African American Culture and the Mass Media

The impact of the mass media on enculturation becomes evident when humankind looks back and reviews the time lines and history that surrounds the treatment of African Americans in the United States of America. Newspapers, radio, television, books and other mediums played important roles, by bringing the unfair treatment of African Americans to the attention of the mass populace encircling the planet.

The Declaration of Independence states, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. - That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, - That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to affect their Safety and Happiness,” (Hancock, 1999-2008, Para. 2).

Slavery was a direct contradiction of the Declaration of Independence which was signed by the forefathers of our country on July 4, 1776 in which the Declaration clearly states, “All men are created equal,” (Hancock, 1999-2008, para.2).

Civil war broke out in 1861 dividing the North and the South over the arguments of slavery. The North defeated the South after a four year war. “President Abraham Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation legally frees all slaves in the Confederacy,” (Wilson, 1995-2008, para.6).

Although African Americans were no longer considered slaves and slavery was abolished the African American people were not given any form of civil rights. The mass media largely controlled by white Americans played an extensive role in how the larger population viewed the African American people and as a result the oppression and large scale prejudice continued portraying and marking them as second class citizens.

“Changes as to how African Americans were viewed by the masses began to surface in 1963 during the civil rights movement when over 200,000 people led by Martin Luther King, JR. marched on Washington D.C., in a civil rights demonstration. It was at this place that he addressed the nation with his “I Have a Dream Speech,” (Wilson, S., 1995-2008, Para. 3).Martin Luther King Jr. was also the recipient of the Noble Peace Prize. He delivered his acceptance speech in Oslo on December 10, 1964.

“At 6:01 p.m. on April 4, 1968, a shot rang out,” (Rosenberg, J. 1997-2008, Para. 1). Martin Luther King Jr. was killed in Memphis, TN while standing on his balcony at the Lorraine Motel. “Violence and controversy followed numerous African Americans took to the streets across the nation in a massive wave of riots,” (Rosenberg, J. 1997-2008, Para. 2). Ironic enough as it may seem, it was violence which brought King back to Memphis in April 1968.

“What is “Real” in American culture is defined less by normative community values and more by interest of mass culture markets,” (G. Taylor, personal communication, 2008).

Oprah Winfrey has reached millions of people by using the power of the media through television, radio, magazines, books and the internet. Oprah has been called a television pioneer, actress/producer, magazine founder and editorial director. Using such media mediums as television programming creator, satellite radio programmer, and her achievement as a global media leader and humanitarian has stabilized her as one of the most respected and admired women in the public today. Oprah has informed entertained and encouraged millions of viewers for over two decades. Oprah is one of the few Americans who have done as much as she can to help the African American's by offering scholarship programs. Oprah owns the Harpo Production Company, as well as her own website called “Oprah.com.”

Another famous African American who has showed the mass public that African Americans are just like anyone else, raising families, facing everyday life is Bill Cosby, a man of many talents who has won the respect of America. Bill Cosby started his career as a comedian and moved into movies. In 1984, the Cosby Show departed from what had been a negative stereotyping of African Americans on television by showing an upper-middle-class, professional, well-educated family. Before the airing of the Cosby the mass media of television showed African Americans as gang bangers, ghetto life, poor and violent. “Bill Cosby was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, by George W. Bush on July 9, 2202,” (Medal of Freedom, 2007). Bill Cosby and his wife Camille have helped many African Americans by providing scholarships.