In 1915 David W. Griffith published the film Birth of a Nation. As a post-reconstruction justification for political developments in the South, its infamously racist depictions of African Americans would give rise to the Ku Klux Klan. Griffith’s portrayal of Black Americans was rooted in a history and culture of derogatory media representations spanning both art and literature. This one-sided depiction did not disappear anytime soon, but mainstream media representation was diversified and expanded once African Americans were allowed to partake in mainstream cultural productions. This class will take a look at the development of African American (self-)portrayals across different (audio-)visual mediums (film, tv, photography, comics) from minstrel shows of the mid 19th century to the modern day gangster aesthetic.
Throughout the semester, students will work with scholarship on media representation and analyze various primary sources, including movies, tv-shows, comics, etc. To this end, students will be required to watch a number of films and other media productions. The mode of this class and requirements in order to achieve full credit for this class will be discussed during the first session.
- Trainer/in: Gloria Fears-Heinzel