In the documentary "Ethnic Notions,"directed by Marlon Riggs, the influences and effects of prominent racial stereotypes are broken down and analyzed. These stereotypes have permeated the media for several years, and they have been perpetuated since before the Cold War era and years of slavery in America. People are continuously predisposed to these false portrayals, causing many black people to succumb to such images altering their identities. The documentary focuses on evaluating the stereotypical characters of the Sambo, the Brute, the Coon and the Mammy, and it shows how such derogatory depictions have led to the justification of racism.
1. The Sambo
The Sambo is a stereotypical character made out to portray a black man who is blissfully ignorant, always laughing or dancing, irresponsible and childlike. This Sambo image became a commonly used image of black men in the late 1800s. The purpose of instilling such a character into people’s minds through movies, ads and other forms of media was to convince people that black men are less intellectual than white men. The Sambo is meant to be happy and dumb, which was used as evidence by many white people for why blacks are inferior and do not have the wits needed to handle themselves. This was used to further support slavery and claim that it is good for black men to be locked up and subject to a white master, and slavery was also justified by the idea that slaves were happy and that bondage would tame them. It becomes easier to systematically justify slavery and mistreatment when false images like the Sambo are used to sway people’s perception of black men.
2. The Coon
The Coon was a popular interpretation of black people from the northern part of America. This interpretation also contributed to the transition into how black people were most commonly shown throughout society. In the Antebellum era, black men were made out to be docile and susceptible creatures, but after the Reconstruction period, this stereotype changed. The new image was of a more rebellious and dangerous black man who was supposed to be a threat to society. This gave birth to the "black brute" image.
3. The Brute
The Brute was created to be animalistic, rude and untrustworthy. This type of black depiction could be regularly found in old films and cartoons where black characters would be violent or mischievous. Black children were called "pickaninnies," and like the Brute, they were shown as dirty, savage and animal-like in movies and television shows. These incorrect portrayals of black youth were used to justify opinions supporting the violent treatment of black children.
4. The Mammy
The Mammy is fat, pitch black and protective woman who is happy to obey her master. She is supposed to be the absolute opposite of what white women are like. This stereotype shows black females as undesirable and ugly compared to everyone else. The Mammy is usually displayed as the head of the household rather than the man, implying that black males are weak and unable to control their own households.
Together, all of these inaccurate depictions of black people have served as a way to cover up the true qualities of black people and instead present to the masses an unlikable kind that are easier to hate and discriminate against without the rest of the population receiving any backlash. We are still fighting the after-effects of these horrid representations today.