Now let's be honest, no matter what, everyone has had a quick judgement on a person before actually meeting them. That being based on their color or the way they dressed. It's very sad to say, but is just the reality we have to bear. That as people, we allow others to "alter" public space.
Brent Staples an author who hails from Pennsylvania, brings his point of view in "Just Walk on By: A Black Man Ponders His Power to Alter Public Space." Staples talks of being given this default of being seen as mugger or rapist in the eyes of society. And how he has to go to extra lengths to be seen as a "normal" person. He claims to "whistle melodies from Beethoven and Vivaldi," which is completely absurd.
But in my honest opinion, I feel as though media is great influencer on society. The news is always filling up with different headlines, people have phones to record everything, and social media pages allow almost anything to be posted. Which is alright, people should have the right to express themselves. But media can really show different sides and influence people's minds.
In 2011, a study on how media represented black males was done. The case study mentions that a lot of portrayals on media deal with criminality. Like a police report or a gangster on TV. The study claims one of the main reasons is "Producer Bias," which is described a media producer taking something out of context. Factors like these can lead to stereotypical views and influence opinions, ultimately "altering" public space.
But if media can influence opinions in a bad way, can't it also do the opposite?
Let's jump over to today. As of now, the exact date is February 4th, 2018. And today, a form of media that will be available to the world in 12 days. A film that follows a Black superhero on his journey to protect his great country. Black Panther is hitting the screens very soon and is already looking to be one of the biggest movies this year. Let's just give a brief rundown. This film is based around an original Marvel comic. It follows a Black family of royalty who are strong and powerful. A country built with the hands of black people, that has become the most advanced city in the world.
Also to mention, the film's cast is majority black. And how often do we see that in Hollywood? The cast includes iconic Black actors as Chadwick Boseman, Michael B. Jordan, Lupita Nyongo'o, Dunai Gurai, and Forest Whitaker. This film will truly highlight Black Excellence.
This film shows the great power of African Americans. That they too, can be great. That they too can be a superhero with amazing power, that they can be royalty, or that they can be a technological innovator. It will show that at their core, they are truly people and that they are no different. This will be the film that will start to "re-alter" public space.
Brent Staples an author who hails from Pennsylvania, brings his point of view in "Just Walk on By: A Black Man Ponders His Power to Alter Public Space." Staples talks of being given this default of being seen as mugger or rapist in the eyes of society. And how he has to go to extra lengths to be seen as a "normal" person. He claims to "whistle melodies from Beethoven and Vivaldi," which is completely absurd.
But in my honest opinion, I feel as though media is great influencer on society. The news is always filling up with different headlines, people have phones to record everything, and social media pages allow almost anything to be posted. Which is alright, people should have the right to express themselves. But media can really show different sides and influence people's minds.
In 2011, a study on how media represented black males was done. The case study mentions that a lot of portrayals on media deal with criminality. Like a police report or a gangster on TV. The study claims one of the main reasons is "Producer Bias," which is described a media producer taking something out of context. Factors like these can lead to stereotypical views and influence opinions, ultimately "altering" public space.
But if media can influence opinions in a bad way, can't it also do the opposite?
Let's jump over to today. As of now, the exact date is February 4th, 2018. And today, a form of media that will be available to the world in 12 days. A film that follows a Black superhero on his journey to protect his great country. Black Panther is hitting the screens very soon and is already looking to be one of the biggest movies this year. Let's just give a brief rundown. This film is based around an original Marvel comic. It follows a Black family of royalty who are strong and powerful. A country built with the hands of black people, that has become the most advanced city in the world.
Also to mention, the film's cast is majority black. And how often do we see that in Hollywood? The cast includes iconic Black actors as Chadwick Boseman, Michael B. Jordan, Lupita Nyongo'o, Dunai Gurai, and Forest Whitaker. This film will truly highlight Black Excellence.
This film shows the great power of African Americans. That they too, can be great. That they too can be a superhero with amazing power, that they can be royalty, or that they can be a technological innovator. It will show that at their core, they are truly people and that they are no different. This will be the film that will start to "re-alter" public space.
Case Study: http://racialequitytools.org/resourcefiles/Media-Impact-onLives-of-Black-Men-and-Boys-OppAgenda.pdf
Very interesting comparison to the Staples piece to Black Panther. I'm sure this movie will work to break stereotypes of the media, and hopefully win some academy awards for the fine actors and actresses.
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