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Forum on portrayal of blacks in media held by BSU
The Advocate
The Black Student Union sponsored an open discussion Feb. 16 in the Town and Gown Room addressing the topic of how African-Americans are portrayed in the media.
Students and faculty members offered their thoughts and experiences about being a person of color and the importance of accurate role models in the media.
Black Student Union (BSU) President Onjalai Flake introduced the session and then opened up the floor to discussion.
“Because media is such a strong and influential part of most people’s lives, especially for young people, we wanted to see what kind of influence black entertainers have on our community,” said Flake.
Flake and other BSU members compiled a Powerpoint presentation detailing African-American entertainers and how they are perceived in contemporary media. Among those profiled were Oprah Winfrey, Chris Brown and “The Cosby Show” family, the Huckstables.
Each slide carried a variety of themes and topics. One in particular asked if the TV family the Huckstables were an accurate portrayal of an African American family.
Most in the audience agreed the show was both an accurate portrayal and an inspiration to the African American community to live a positive lifestyle that the Huckstables shared on screen.
Another topic included a segment on stand-up comedians and their source of jokes: their own race. Sociology instructor Nicole Bragg brought attention to stand-up comedians and how they portray their race in their humor.
“While at a glimpse, it may seem demeaning to poke fun at your own people for the way they talk, live or look, it is done humorously almost on a taboo level, and we all get a laugh from it, so we are all guilty of enjoying self-critical humor,” said Bragg. “They perform truism about life and how they interact with each other while still being able to hold onto their race without truly stepping themselves down.”
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