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The role of media in relation to african americans
The way media plays a role in race
Nature of racial discrimination
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Reflection of the play, “By the Way, Meet Vera Stark” In the play, “By the Way, Meet Vera Stark”, the two main characters, Vera Stark and Anna Mae play a significate role in the plays main theme of racial discrimination. The choice they made to decide to lie about their race came from the fact that racial discrimination was an issue and they knew they wouldn’t be looked at for a major role in a play. I found this to be very sad that they couldn’t be themselves and had to lie about who they truly are. This play also brings to light the issue that many people face in today’s society of conforming to society’s image of being the perfect American. Anna Mae lied about her race and said she was Brazilian. She did this to try to get a part in a …show more content…
Even though racial discrimination may not be as prevalent in the present day society, many African American men and women believe that they do not experience the same opportunities as the white race. Media in general plays such an active role in bringing more information about racial discrimination and how it is still occurring today. But media can also bring negative effects to the struggle in living up to social standards to today’s society “norms”. Anna Mae was very brave in lying about her identity to become someone she really wanted to be. But, I feel she should have never had to have done that. He story just goes to show how the power of society can change you as a human being. It can make you believe that you must change your identity in order to “fit in” which I find to be very sad. I think that more people in this world need to stand up to theses stereotypes of being the “perfect American” and say that no one is perfect in this world and everyone is created by the most perfect human God. Overall, racial discrimination is a part of our everyday lives and "By the Way, Meet Vera Stark" can still speak to us today, even with the play set in a time 80 years
In this autobiography of Anne Moody a.k.a. Essie Mae as she is often called in the book, is the struggles for rights that poor black Americans had in Mississippi. Things in her life lead her to be such an activist in the fight for black equality during this time. She had to go through a lot of adversity growing up like being beat, house being burned down, moving to different school, and being abuse by her mom's boyfriend. One incident that would make Anne Moody curious about racism in the south was the incident in the Movie Theater with the first white friends she had made. The other was the death of Emmett Tillman and other racial incidents that would involve harsh and deadly circumstances. These this would make Miss Moody realize that this should not be tolerated in a free world.
One story that the Author told that really struck a chord with me was when she went to the diner and was yelled at for just standing in front of the diner. You hear stories from like this from the past often, but it gives it a different perspective when it’s a young girl. If I was put in this situation, I would personally have a breakdown. I would want to lash out in anger and frustration, but the consequences of lashing out against a white person during this time period were very large. I have lived in predominantly white areas for most of my life, and I have not experienced any overt racism like the author
Although the main character in the book was white, the author, Sue Kidd, does a great job of depicting the African American culture during the time. Whether it was Rosaleen getting beat up in jail, or Zach dreaming of being a lawyer, this book showed you what it was like being a minority during a time when rights where still being fought for. One of the smaller conflicts in the story was a man verses man conflict, when Lily and Zach started to like each other. Though they knew that a colored man, and a white girl could never be together, they both were attracted to each other. Were they not from different cultures, people would have been fine with them dating, but because Zach was black, it couldn?t work out.
Racial inequality was a big thing back in the day, as the blacks were oppressed, discriminated and killed. The blacks did not get fair treatment as the whites, they were always been looked down, mocked, and terrified. But Moody knew there’s still an opportunity to change the institution through Civil Rights Movement. As she matured Anne Moody come to a conclusion that race was created as something to separate people, and there were a lot of common between a white person and a black person. Moody knew sexual orientation was very important back in the 1950s, there was little what women can do or allowed to do in the society. For example, when Moody was ridiculed by her activist fellas in Civil Rights Movement. Women indeed played an important role in Moody’s life, because they helped forming her personality development and growth. The first most important woman in Moody’s life would be her mother, Toosweet Davis. Toosweet represent the older rural African American women generation, whom was too terrified to stand up for their rights. She was portrayed as a good mother to Moody. She struggled to make ends meet, yet she did everything she could to provide shelter and food to her children. Toosweet has encouraged Moody to pursue education. However, she did not want Moody to go to college because of the fear of her daughter joining the Civil Rights Movement and getting killed. The second important woman to Moody would be Mrs. Burke, She is the white woman Moody worked for. Mrs. Burke is a fine example of racist white people, arguably the most racist, destructive, and disgusting individual. In the story, Mrs. Burke hold grudge and hatred against all African American. Although she got some respects for Moody, State by the Narrator: “You see, Essie, I wouldn’t mind Wayne going to school with you. But all Negroes aren’t like you and your
The things Anne Moody went through helped her become a strong and independent woman. She grew strong feelings toward racism and realized that if she did not make a stand for the rights of African Americans in Mississippi then no one would. Moody shows why the civil rights movement was such a necessity and the intensity of the injustices it had to correct by showing how black Americans got equal rights because of the untiring efforts young people, like Anne Moody, had. Without the efforts of these young people, the role of Black Americans in society may have been different today.
The author distinguishes white people as privileged and respectful compare to mulattos and blacks. In the racial society, white people have the right to get any high-class position in job or live any places. In the story, all white characters are noble such as Judge Straight lawyer, Doctor Green, business-man George, and former slaveholder Mrs. Tryon. Moreover, the author also states the racial distinction of whites on mulattos. For example, when Dr. Green talks to Tryon, “‘The niggers,’…, ‘are getting mighty trifling since they’ve been freed. Before the war, that boy would have been around there and back before you could say Jack Robinson; now, the lazy rascal takes his time just like a white man.’ ” (73) Additionally, in the old society, most white people often disdained and looked down on mulattos. Even though there were some whites respected colored people friendly, there were no way for colored people to stand parallel with whites’ high class positions. The story has demonstrations that Judge Straight accepted John as his assistant, Mrs. Tryon honor interviewed Rena, and George finally changed and decided to marry Rena; however, the discrimination is inevitable. For example, when Mrs. Tryon heard Rena was colored, she was disappointed. “The lady, who had been studying her as closely as good manners would permit, sighed regretfully.” (161) There, Mrs. Tryon might have a good plan for Rena, but the racial society would not accept; since Rena was a mulatto, Mrs. Tryon could not do anything to help Rena in white social life. The racial circumstance does not only apply on mulattos, but it also expresses the suffering of black people.
It is already a very well known fact that African Americans went through a lot of torment through the 1920s until the later 1960s. Even as time went by, only a small amount of things changed. Racism may have died down a bit, but remains in existence. The play A Raisin in the Sun by African American female, Lorraine Hansberry, depicts the real life of African Americans between the 1920s and the 1960s. This time period for an African American was rather tough. The living situations for African Americans were made even more difficult than they would have already been due to their skin color and the government's decisions (ex. Jim Crow laws).
The Play Meet Vera Stark is based on the Main Character, Vera Stark’s rise to stardom. The play starts with Gloria Mitchell, a film star known as America's Little Sweetie Pie, rehearsing her lines with Vera, her maid, for a Southern epic called, “The Belle of New Orleans”. Gloria was determined to get the role of main character and Vera wants to also land a role as the maid in the film. Gloria is both worried and nervous that she wouldn’t make the part while Vera is in dilemma whether Gloria would mention her to the director. The final scene had Gloria throwing a dinner party. The people who attended included Vera and Lottie as maids, the studio producer Fredrick Slasvick, director Maximillian Von Oster, with Anne Mae, coming in as the director’s date, and Leroy Barksdale, a jazz musician who also was Maximillian’s chauffer and has interests in Vera. Maximillian explains how he wants “The Belle of New Orleans” to be as real as possible that would include slavery and the tragic negro plight. Vera and Lottie both acted out the part as an
The plight of the civil rights movement stands as one of the most influential and crucial elements to African-American history. We can accredit many activist, public speakers, and civil rights groups, to the equality and civil rights that African-American men and women are able to have in this country today. We see repeated evidence of these historical movements describes in fiction, plays, TV, and many other forms of media and literature. An artistic license is provided to many authors developing these concepts amongst their writing. When examining specific characters and literary works you can see an indirect comparison to the personality traits, actions, decisions, and journey to that of real-life historical figures.
When thinking about black actresses in the 1930s through 1950s, a few names may come to mind like Nina McKinney, Lena Horne, Dorothy Dandridge, and Hattie McDaniel. However, many other black actresses have graced the big screen including Suzette Harbin, Theresa Hams, Ethel Moses, Mae Turner, and Hilda Simms just to name a few. Many of these talented actresses differ in their career paths, but they all endured some form of racism and sexism which made it laborious for them to thrive in their careers. By the Way, Meet Vera Stark represents the hardships of black actresses during the 1930s through 1950s. The protagonist, Vera Stark, persistently tries to prove to people around her that she has star quality for show business. However, she does
Discrimination is “the unjust or prejudicial treatment of different categories of people or things.” On December 1, 1955, in Montgomery, Alabama, Rosa Parks was ordered to give up her bus seat to a white passenger and refused. This act of opposition defied all normalities for the average black woman. The treatment of a woman who was black compared to the treatment of a white woman in that age was completely discriminatory. Rosa Park’s strength to influence justice against racial segregation has slowly influenced justice against all discrimination. “The Help,” a 2009 novel written by American author, Kathryn Stockett, is a story about African-American maids working for white households in Jackson, Mississippi set in the early 1960’s. “The Help” depicts these women as individuals similar to Rosa Parks, who want to influence change and equality. Through “The Help,” the reader can relate the thoughts and views of the characters to our society today, particularly on the grounds of race, class and gender.
In the poem “White Lies” by Natasha Tretheway the narrator opens the poem with vivid imagery about a bi-racial little girl who is trying to find her true identity between herself and others around her. She tells little lies about being fully white because she feels ashamed and embarrassed of her race and class and is a having a hard time accepting reality. The poem dramatizes the conflict between fitting in and reality. The narrator illustrates this by using a lot imagery, correlations and connotation to display a picture of lies. The narrator’s syntax, tone, irony and figurative language help to organize her conflict and address her mother’s disapproval.
Being African American in the thirties and sixties was dangerous. Things such as the KKK and the Jim Crow laws that were put into place, made it near impossible for African Americans to go about an everyday life. A close look at the way Crooks from Of Mice and Men, written by John Steinbeck, and Minnie Jackson from The Help, written by Kathryn Stockett, confront the discrimination that they face in different time periods demonstrated the struggle of being an African American excluded from society.
Racial discrimination was brought to the peak of popularity in mass media in the 1960's with the beginning of the Civil Rights Movement. Southern United States was the front line of the battle for equal rights for not only black men, but also black women. The unification through the terrors of racism brought hope and a fighting chance to the cause. Kathryn Stockett uses the characterization of Minny Jackson through point-of-views of herself and other characters in her novel, The Help, to develop the conflicting ideas of the African American women ideology, Africana womanism.
It is seen through the media, government and ideologies. The institutionalism of racism has created the dominance of white people in the government and media. Within the government, they create laws and policies that favor the majority of people and have not created equality for minority groups. In the media, there majority of television shows and movies are cast by white cisgender people. as seen in the film, the new casters who inform the world of news, is represented by white individuals who give their one-sided opinion in regards to issues. Another factor of the people who have the opportunity to have opportunities within the media are people of the upper class. For example, the controversies our society had about Caitlin Jenner were rectified by her ability to tell her story on television. The speakers who came into class to discuss being transgender agreed that the story of Caitlin isn’t an accurate portrayal of the transition. Also, the fact that not one person of color was nominated for an academy award, showed controversy over how different the opportunities are between white and black people. they were able to speak their truth at the show, because of their fame and fortune and made the academy hear them and their concerns. If in the film, the Women could have told their story from their perspective without the court being skewed, they may not have been sent to