Analysis Of The Wiz

The art in social justice movement is further educate individuals while entertaining them, one example is the 1978s classic The Wiz. The Wiz was created during the Black Arts Movement to illustrated historical and political issues in the African American community. If one watches The Wiz closely one can see the how the Scarecrow character is used to demonstrate how African American mental mislead. The Scarecrow was told over and over by the Crows he was not smart enough to get down off of “dis here pole”. The Scarecrow believed the Crows and felt he was dumb and not good enough. However, the Scarecrow was very smart, but due to years of being mental beat down he could see it. This has happened so many times in African American history. African Americans have been told they were not smart or good enough since captured and brought to America. This constant mental abuse has left a lasting scar on African Americans, but The Wiz tried to show African Americans had more knowledge than what they give themselves credit for.

The Scarecrow character may not have known he was pushing the narrative alone, like African American pushing the United States narrative alone. From slavery when pushing the United State simple agricultural group of states to industrial superpower. Also in the 1920s when African American push the narrative through political, artistic, and scientific inventions. In the end the Scarecrow realized he always had a brain and the power to create his own destiny and this message the writers of The Wiz wanted to portray to African American through the movie. The Wiz showcase exactly what the Black Arts Movement was trying to relay to African Americans that had the knowledge to be model the path by their own