The Supremacy Of African Americans

Visual media is an influential source of information that helps us to understand others and ourselves in society. It aims to define all of the acceptable norms of society. It also gives us an idea of what the “others” are considered to be and who are predominant. Therefore, it specifies those with different statuses in society. Most importantly, it gives an idea of why different statuses exist in society. However, these stereotypes have been used to justify the position of racial groups on the racial hierarchy. Visual media freely provides solid streams of racial stereotypes, which keenly creates or highlights audiences’ existing observations. African- Americans are often under represented, marginalized, exploited, powerless and violent in mainstream media in stereotypical ways. …show more content…
Since Africans were brought over as slaves, they were “viewed as property and owners could leave slaves their heirs like cattle, land, money and houses” (Alexander R. 2005, p.76). They were taken from all over the continent of Africa and brought here through the Atlantic slave trade. Their status as “chattel slaves – owned by plantation barons and without the rights of human beings – was very important because it shaped the way African Americans would be perceived after they received their freedom in the United States” (Rome, 2004,p.19). Once Africans reached North America, they were already considered to be inferior to the white race and were treated as property rather than as equals because they were brought from a