After watching the documentary Color Adjustment, I realized more of the struggles African Americans had to go through. The first really famous television series that was geared toward African Americans was Amos & Andy. The show originally was aired with white men who performed as black men in a radio show. Once the show got television time, the actors were black. The racist content of the show created much controversy amongst the black community. The NAACP created a formal protest against the show almost immediately after its television debut, ultimately cancelling the show.
Radio version - Successful and Original Amos & Andy -white men with stained black faces.
TV version - Controversial Amos & Andy - African American actors
The next show I would like to talk about is the The Cosby Show, which was one of the biggest hits in the 1980s. This American situation comedy was the most successful television shows depicting African American experience in America. The Cosby Show reaffirmed the American dream of hard core middle class values: if you work hard, you are rewarded with good looking children, good looking wife, nice cars, nice households. This is the one image that is perpetuated in television. Anything that strays away from that norm will most likely no be successful or allotted prime time spots.
I believe it is important to televise shows that are targeted to every group in America, including African Americans. There are specific channels that are directed toward blacks, such as BET (which stands for Black Entertainment Television). Race can be a very touchy subject, which makes it complicated and hard to have a productive and educational conversation because often times people become very offended. Many don't know what politically correct word to use when discussing race. I believe that in order to reach a universal socially acceptable terminology, we need to talk amongst each other and break through comfort zones.
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