Hollywood’s Depictions of African Americans in the 1980s The 1980s, characterized by Ronald Reagan’s presidency and policies, saw the many black economic and social gains of the previous decades come to an end. Things like college attendance rates, income levels, and the proportion of two-parent families all declined. At the same time, crime rates escalated and poverty levels increased. Hollywood was not interested in showing this unpleasant reality to its audience; the industry was interested in casting black performers who asserted their black identity, while still maintaining crossover appeal. One actor who was able to assert their black identity, yet still maintain crossover appeal was Eddie Murphy. Murphy’s ability to be aggressive
…show more content…
One such film is Norman Jewison's A Soldier’s Story. The film, with a predominately black cast, deals with what it means to be a minority in 1944 southern United States. The film also deals with how geography plays an important role in black masculinity and culture. Another serious film about race was Steven Spielberg’s The Color Purple. The film focuses on the oppression of black women by black men. In fact, it was criticized for portraying all black men as extremely harsh and uncaring, while portraying all women as powerful and loving. In addition, rising star Spike Lee also directed films with serious portrayals of race in this decade. One example is She’s Gotta Have It (1986). The film focuses on a black female character whose attitudes and concerns were actually in line with those of many black women in the 80s. Another such film was Lee’s Do The Right Thing (1989). The film not only was able to successfully portray black community life and problems, but it also was one of the rare few that acknowledged the numerous social issues black communities faced. And the film extremely powerful depiction of urban racial tensions touched the nerve of the American public, causing much controversy. Lee touched on police brutality, white racism, and gentrification-- among other
One such film is Norman Jewison's A Soldier’s Story. The film, with a predominately black cast, deals with what it means to be a minority in 1944 southern United States. The film also deals with how geography plays an important role in black masculinity and culture. Another serious film about race was Steven Spielberg’s The Color Purple. The film focuses on the oppression of black women by black men. In fact, it was criticized for portraying all black men as extremely harsh and uncaring, while portraying all women as powerful and loving. In addition, rising star Spike Lee also directed films with serious portrayals of race in this decade. One example is She’s Gotta Have It (1986). The film focuses on a black female character whose attitudes and concerns were actually in line with those of many black women in the 80s. Another such film was Lee’s Do The Right Thing (1989). The film not only was able to successfully portray black community life and problems, but it also was one of the rare few that acknowledged the numerous social issues black communities faced. And the film extremely powerful depiction of urban racial tensions touched the nerve of the American public, causing much controversy. Lee touched on police brutality, white racism, and gentrification-- among other