Images Presented by the Media

A writer writes.  When I was growing up in the early 1960s, I rarely saw African American males presented on television or in movies in non servant roles.  There was the typical role in the movies of a Black man as a butler, a limousine driver, and a rest room attendant.  On television a commercial featuring a Black man was  non existent. Companies did not want their products associated with Black people let alone a Black male. Musicians, singers, and sports figures were the accepted roles the media would display of Black males.  We could sing, dance, had musical skills and play sports (that we were finally allowed to play in leagues previously where only Whites were allowed).

Incremental improvements began to happen in the mid 60s when Bill Cosby joined Robert Culp on the TV series "I Spy".  But, Cosby was still in the role of an assistant to the tennis star Culp.  Other than Cosby, there were no other Black male actors in a regular TV series.  So, as a child I was exposed to a media where White males doing positive things was all I saw.  It was as if Black males were non existent. Later in the decade, the era of comedic viewpoints of Black males appeared in such shows as "Good Times".

The positive accomplishments of Black males and what young Black males could aspire to accomplish was not displayed by the media.  Spring forward some 50 years and what has changed?  For the most part the Black community attempts to display positive stories of our accomplishments.  But, the media remains focuses on negative stories.  Stories featuring murder, gang activities, or negative stories about prominent  Black males who have gone astray are the norm.

In the spring of this year, approximately 45 African American high school Black males graduated from a Beautillion program sponsored by the 100 Black Men of Indianapolis.  The program involved a number of activities to help those young men move in a positive way towards man hood.  There was no coverage of the program by the local media in Indianapolis.  It was not news that positive accomplishments of Black males was occurring.  Several weeks later when criminal activities by Black males occurred in downtown Indianapolis, those stories were featured repeatedly on the local news.

The media understands the impact of the images it presents.  Try to show those who are watching the positive lifestyle they can aspire to.  Why repeat the showing of negative images that offers no hope?

Writer's write. I had always heard that Black males were more likely to be treated unfairly by the American justice system. Since I always have tried to avoid any personal interaction with the justice system, I had no first hand knowledge of how true that statement was.  I had read news reports about various Black men having been released from jail after years of being incarcerated wrongly.  Some were in jail for over 10 years.  Then it came to my attention that the state of Texas had over 20 Black males who were released from wrongful jail sentences after their appeal found they were not guilty.  Some were released based on DNA evidence.

Then around 2005, one of my family members, a nephew in Dallas, Texas was accused of murder in the death of a teenage girl.  He apparently was misguided by his court appointed lawyer to plead guilty and was sentenced to life. There were other circumstances surrounding why he plead guilty which involved not being fully aware of his circumstances the day of the trial.  Only he and his lawyer likely fully understand those events.

Once incarcerated he began his effort for a retrial.  On his own, without legal help or family support, around 2008 he filed a series of writs seeking the State and Federal government look at his case again.  He discovered there was perjury by witnesses and police/detectives involved in the case.  There was no evidence that he committed the crime, and the prosecution had even ignored evidence that he was somewhere else when the crime was committed.

The State of Texas delayed reviewing his writ for 5 years.  He then sought relief through the Federal courts and was granted a hearing earlier this month in Tarrant County courts in Fort Worth, Texas.  A final decision on whether to retry his case or release him will be made in 4 months or less.  Over the past 8 years, he and I have corresponded via letters, and I visited him once in 2008 when he was in Tarrant County Texas going for an attempt at his first hearing to have his case reviewed.  That effort was delayed and not taken action on until 5 years later.

I recall that most family members ostracized him when he was sentenced.  Whether or not he got a fair trial was of no concern to theirs.  Family members simply believed that since he had plead guilty he must be guilty.  Once they saw an article in the Dallas newspaper regarding the sentencing, they wrote him off.  We all know now that our governmental institutions are not perfect.  They are run by people with various motives, some of those being unethical.  If you ever have a family member who finds themselves the target of the judicial system. always pay attention that your family member is given a fair trial before you condemn that person.

A writer writes.  That's what I've always heard.  So, this Black Man aspiring to be a published writer has started a "blog".  In this I will share insights of a Black man who has to date successfully traversed (through God's blessings) through childhood days in St. Louis, Missouri; Compton, California; Gary, Indiana; a college detour through Evansville, Indiana; to a Federal career in Indianapolis, Indiana and now retirement in my mid 50s.

It is a different era from when I was "growing up".  One view I have always had is that Black men have obtained an image that is mostly negative and that our overall successes  are unknown, overlooked, or ignored.  I sometimes wonder if you listed the various human racial minorities and placed them in numerical order, would an audience of judges rank Black males in the top or lower quadrant in term of positive viewpoints?

Well, I recall one evening in the past 10 years when I parked my car outside a high scale department store preparing to go in.  A Caucasian woman saw me get out of my car headed in her direction as she was exiting the store.  She began to run for her car as if I was going to attack her.  I could only laugh and shake my head at her perception that I was the evil Black man getting ready to rob her and kidnap her.  Fast forward to 2012 at a scene in Florida where an adult profiles a black teenager wearing a hoodie as being a danger to the neighborhood.  Unfortunately that event lead to the teen's death.  Let us Black men continue to do positive things to change the negativity.