The Complexity and Progression of Black Representation in Film and Television

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The Complexity and Progression of Black Representation in Film and Television examines the intricacies of race, representation, Black masculinity, sexuality, class, and color in American cinema and television. Black images on the silver screen date back to the silent film era, yet these films and television programs presented disturbing images of African American culture, and regrettably, many early films and small screen programs portrayed Black characters in demeaning and stereotypical roles. In order to fully analyze the roles of Black actors and actresses in film and television, Moody addresses the following issues: the historical significance of the term race films; female Black identities and constructs; queerness and Black masculinity; Black male identities; and Black buffoonery in film and television.

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The emphasis that Moody places on questions regarding the spectacle and the importance of the indexical bond that exists between image and truth has historically grave implications that go back to The Birth of a Nation and the rise of the KKK in the 1920's. It is key to anyone who wants to understand the genealogy of American racism and its relationship with the moving image. -- Denis Mueller, creator of Howard Zinn: You Can't Be Neutral on a Moving Train; Peace Has No Borders; Nelson Algren: The End Is Nothing, the Road Is All

Author Bio

David L. Moody is assistant professor in the Department of Communication Studies at the State University of New York at Oswego.