US History through the African American Experience

Popular Culture and African American Stereotypes

How can stereotypes of intolerance be used to teach tolerance?

This unit focuses on the development of stereotypes in American popular culture from 1820 to the present day.  You will watch a movie called “Ethnic Notions.”  This movie traces images of African Americans in minstrels, popular songs, novels, toys, advertising, in movies, and in television shows.

The movie focuses on 6 stereotypes:

• The mammy http://www.ferris.edu/jimcrow/mammies/
• The pickaninny http://www.ferris.edu/jimcrow/picaninny/
• The coon http://www.ferris.edu/jimcrow/coon/
• The sambo and
• The uncle tom http://www.ferris.edu/jimcrow/tom/
• The brute, the buck http://www.ferris.edu/jimcrow/brute/
• sapphire http://www.ferris.edu/jimcrow/sapphire/
• nat http://www.ferris.edu/jimcrow/nat/

The moviemaker argues that these stereotypes have defined our most gut-level images of race.  These stereotypes play to the tastes and values of the audience.  The moviemaker also believes that by showing these negative stereotypes, people can learn to be more tolerant of people who are different from them.

For this unit, you will have nightly homework and a final project, but no essay.

December 20		Find an example from tv, movies, music which is an example of a stereotype of African Americans.  Write a paragraph in which you describe Where you got the item Date it was produced, place it was produced Purpose of the item Which of the stereotypes listed it most represents and why. Check out this website, Young African Americans against media stereotypes:  http://www.yaaams.org/
December 21		Read Watch this short movie on Youtube called “Hateful things.” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HSZIzGQMAn8 Write down the definitions of the stereotypes described by the 7 minute movie clip about a presentation at the Black Holocaust museum in Wisconsin. http://www.ferris.edu/JIMCROW/collect/Read Garbage Man: Why I Collect Racist Objects. by David Pilgrim, Curator, Jim Crow Museum, pages 1-4.  Annotate the article by highlighting key sections that tell what values the stereotypes represent.  Why did Pilgrim collect racist objects?  Why were racist objects produced?  Why do these objects make us feel uncomfortable? What did high school students think when Pilgrim showed them the racist objects? Why did Mrs. Haley collect so many objects?
December 22		Finish Garbage Man: Why I Collect Racist Objects. by David Pilgrim, Curator, Jim Crow Museum, pages 5-8.  Annotate the article by highlighting key sections that tell what values the stereotypes represent.  How does Pilgrim use racist objects to teach tolerance? http://www.ferris.edu/JIMCROW/collect/
December 23	Final Project	Pick out one item of intolerance – an item that is a stereotype of African American culture and show how you could use it to teach tolerance.  You must find a photo or have a recording of this item. Find the date and place the item was produced and by whom Find out the context of its existence – to sell a product? To entertain? To play with? Present your stereotype on a poster board or in a song or on the computer. Tell why this is an image which is a harmful stereotype; explain which stereotype it represents Tell how people who look at this can learn to be more tolerant http://www.ferris.edu/JIMCROW/menu.htm

Read

Go to the Jim Crow Musuem of Racist Memorabilia at http://www.ferris.edu/JIMCROW/menu.htm

There are several sections to read.

Find a character worksheet

http://www.pbs.org/wnet/jimcrow/print/teen1worksheet1.html