Racism In Pop Culture Essay

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It is often heard and said that we have come a long way in our nations history in regards to racism. Some even make the claim that racism simply no longer exists in this free and open minded nation. While that may be true, that we have come a long way in regards to racism, but in no way is it true that racism no longer exists. In todays day and age, racism is more subtle but still very much apart of the American story. This is true mainly because of pop culture. America’s pop culture subtlety and sometimes blatantly shows that racism still exists today through the depiction and lack of representation of people of color in movies, television, advertisements, the media and finally through social media. All of these aspects bring about racism …show more content…

The racism seen today in popular culture is in no way the beginning of the racism in popular culture in America and to understand racist pop culture present we must understand racist pop culture past. Lets go back to a terrible time where racism was the social norm. Even though slavery ended in 1865, that did not stop the ridicule or harassment of African Americans. During that time racism was in full effect, showing no mercy to the African Americans who had just been freed from slavery. Popular culture during this time was no exception. In fact, during this popular culture was the full force in supporting and reassuring the racists thoughts of America. During this time African Americans were depicted as caricatures that dehumanized and ridiculed them. In their chapter, Race and Popular Culture, Danielle Dirks and Jenifer Mueller described some of the many items that depicted racism in popular culture during that time, “In the United States, popular racist stereotypes of the Jim Crow era easily became the faces of mass-produced lawn ornaments, kitchen items, postcards, and children’s toys such as noisemakers, dolls, and costumes”(Dirk&Mueller 117). All of these items included either blackface or certain racial stereotypes that white people put on African Americans during that time. These objects because part of the everyday enjoyment and entertainment of

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