Racism Enacted Throughout the History of Black Films

The history of African Americans in early Hollywood films originated with blacks representing preconceived stereotypes. D.W. Griffith’s 1915 film, Birth of a Nation, stirred many controversial issues within the black community. The fact that Griffith used white actors in blackface to portray black people showed how little he knew about African Americans. Bosley Crowther’s article “The Birth of Birth of a Nation” emphasizes that the film was a “highly pro-South drama of the American Civil War and the Period of Reconstruction, and it glorified the role of the Ku Klux Klan” (76). While viewing this film, one would assert that the Ku Klux Klan members are heroic forces that rescue white women from sexually abusive black men. Griffith introduced “mulatto, faithful mammy, Uncle Tom, and brutal buck” character; some were disguised as villains and obnoxious individuals. Donald Bogle’s “Toms, Coons, Mulattoes, Mammies, & Bucks” describes the brutal black buck as “big, bad niggers, sexed and savage, violent and frenzied as they lust for white flesh” (13-14). Some of the film’s most objectionable scenes depict black men trying to rape white women and Negros destroying the south however, the Ku Klux Klan is riding to the rescue. Bogle also recorded some scenes in the film that presented blacks as a joke. For instance, Bogle reaffirms that “freed Negro legislators are depicted as lustful, arrogant, and idiotic: one bites on a chicken leg, another sneaks a drink from a liquor bottle, and another removes his shows during legislative meetings” (12).

During this time, white people could not view blacks as normal people. Instead, they acknowledge that blacks were jesters and haughty.

In addition to the biased and racial stereotypes shown in...

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... shame. Therefore, he quit his job and began to dream of the kind of roles he wanted to play in reality. Hollywood Shuffle successfully shed light on the lack of important roles for black actors in Hollywood and misconception of black people in films. The film shows how racism is behind the scenes because the director constantly demands the actors to be more black. In other words, Townsend intended to show the negative stereotypes directed towards black actors. By all means, black people who aspire to be actors and actresses have no choice but to accept the demeaning roles for money and a chance to be famous. Bogle mentions that, “In one sequence, Bobby does what can only be described as a brilliant impersonation of Stepin Fetchit” (300). Hollywood Shuffle reinforces the racial stereotypes of Birth of a Nation in terms of portraying blacks as foolish and idiotic.