In today's society there is a major emphasis on bad news instead of good. People who have never been to black communities perceive them as they are portrayed on the news which is not the whole picture. The news portrays blacks as drug dealing, drug using, gangster blacks. The black stereotype seems to be portrayed in all forms of media.

One of the most influential and most prominent forms of media is the television. Many young Americans watch music videos which depict blacks as gangsters, drug dealers, and murderers. Many movies also seem to show this portrayal of blacks, such as Boyz in the Hood, a black film about life in an L.A. community. Newspapers and news shows report the crimes of blacks because it is more interesting but this form of news is dangerously influencing young Americans to perceive blacks in this manner.

We don't believe that this portrayal of blacks was much different in the past as it just seems to be stronger today due to television.

We believe that the case for equal rights is being both hurt and helped by the media's depiction of black Americans. The music videos and movies usually do not seem to help equal rights because it depicts blacks as thugs and criminals. But, some news helps equal rights such as the Rodney King Case which involves a black being beat because of his color. This helps to bring the idea of racial equality to the fore- front and proves it to not be happening in widespread American culture.

As you can see the portrayal of the black culture is not always accurate and true to it's "color". The best we can hope from the media is an accurate depiction of the black culture and the "Hollywood" version of the Gansta.