Herman Grey and African American Representation Questions

It has been pointed out to me that Joe mentioned to just focus on Colour Adjustment, but, nevertheless, it would be useful having a solid understanding of both documentaries.

It's too bad we can't discuss Frank's Place, because Grey's article cites it so frequently.  What are some of the most important points in Grey's article?


It's not that you can't discuss Frank's Place, but there just won't be a specific question about it.  If you intend on discussing Grey's article, I think you will inevitably have to discuss Frank's Place because it is so central to his article.  Grey discusses the importance of setting in the predominantly African American programs and hot it can both demonstrate the lower economic class of African Americans on the one hand, while negating the reality of lower class African Americans on the other.  He argues that the Cosby Show was one of the first shows to present an accurate portrayal of an upper middleclass family one reason being the program's use of setting.  The most important aspect of Grey's article is his idea of viewing African Americans through the white suburban middleclass lens.  Namely, a seemingly sympathetic representation of them cannot simply be based on the goals and aspirations of the white middleclass, i.e. the American dream.  African American history in the United States must be accounted for in this representation.

Why did the change in representation of African Americans change?

The civil rights movement coupled with the increased level of media literacy in the general public are two of the most important factors in the shift in representations of African American people in film and television.  It's also important to address the how in the change in representation, as in How did the representation of African Americans in the early 70s change?  Also, the lack of African Americans in prominent positions in the industry played an important, yet damaging factor as well.  A movement towards providing African Americans a legitimate voice in the media saw the upsurge in a more accurate representation.

Don't forget when you are studying, be sure to understand how and why changes occurred and how and why they affected American film and television. 


Please don't hesitate to send me any further questions you may have.  It's crunchy time!  See y'all tomorrow!  Good luck!