African American Families seen in the Media

7 occurrences of African American families in the media:

1. Television: Tuesday 3/24/09 @ 10:30 pm

The Cosby Show. Channel 54- TV Land

African American family: mother, father, and 5 children

> Positive Image

2. Newpaper: Wednesday 3/25/09

Tulsa World Newspaper: "Sweet Homecoming"

African American sisters and basketball stars, Courtney and Ashley Paris.

> Positive Image

3. Film: Wednesday 3/25/09 

This Christmas

very wealthy African American family: mother, stepfather, sons and daughters and their spouses and children.

> Had negative images during parts, but for the majority it had a positive image.

4. Newspaper: Thursday 3/26/09

Tulsa World Newspaper: "Sapulpa teen is on the ball; his design wins the national competition"

African American family: supportive and artistic; mother, father, and son.

> Positive image

5. Magazine: 3/23/09

People Magazine: article called "On Their Own" ; "Staying Strong for her Daughter." Pg.102

African American mother and daughter: Anne Marie does everything she can for her daughter, Arianna.

> Positive image when looking at what she has overcome

6. Internet: 3/26/09

commercial on www.youtube.com for new movie "Obsessed"

African American husband and wife

> The movie seemed to have a negative image, but the African American family had a neutral image.

7. Television: Thursday 3/26/09 @ 1:00 am

Good Times Channel 54- TV Land

African American Family: Women, 2 sons and daughter

> Situation is a negative image

After looking at the families I saw in the media, most of my images I found were positive. But when I thought about it I also watched TV shows I knew were on tv (the cosby show) because I knew the times it would be on since I grew up watching this. The articles I read in the magazine and newspaper were for the most part positive. However, the magazine article in People magazine had a positive image when looking at how far Anne Marie has come to get herself in the place and position she was in. If you focus on the type of life Anne Marie lived before, then it really is a negative image as well. In the article she says that "my mom gave me up at birth. My dad was ill. I had a relative who beat me with a shoe and I was sleeping in the subway when I came to the covenant house. I have a beautiful daughter, Arianna. I graduated college as a dental assistant. I'm pursuing my goals." Everything in the first half of that quote is negativity that she turned around into positivity in her life. I also really feel as though it depends on what type of media you are looking at to decide whether it is a positive or negative image. For example, I think that newspapers primarily have positive stories dealing with families, no matter what race, compared to television news which primarily focuses on negativity whether it is with a white family, a black family or whatever type of family. While this is not always the case, I typically think of TV news as more negative and newspaper articles as positive, uplifting stories of people who have success.

When you look at different movies that showcase African American families there is typically a stereotype for the families; the way they live, where they live, and their family members. I think it depends, but there is often times a negative image of African Americans compared to whites. Also, there is often images of inter racial relationships which usually leads to conflict. I find it strange that most of the movies with interracial relationships have conflict because it really shouldn't be that big of a deal. In my opinion it doesn't matter what color skin someone has so it's weird when so many movies focus primarily on this as a basis in the plot of the movie or tv show. 

While what we see in the media plays a large role in the way we think and feel about certain things, I think it is for the most part our real life experiences and thoughts which give us ideas of how we see others. After watching some television shows and movies and comparing them to my family or my best friend's family, who are African American, I realize that a lot of the time media images can be very over the top and can tend to exaggerate. I think that it is better to depend on your physical interactions and communications with others as a way to allow your perceptions to be influenced!

The Tulsa Race Riots.

Being a Tulsa native, I have learned about the Tulsa race riots in school growing up. This event is a terrible part of our nations history and it is hard to believe that it happened in my hometown, especially in the neighborhood where I went to school. I thought the documentary "Before They Die" was a very interesting and informative film. It discussed not only the history of the Tulsa Race Riots but it also discussed both what was, and was not, being done in order to compensate those survivors of the 1921 riots.

After watching this film, it was hard to not be infuriated for these survivors. They lived through this terrible event and aren't even given any compensation. Oh I'm sorry,  these survivors were given brass medals saying they were survivors as there compensation. That is ridiculous! They deserve so much more then a medal, they deserve respect, honor and for our nation to know what really occurred during those June nights. The Tulsa Race Riot is known as the worst in US history, yet so few of our nations citizens know about what even occurred during these 72 life changing hours. Not only were the days which the riots occurred life changing, but so were the weeks and months to follow. The people who lived in the greenwood neighborhood were put into tents since their houses were destroyed by the whites. If they wanted to leave or go anywhere/do anything they were given a tag with a number. The part I found to be most shocking was that they were having the African American men clean up the mess with no pay. This mess was brought on all because a white women was assumed to have been assaulted in an elevator by a black man. We don't even know if this true or not, and this is the event that brought upon this gruesome riot. After watching this documentary, I was angry that the survivors were denied compensation by congress and by my hometown of Tulsa! Listening to the defense counsel speak made me even more angry, his excuses were pathetic and I didn't understand how he could truly believe that these survivors didn't deserve anything for what they went through.

This is a part of our past that we can't forget happened. It is something that needs to be talked about so that we can realize how far we have come. Not only do we need to remember what has happened but it would be nice if something was done for the few survivors there are left. These individuals deserve justice and just want the world to know their story and what they went through. I'm happy I went to see the film, I learned more then I knew before and will always remember this important event that happened Tulsa.