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Stereotypes and the Black American
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We Need Good Vibes to Promote Racial Harmony
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Joy Ramos
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the world he was up for the
task. Dancing in tap shoes with
faces covered over with black
shoe p o lish , these m instrel
show s, as they were called,
made big money.
Bv Y lgfn R ashad
F or the P ortland O bserves
Most Americans want to be
understood. Even among the dif­
ferent races, we need good v ibes
that will promote racial har­
mony. We realize the vision that
ir e c t o r
Robert Parker
4 7 4 7 NE M artin Luther King,
Jr. Blvd.
Portland, OR 9 7 2 1 1
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Fax 5 0 3 -2 8 8 -0 0 1 5
e-mail
people, regardless o f gen­
der, class, or race, de­
serve to be accorded hu­
man respect and dignity.
But for m any black
Americans, the mass m e­
dia has a predilection for
b ro ad castin g neg ativ e
images to the rest o f so­
ciety, leaving more ques-
tio n s , th e n a n s w e rs .
L et's take what is often
referred to as m instrelsy, i
or the negative portrayal
of blacks.
The black image h a s _____
yet to o v e rc o m e th e
Rashad
stig m a
of
th e
M any blacks to this day are
slavem aster’s entertainer. H is­
chagrined at the notion that some
tory reveals a time during Re­
w ould partake in such a dis­
construction when blacks were
graceful display. Yet. the tears
adrift, caught betw een cultures,
o f the “clow n." as the lyric to
discouraged, on the one hand to
the song goes, w ere often shed
put on full citizenship, while on
in secret. The public would only
the other yearning for autonomy.
see the jovial, smiling black en­
This internal war often meant
tertainer in character, pleasing
that blacks wanted to appear
the crowd with shuffling feet in
less threatening to the popu­
a display o f lilt and grace, in tap
lace, following such tumultuous
times and plantation life and the
shoes and tails.
L et's look at it from a differ­
Civil War.
ent point o f view. Some say this
W hat followed was a drive to
nom enclature continues to this
be a “good" neighbor and to
day, with many blacks shuffling
inch closer to the idea that
to keep their positions at work,
America was a welcom e place.
to gain a stronghold in the cor­
The form er slave did whatever
p o rate w orld, and the like.
necessary to com ply with the
Clearly, this perpetuates the age-
standards o f the day, which usu­
old stereotypes o f black Am eri­
ally meant second-class citizen­
cans as the go-along, get-along,
ship.
with the smile and compliant
However, there was a seg­
visage. But contrary to myth,
ment who sought to capitalize
th ere's a vibrant, fully devel­
on an opportunity. Traveling with
oped being, yearning for a break
bands o f m usicians, m agicians,
out m oment. Perhaps blacks
and circus acts, the nomadic
have overcome the stigma of
black entertainer announced to
news@portlandobserver.com
negative stereotypes, and can
now honor the valor o f the brave
men and women who trailblazed
a concept that up to this point
was only rem em b ered w ith
scorn. •'Bamboozled." the latest
film by Spike Lee is an ex­
ample. Why. even the making
o f a film with buffoonery sig­
nals a change in how blacks
view this period in history. In
fact, the industry's black actors
advocates screenw riters seek
to increase aw areness by their
w illingness to accept this his­
toric work. And history shows
that the "m asks." or images o f
the past w e re n 't necessarily
w orn out o f fear, but instead
d e m o n s tra te d a q u a lity o f
adap tab ility . A djusting to so­
cial changes is nothing new
for blacks in this country. From
slav ery to Hollywood, ingenuity
and wit lay at the foundation of
strategies to gain freedom and
justice and an attitude that sug­
gests. "I can do this," and still be
a human being o f soul and integ­
rity. We must learn to celebrate
the strength o f the human charac­
ter. and strive not to accept the
con v en ien ce o f blam e.
“ My mama loves me so much,
she protects me from colds,
ear infections, headaches,
asthma attacks and even cancer
without lifting a finger.”
How? Josiah's mother doesn't smoke and doesn't allow
secondhand smoke in her home. If you smoke, take it
outside. Or better yet, consider quitting.
For help, call the Tobacco Quit Line at 1-877-270-ST0P
or The African American Health Coalition at 503-413-1850.
A message from
Multnomah County Tobacco Prevention Coalition
^t3 African American Health Coalition
subsaiption@portiaretoteener.com
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