Differences between us have throughout history resulted in discrimination of others. Whether that discrimination is towards a race, sex, or sexual preferences it can tear people apart and create hatred and sometimes even violence. This hatred can be seen in American cinema and media and though through time our culture has made progress we still have a way to go.
Racism in media can be seen in the early 1900’s when D.W. Griffith made a movie titled The Birth of a Nation. The movie portrayed the KKK, as heroic and lead to a rise in the group, which committed many violent, hate crimes against black Americans. The murderous group killed many and gained the support of many Southern leaders who had the power to look away from the crimes. This movie was given full support by President Woodrow Wilson who was actually quoted in the movie. There are also many movies that attack these issues and fight for equality. Cinema has been a large contributor to the advancement of issues of sexism, racism, and homosexuality. One of the earliest of these movies was a landmark movie that was based on the book To Kill a Mockingbird. To Kill a Mockingbird is the story of a poor black man who is wrongfully accused of raping a white woman. A white lawyer, Gregory Peck, decides to take the mans case despite the communities effort to intimidate him and his family.
Though many movies still promote racial, sexual, and sexual preference stereotypes many directors have created movies to fight this. There still is a lot of hatred towards various groups of people in America but we are going in the right direction. Though there will never be complete acceptance amongst all people who reside in our country, and around the world for that matter, media can help to steer us towards equality. Media has a huge influence on Americans and can be used to either help minority group’s progress towards equality or send us the wrong way all together. Hopefully the leaders of our media will help these social struggles and we can take equality to the next level.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment