A Tribe Called Quest: An Analysis

Stories sometimes are true and sometimes they are false but it is up to the public to believe in what is right and what is wrong. In this day and age, where information is available at the touch of a mouse, it’s not surprising that the media is a particularly dominant and powerful

The Media: A Powerful Force Against African-Americans The media can be considered a deadly weapon to the minds of society. From its ability to make fantasy someone’s reality, to its ability to tear down someone’s reputation by just a snap of a finger or a click of a button. The media is deadly to people of color, especially African-Americans. For years, the portrayal of African-Americans has been anything, but true.

Since its creation and commercialization, Hip Hop has been used as an instrument to raise political issues, bring awareness to the hardships of people, act as a means of protest, petition for societal change and empower the downtrodden of society. It is therefore to a large extent successful in acting as a platform to voice political commentary and aid societal progression. It is complicit in perpetuating negative stereotypes of African Americans , the glorification of thugs as well as serving to partially justify police brutality towards Black Americans. However , it can be argued that the same factors that cause this societal damage also aim to protect African Americans from further societal harm.

The black community is strongly impacted by the media as it controls Americans’

One aspect of life for black people in the United States of America that has always remained consistent is white racial hostility. A history of slavery, segregation, unequal protection of the law, and second class citizenship inflicted by a white power structure that dominates on a national level has created a harmful reality for black people. Every aspect of black public life must either be under the control of or in opposition to white supremacy. Every state-sanctioned institution works to use black bodies as tools for the production of capital in any form, yet simultaneously exploits and maltreats black people so that they cannot fully participate in and benefit from the systems which they are indoctrinated to invest in. White America leverages its money, comfort, and tyranny on Black America. It is for this reason that separate spaces are not merely essential to the viability of black counter-publics but inherent to their existence, since black involvement in white spaces and systems typically leads to black assimilation or marginalization. Within these black counter-publics, hip hop and mass connection through new media forms direct attention and allow for personal expression which shapes black worldview and public opinion, but this simply makes black people more comfortable with their oppression and less involved in politics.

After many years of racism and segregation, it is time for a change in the African American community. Changing the perception others have on the black community is difficult. The problem needs to be fixed within the community, with how they view themselves. African Americans are accepting the prejudice against them and are not taking the time to change the standards. Changing the way they think about themselves will form stronger relationships at home, in the media, and in society.

    Although the African American image has become increasingly recognizable on modern-day television, that image is not always a positive one. Whether this was intentional or not, research has been conducted that highlights the effects of this denigration on the

“The media's the most powerful entity on earth. They have the power to make the innocent guilty and to make the guilty innocent, and that's power. Because they control the minds of the masses.” said Malcolm X (Kulaszewics Pg 4). The representation of African Americans in media has been a major concern in American culture. One problem we see today in the media is equality. Research has found that African Americans in media have been frequently portrayed in stereotypical occupational roles with negative personality characteristics.

In today’s society media has influence among the way people act and reflect on certain topics. Media including social media, news outlets, and television have always depicted African Americans in a negative light, therefore leaving those of others races to stereotype all African Americans into a category of criminals.

Music and society have always been closely related. For years now music has been apart of people’s everyday lives all around the world. Having so many different genres out there, it makes it easy to be appealing to so many different ethnic backgrounds. However, one type of genre in particular has seemed to grab the attention of a younger generation. Rap music has undoubtedly had its utmost impact on African American youth, since many of the performers themselves are African American. An overtly masculine culture dominates rap music and creates gender stereotypes that become abundantly popular to the youthful audience. Three constant themes that are found within the rap culture are encouragement of violence, the misogynistic representation of women, an extreme hatred of homophobia. Each theme plays a detrimental role in the process of defining black masculinity as well as shaping the values, morals, and beliefs that its younger audience adopts after tuning into this “gangster lifestyle”.

It is safe to say that media has come a long way from where it once started, in terms of diversity. For so long, media did not start display actual representations of minorities, and people of color until now. Television shows such as Dear White People, Blackish, Jane the Virgin, and Modern Family, and movies like Black Panther are all strong examples of inclusivity in media, something that has been absent for quite some time. While media has become more open to diversity and representation over time, the misrepresentation of African Americans in the media is still a greater issue than most may recognize. The lack of representation not only leads to the continuance of stereotypes, but induces a negative effect on black identity, and shapes

Popular African-American minority culture as interpreted by the majority is ghetto, violent, and threatening. Media representation of Blacks on Cable television, as explained by Fuller in her article, stems not from an inherent desire to promote the equality and advancement of minority races on the American TV screens, but from a desire to capitalize on White-American youth intrigue with Black culture to reap profits, ‘it is easy to be swept away by the promise of Cable’ (Fuller 2010: 287), as they are more receptive to minority races and classes than the four big broadcast networks. However, it is apparent that there is much bigger agenda at hand. Evidently, ‘it is the exigencies of the television industry, not the inherent goodwill or good taste of cable executives and subscribers, that shape what blacks are on the TV screen, ‘no matter what the [cable channels] tell you.’ (Fuller 2010:

“As a result of the overwhelming media focus on crime, drug use, gang violence, and other forms of anti-social behavior among African-Americans, the media have fostered a distorted and pernicious public perception of African-Americans”

“The media 's the most powerful entity on earth. They have the power to make the innocent guilty and to make the

Racism and discrimination continue to be a prevalent problem in American society. Although minorities have made significant strides toward autonomy and equality, the images in media, specifically television, continue to misrepresent and manipulate the public opinion of blacks. It is no longer a blatant practice upheld by the law and celebrated with hangings and beatings, but instead it is a subtle practice that is perceived in the entertainment and media industries. Whether it’s appearing in disparaging roles or being negatively portrayed in newscasts, blacks continue to be the victims of an industry that relies on old ideas to appeal to the majority. The viscous cycle that is the unconscious racism of the media continues to not only be