Blair

I agree with the Dorsey's blog. Also feel as though if there wasn't people like Jack Cooper, Duke Ellington, and Earl Hines helping spread the struggle of blacks then maybe we wouldn't have been heard and had a voice. Also I believe if it wasn't for the black radio stations ex slaves probably wouldn't know what part of the north is giving black people jobs. Or maybe radio gave black peoples something else that can get their mind off of the racism that is happening in the north.

- Caitlin Rolle

saleem6-blog1

I found it interesting also making me glad at the same time, that black women seperate themselves from the steretypes that are given to them through these films. majority of these films made are through the eye of the white man and how they view black women, which is through a steretypical view and not necissarily positive either. Its great that black women do this because it allows them to be shown and portrayed in a light that they should always be shown in, as well as showing how strong they really are.

I agree with everyone's opinions and feels as thought that our history of black women has been rough and hard to deal with. Black women have been the foundation and back bone during our struggling times. Black men were the first people accepted in society. Women never got a say so and were ridiculed. I do feel as though that now a days black men and women have way more say so and opportunity then we did back then. Especially during the Birth of Nation. We can make millions as long as we work hard enough like celebrities do.

due for Blacktechne.tumblr class

Hollywood’s Ideology

Chapters 6 and 7 talks mainly about the struggles black filmmakers face due to Hollywood and the film Industry . Since Hollywood is controlled by the white supremacy, it creates a hegemony for our culture . The film industry was a different type of medium during the 1900s that was the voice for african americans. This was another way to change the representations and depictions of the blacks. As Squires mentions: “hollywood sent a message about prejudice but continue to use prejudicial casting to do so”(p.112). The need for black filmmakers was in much need ever since hollywood was first established.

The film industry was being budgeted by the monopoly of whites in Hollywood. At the end of Chapter 6, Squires mentioned how the struggle for the circulation of black films needed to increase so the filmmakers could change America’s view of black people. One film that portrays African Americans as part of our American heritage is Daugther of the Dust”, directed by Julie Dash. Her film was the first feature film by an African-American woman to be distributed in the United States in theatrical release. I found this quite fascinating since women’s power was controlled by the male society. The film tells the story of 3 generations of Gullah women in the 1900s as their first people were brought as slaves centuries before. This film won many awards such Sundace film festival. Even though it has taken almost a century for a film like it’s kind to be adapted on screens, it has helped visualize of the heartened stories African Americans had to suffered during slavery. These kind of stories need to be told to our millenial so they can tell stories that were not mentioned during the 1900s and before.

Hollywood’s ideology has revolutionized the depiction of blacks. For example, I recently watched the movie Concussion starring Will Smith, This movie depicts a hardworking pathologist that is trying to be gain respect from the NFL, which is owned and operated by a majority of white men . I think the representations of African americans has immensely changed to todays date. Society has become open minded with different races and not just african americans. Therefore, showing visual imagery of african americans will help the double consciousness it exists amongst or society.

-Grazia Candiotti

saleem6-blog1

i feel that the hollywood industry in the present day are still predjudice to african american actors. I feel they consider them to be in lower teir versus a white actor. Very few African Americans will get serious main character roles in a movie, mainly being portrayed in a movie thats is comedy or represents the African American sterotype as poor young black man in the hood. And by having no black actors even nominated in the oscars proves my point and shows that black actors are looked down upon and discredited in the hollywood industry to this day.

#blackmediastudies #thinkoutsidethebox

I completely agree with you @saleem6 but I believe that even though "hollywood industry in the present day are still predjudice to african american actors." Maybe there could still be a way to get around that system. I believe that any young African-American students who's dream is to be an actor. They should go to college to get a degree in something that has to do with directing or producing film. Which could possibly help you understand the system and how to produce a movie. Therefore you can produce your own movies that comes to mind. Also you could write your own script as well. You could even add yourself into the cast. I believe there is always a loophole in the system no matter what it for.

Throughout the reading of Chapter 5, the primary focus was the significant amount of adversity that African Americans had to overcome with many of the films made in the 20th century. The major problem that many of these early films documented on was the “romantic version of the Old South and Slavery” that showed African Americans acting as if they enjoyed serving under their slave master. What really stood out to me when reading this Chapter and what was mentioned in the video in class today was the setting/background and turn out of the film, The Birth of a Nation (1915). I don’t even know where to start with this film because of how messed up it is on many levels especially the approval of President Woodrow Wilson of the film. This is literally the President of the United States that is approving this (I couldn’t believe this at all). It made no sense to me as to why this movie was produced because it only increased racial tensions, protests, violence and it only made the United States a less stable Country. Another topic that was very controversial in the chapter was the idea of scripts/shots that Black actors chose to participate that themselves and others felt weren’t necessarily reflected back to the African American Community in a good way vs. the rewards you get in the end such as money, cars, other luxuries, etc. To me, I feel that any actor of any race out in the film industry will have times where some of the scenes that they are in aren’t really what they want to be in and that some of their fans would think the same way also. However, there are times where it gets taken too far such as The Birth of a Nation depicting the Ku Klux Klan expressing violence towards Black Communities in the South. It just all comes down to if it’s worth all the benefits or not in the end and I feel that this type of issue can apply to any race. Outside of racial issues, their is plenty of stereotypes out there towards groups/individuals that are depicted in film such as religion, ethnicity, sexism and many more that some viewers can have questions for. I want to know how you guys feel about this topic whether you agree with me or not or other ideas that you wanted to add in.

-Daniel Scovotti

After reading his quote, "The major problem that many of these early films documented on was the “romantic version of the Old South and Slavery” that showed African Americans acting as if they enjoyed serving under their slave master." I believe the African Americans had to do what they had to do to survive and spread out the word. The ridiculousness of how the whites in the south can still have slaves but in the north blacks are free. Why couldn't it be guaranteed that slavery is over or extinct. So I believe the blacks who were in the romantic movies of Old South were probably trying to find way of showing their struggle and they probably thought that eventually someone would stand up and save all the slaves especially the ones in the south.

Visit Original Link

What does trolling mean to you? Who/what is a troll?

Professor Royston, feel free to respond (via blacktechne)

I believe trolling is deliberately posting something offensive about someone else just to make the person angry and response from it. Basically a troll is a bully or a person that belittles others to help make him/her feel better about them self.

#BlackMediaStudies

Quick Info

Reading through the article, Representation, Meaning, and Language, by Stuart Hall and I came across this definition of representation that I never really learned by my grade school teachers, instead I got used to being around it that it just seems like second nature. It said, “Representation is an essential part of the process by which meaning is produced and exchanged between members of a culture.” It makes so much sense. I mean usually if someone is presenting something to you it’s, because you never learned about it or you don’t have enough information to truly understand the concept of it. For an example, I had a speaker for my class Presidential Rhetoric like a week ago. He wanted to introduce himself and he used PowerPoint with slides for his presentation. The slides helped show the main points about what he was talking about. I’m glad he had them, because speech of English was a little difficult to understand what he was saying. He felt as though we understood what he was saying, because we just nodded our head. All in all the speaker was just a waste of time in my opinion. I feels as though if you’re going to present anything to others make sure your PowerPoint slides are clear and helpful to others. Also make sure you voice is loud and vibrant.

#BlackMediaStudies

Dare To Dream Network General Manager Yvonne Lewis shares how the station's approach to "practical christianity" can change lives & the urban community.

new african american TV network

#blackmediastudies #oprah winfrey

I'm going to look in to this tv network and see if she is like Oprah.

tretip01-blog

I am.. #MoreThanEntertainment

This is awesome, a reflection of spreadable media.