Samuel Vasquez
Professor Riismandel
HSS 404
15 May 2016
Race in Suburbia: 1950s – 1980s
It was not until the late 1960s that a black woman first aired on a TV show with a leading role. In fact, Julia (1968) was a television's attempt to address race issues during a period of confusion over the position of African-Americans in the society. After World War II, the U.S. entered on a period of heightened activism. Thanks to the campaign of nonviolent resistance by part of the black community, the civil rights movement became relevant in the U.S. As a result, President Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act on July 2, 1964 (history.com). The act gave the federal government more power to protect citizens against discrimination on the basis of …show more content…
She is also a widow trying to raise a young son alone (imdb.com). During the first season of the show, many of the episodes focused on the positive interactions between blacks and whites. For example, Julia’s white neighbor, Marie Waggedorn, became one of Julia’s best friends throughout the entire show. Similarly, Julia’s son, Corey, developed a strong friendship with his neighbor Earl J. Waggedorn. For this reason, Julia was considered by many as a groundbreaking TV show that introduced a different perspective about the black community on the U.S. society of the …show more content…
For instance, on the tenth episode of season 1, an argument rises between Mrs. Bennett (a white neighbor) and Julia. Mrs. Bennett claimed that their community was turning into a ghetto ever since Blacks started to move in. She also pointed at Corey (Julia’s son) as the responsible of crayon marks on the outside walls of the residency. Even though it was Pamela (Mrs. Bennett’s granddaughter) the one responsible for the crayon marks on the wall, Julia did not think about it twice to help Mrs. Bennett when Pamela was choking. In other words, blacks and whites forgot about any differences between them in order to help each other.
Also, the show was very reminiscent of the ideals stated by the Black Power movement. During the first episode of season 1, Julia finds herself looking for a decent job as a nurse. As expected, she runs into an interview, but because she was a black woman it was a bit problematic to get the job position. It was not until Dr. Chegley (a white Doctor) confronted his partner (Julia’s interviewer) about the fact that someone’s color should not be a factor on a job interview. As a result, Julia ended getting the job position as a nurse on the clinic of an aerospace
Professor Riismandel
HSS 404
15 May 2016
Race in Suburbia: 1950s – 1980s
It was not until the late 1960s that a black woman first aired on a TV show with a leading role. In fact, Julia (1968) was a television's attempt to address race issues during a period of confusion over the position of African-Americans in the society. After World War II, the U.S. entered on a period of heightened activism. Thanks to the campaign of nonviolent resistance by part of the black community, the civil rights movement became relevant in the U.S. As a result, President Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act on July 2, 1964 (history.com). The act gave the federal government more power to protect citizens against discrimination on the basis of …show more content…
She is also a widow trying to raise a young son alone (imdb.com). During the first season of the show, many of the episodes focused on the positive interactions between blacks and whites. For example, Julia’s white neighbor, Marie Waggedorn, became one of Julia’s best friends throughout the entire show. Similarly, Julia’s son, Corey, developed a strong friendship with his neighbor Earl J. Waggedorn. For this reason, Julia was considered by many as a groundbreaking TV show that introduced a different perspective about the black community on the U.S. society of the …show more content…
For instance, on the tenth episode of season 1, an argument rises between Mrs. Bennett (a white neighbor) and Julia. Mrs. Bennett claimed that their community was turning into a ghetto ever since Blacks started to move in. She also pointed at Corey (Julia’s son) as the responsible of crayon marks on the outside walls of the residency. Even though it was Pamela (Mrs. Bennett’s granddaughter) the one responsible for the crayon marks on the wall, Julia did not think about it twice to help Mrs. Bennett when Pamela was choking. In other words, blacks and whites forgot about any differences between them in order to help each other.
Also, the show was very reminiscent of the ideals stated by the Black Power movement. During the first episode of season 1, Julia finds herself looking for a decent job as a nurse. As expected, she runs into an interview, but because she was a black woman it was a bit problematic to get the job position. It was not until Dr. Chegley (a white Doctor) confronted his partner (Julia’s interviewer) about the fact that someone’s color should not be a factor on a job interview. As a result, Julia ended getting the job position as a nurse on the clinic of an aerospace