-called “professions,” and—not least of all—intellectuals, artists, and other “cultural producers” (Weininger, 2002). Cultural taste is not limited to class, even if it is a class who controls society. Bourdieu allows for a better understanding of how the desire for a change in the African American roles changes with the cultural tastes.

The reason for what is sometimes called a normally obscure language, the interpretation of a work of art provides an objective basis for a disagreement. Viewing films, or consumption, is a stage in a process of communication for change. It serves as an act of decoding, deciphering that explicit mastery or presupposes practical of a cipher. The human ability to see provides a function of knowledge and concepts. The change of cultural taste for African American in films is tied to what we as a society know and are willing to see. It directly acts as a program for perception.

A reference to a sociology of taste provides an understanding of how one enjoys or finds amusement in films, and how it is continually transforming. The movies hold not only a manifest learning, known as the “intended learning,” which teaches a moral; but also a latent learning, the “unintended learning,” which shows how the world views characters in their movie and why” (Henslin, 2011). Films determine how viewers establish their societal norms and their overall preference for characters within the films. African American actors serve for more than mere entertainment; they are changing the receptiveness of the viewing audience.

To consider a film a work of art it refers to the interest and meaning to the viewer who has the cultural competence to relate and even understand the manner in which it is encoded. “The conscious or unconscious implementation of explicit or implicit schemes of perception and appreciation which constitutes pictorial or musical culture is the hidden condition for recognizing the styles characteristic of a period, a school or an author, and, more generally, for the familiarity with the internal logic of works that aesthetic enjoyment presupposes” (Bourdieu, 1984). A viewer who lacks the ability to relate and understand the purpose and culture can easily become lost in the chaos.

Conclusion

Cinematography played a significant role in influencing a cultural progression. Since the induction of the first film in 1915, the portrayal and roles of African Americans evolved to break the barriers in a white dominated society. The evolution of film provides the irrefutable evidence of how film’s portrayal of minority characters directly shapes the cultural perception towards the minority. The African American roles emphasized the stereotype that society believed and the shift in cultural perception as films evolved over the decades. The role of Cinematography in breaking the social barriers is undisputable.  Black culture has had to progress significantly to coexist in a world of white superiority. African American pioneers such as Melvin Van Peebles, Eddie Murphy, and Spike Lee took their opportunities in the film to directly influence pop culture and change Blacks role within the industry. Others like Denzel Washington and Halle Berry followed suit and found themselves on equal stages with their white co-stars. Cinematography dismantled the negative perception of African Americans in films step by step and piece by piece with the help of many key players. Modern day film provides an unequivocal progression of African Americans and their evolution to being on an equal playing field in a white dominated society.

References

Anderson, Vera. (2010). Spike Lee. New York Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/movies/person/99175/Spike-Lee

Berry, Erica F. (2009). A Comparative Study of African American Representations in Film from Original to Remake as Influenced by the Civil Rights Movement. Honors College.Paper, 21.

Bourdieu, Pierre. (1984). Distinction: A Social Critique of the Judgement of Taste.

Green, Stephen G. et al. (1976). Affirmative Action and Academic Hiring: A Case Study of a Value Conflict.  The Journal of Higher Education, Vol. 47, No. 4, pp. 413- 435

Henslin, J. (2011). Essentials of Sociology: A Down-To-Earth Approach. Boston, MA:   Owen.

Morse, Chuck. (1999). Capitalism, Marxism, and the Black Radical Tradition. Perspectives on Anarchist Theory, Vol.3 no.1. Retrieved from  http://www.hartford-hwp.com/archives/45a/568.html

Ried, Mark A. (1993). Redefining Black Film. University of California Press.

Russell, Margaret M. (1991). Race and the Dominant Gaze: Narratives of Law and Inequality in Popular Film. Legal Studies Forum, Volume XV, Number 3.

Weininger, Elliot B. (2002). Pierre Bourdieu on Social Class and Symbolic Violence.  Alternative Foundations of Class Analysis.

Wilkinson, A. B. (2015). Oscars 2015: So Hollywood is still Racist (and Sexist), Now What? Retrieved from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/a-b- wilkinson/oscars-2015-so-hollywood-_b_6550568.html