Negative Stereotypes Of The Black Community

There are not enough fingers in the world to count how many times I have heard the phrase “It’s because he is black.” It doesn’t matter if I am in school or even at the mall, I hear this statement, this stereotype. Stereotypes have always existed, but the emphasis of negative stereotypes forced onto the Black Community through different media outlets has put a strain on the Black Community. These negative stereotypes are weapons used by racist people to keep the black community socially and economically oppressed. Phrases like “they are thieves,” “they are violent,” and “they are uneducated” are only a few of the stereotypes used to oppress the Black Community. This is not a mindset people are born with­ people are primed with these stereotypes. …show more content…
These negative stereotypes have been psychologically embedded in people of America subconsciously through media these negative stereotypes have negatively affected the black community socially and economically. The media portrayal of black men as criminals, and many people equate black men to murderers and thieves which causes fear in reality. Media is subconsciously portraying black people as criminals on television shows and news, only covering issues in inner city environments primarily populated by black people. The study “Media Impact on the Lives of Black Men and Boys” conducted by The Opportunity Agenda describes these portrayals as negative associations exaggerated by media with black men in, “criminality, unemployment, and poverty.” The idle Black male on the street corner is not the “true face” of poverty in America, but he is the only idle Black male in the world as depicted by media. The study then refers to how these negative connotations have created obstacles for …show more content…
These decisions are seen through the multiple Black deaths that have happened because of negative stereotypes. One occurrence, was the shooting of Trayvon Martin, a hooded and unarmed black male who was portrayed as a criminal by a white male. A multitude of experiments conducted by lead author John Paul Wilson, PhD, of Montclair State University, state that white men are more likely to fire a weapon at a Black male than a white male. John Paul says his research suggests that, “these descriptions of unjustified violence against African Americans, reflect stereotypes of black males that do not seem to comport with reality.” Fear of the Black Community, that are produced by stereotypes from media, are the clear reason for the issues that the black populace of America face. Dr. Wilson organized many studies that proved this claim to be true. Media has created a chain that is holding Black people down by means of the negative stereotypes that have been associated with