Media has played a negative role in shaping the opinion of the public towards African Americans. The way the media has portrayed us, has left many disgusted. We are constantly struck with stereotypes and uninformed viewers who see us in news, television shows/movies, and today’s music. Modern day media has become a misrepresentation of who we really are.

News media almost always portrays African Americans as criminals instead of victims or youth trying to excel. The media holds African Americans males in particular, guilty until proven innocent. “Statistics indicate that young black males are in the Chicago criminal justice system far more than young white males of the same age. While 29% of black males have spent time in the Cook County Jail compared to 4% of whites, news media uses black crime to compose a major portion of local news programming.” While in Sanford, Florida, Trayvon Martin who was 17 at the time was murdered. The news portrayed him as a thug. Regardless of school infractions, the night of February 17,2012 he was defenseless. “Criminal records were not taken into consideration and national media were more concerned with more concerned with gold teeth and weed residue, instead of revealing evidence to confirm he is indeed a victim.”

“A 16 year old girl pointed out that most black sitcoms today are shown on newer networks such as UPN while mainstream channels such as NBC, CBS, and ABC present white sitcoms with the occasional appearances by black minorities.” It was very uncommon to see a realistic portrayal of African American men and women on television shows and movies. Common portrayals of African Americans in movies are drug dealers, crackheads, welfare queens, and the angry black woman. While some however partake in theses roles, it is not the vast majority of our race. Mainstream channels portrays African Americans in is sitcoms as big-time lawyers, doctors, or the CEO of a company. Many are neither of these stereotypes. They are middle-class working individuals who provide a means of living for theirselves.

Those who don’t form opinions through television shows, movies, or the news, form opinions through the music