Blog Post #4
Welcome back to my blog! Last time, you read about the author’s purpose in the book Why Are All the
Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria?. I explained that while she does have the overall argument
that there is still quite a bit of racism, the real purpose of the text is to educate people on why there is still
racism, and where it may be hiding, even though we may not see it.
Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria?. I explained that while she does have the overall argument
that there is still quite a bit of racism, the real purpose of the text is to educate people on why there is still
racism, and where it may be hiding, even though we may not see it.
Today, I want to connect her purpose of educating about the issue with some examples from my
lifetime, as current as possible, to support her purpose.
lifetime, as current as possible, to support her purpose.
In the book, Tatum focuses much less on large, clearly racist happenings, and more on smaller, everyday
hints of racism in everything we do, whether we are aware of it or not. She mentions the underlying
racism in our language, how we think of others, and how we think of ourselves, but she only skims
over more examples of underlying racism in our lives, particularly in the media.
hints of racism in everything we do, whether we are aware of it or not. She mentions the underlying
racism in our language, how we think of others, and how we think of ourselves, but she only skims
over more examples of underlying racism in our lives, particularly in the media.
One of the few examples that she gives of this I would have found surprising, had I not had a
conversation about the topic just a few weeks before in my German class. Her example is the
1994 movie, The Lion King, which on the surface is a harmless animated Disney film, but has a
surprising amount of racism in its details.
conversation about the topic just a few weeks before in my German class. Her example is the
1994 movie, The Lion King, which on the surface is a harmless animated Disney film, but has a
surprising amount of racism in its details.
She talks about the movie on page 127, specifically mentioning the “Spanish-accented voice of
Cheech Marin and the black slang of Whoopi Goldberg”, both of whom voiced hyenas, the antagonists,
“marking (the characters) racially”. This was the basis of my prior conversation in German class, as it
is the most obvious racial issue with the movie. Other things in the movie, such as the lion, Scar, the
leading antagonist, being significantly darker than all of the “good” lions, and the fact that the main
characters were warned not to go near the hyenas because it is dangerous.
Cheech Marin and the black slang of Whoopi Goldberg”, both of whom voiced hyenas, the antagonists,
“marking (the characters) racially”. This was the basis of my prior conversation in German class, as it
is the most obvious racial issue with the movie. Other things in the movie, such as the lion, Scar, the
leading antagonist, being significantly darker than all of the “good” lions, and the fact that the main
characters were warned not to go near the hyenas because it is dangerous.
The racism in The Lion King surprised me more than what I found in current movies and tv shows,
which I looked into as a part of my search for hidden racism in current media, because I did not expect
such an innocent movie to be an issue, and expected a bit from shows and movies that dealt with
current issues.
which I looked into as a part of my search for hidden racism in current media, because I did not expect
such an innocent movie to be an issue, and expected a bit from shows and movies that dealt with
current issues.
The most interesting article that I found was one by The Guardian, which focused on the
misrepresentation of justice and POC characters on crime shows. They did a study with ten popular
crime shows, looking for these issues, finding the number of mistakes per episode. This worst
offender was the CBS show Blue Blood, which averaged 2.18 mistakes per episode.
misrepresentation of justice and POC characters on crime shows. They did a study with ten popular
crime shows, looking for these issues, finding the number of mistakes per episode. This worst
offender was the CBS show Blue Blood, which averaged 2.18 mistakes per episode.
The article also talked about how there is quite a bit of unnecessary violence committed against
people of color on these shows, and in 18 out of 26 cases in a study they did, this violence is justified
by the fact that it is usually the “good guy” doing the wrong. Because of this association, the audience
rarely even notices it is bad, and the violence against POCs in these shows is normalized.
people of color on these shows, and in 18 out of 26 cases in a study they did, this violence is justified
by the fact that it is usually the “good guy” doing the wrong. Because of this association, the audience
rarely even notices it is bad, and the violence against POCs in these shows is normalized.
My biggest finding wasn’t what I read in the book, or what I found in my own research, but my
reaction to those things. Not only was I not surprised by what I found on the Guardian, but I had
actually expected it.
reaction to those things. Not only was I not surprised by what I found on the Guardian, but I had
actually expected it.
As you all know, police brutality is a major issue. According to the Washington Post in 2019 alone
435 people of color were shot by police officers (those whose races are unrecorded would likely
boost this number). Of course, some of those may have had reasoning, but my point is that the
constant and significant amount of police involvement with racist issues have normalized it, and at this
point, it is expected.
435 people of color were shot by police officers (those whose races are unrecorded would likely
boost this number). Of course, some of those may have had reasoning, but my point is that the
constant and significant amount of police involvement with racist issues have normalized it, and at this
point, it is expected.
This is a sad truth, and it is evident when you come across articles like the one from the Guardian that
we have grown up in a society that taught us that police brutality is normal and expected, not only by
evidence with actual occurrences of police brutality but of the normalization of it in the media.
we have grown up in a society that taught us that police brutality is normal and expected, not only by
evidence with actual occurrences of police brutality but of the normalization of it in the media.
This is just one aspect of hidden racism in the media that we miss, and to cover it all would take weeks.
What I leave you with is a question that I’ve been wondering throughout this book-- how can we work
against this society that is normalizing racism in the media?
against this society that is normalizing racism in the media?
Next time, I’ll give you my thoughts. Thanks for reading!
Works Cited
Evelyn, Kenya. "How TV crime shows erase racism and normalize police misconduct." The Guardian,
Guardian News & Media Limited, 25 Jan. 2020, www.theguardian.com/media/
2020/jan/25/law-and-disorder-how-shows-cloud-the-public-view-of-criminal-justice.
Accessed 13 Apr. 2020.
Guardian News & Media Limited, 25 Jan. 2020, www.theguardian.com/media/
2020/jan/25/law-and-disorder-how-shows-cloud-the-public-view-of-criminal-justice.
Accessed 13 Apr. 2020.
Tate, Julie, et al., editors. Data Base- 2019 Shootings by Police. Washington Post, 7 Apr. 2020,
www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2019/national/police-shootings-2019/. Accessed 13
Apr. 2020.
www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2019/national/police-shootings-2019/. Accessed 13
Apr. 2020.
Tatum, Berverly Daniel. Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria? Basic Books, 2017.
This is an interesting approach to the topic, Emily.
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