First Draft - An investigation into how black British teens that become involved in street crime are represented in the media.

"My Bro from down the road yeah...Got sent away for 7 and a half Years for holding his Fork... Justa Fork Blud, he was feeding his baby."[1]

This essay will argue how black British teens that become involved in street crime are represented in the media. This essay will also dispute why these young black British adolescents are involved in street crime in the first place. We can agree that street crime has become an increasing talking point over the past year or so having seen a dramatic increase of both gun and knife. “We won’t stop this by pretending it isn’t young black kids doing it,” he said[2] this suggests that it is actually the young black British teens who are in the driving seat and are the main ones to blame. Therefore finding out how much of that statement is actually true. At the same time, the dramatic increase in street crime would not have happen if there were more and more police on road to make the public feel safer and not to worry about any young teens.

Ever since the slavery days black people have been somewhat subject to controversy for many years. In this day and age, there is still negative label which lingers over the black culture. Stereotypes have occurred to black people because of the ways that they conduct themselves on the streets, and the way in which they draw attention. Stereotypes within the black ethnic group transpire because of the way they dress, for instance wearing big black hoodies, baseball caps and have their trousers somewhat low down. “US gangster films such as Get rich or die tryin has countless features which enable young adolescents to replicate”[3] starring the likes of 50 cent who is known to be a global icon for young youths today. These conventions are artificial for the black British teens to convey on our streets and commit these streets. “Wars, murders, racist attacks are part of the seemingly endless flow of media representation of black British teens” [4]. On the other hand, a cultural theorist and sociologist Stuart Hall talks about the misrepresentations of black people go through from the media along with the negative representations which are illustrated in society. This highlights the impact of the media on people and may not address the negative representations. This essay will argue the ways that black people are being represented in the media and whether they are true or not.

Historically, black people have been represented in the bad light and rarely ever spoken highly of. Having said that, only recently has the world witnessed the most powerful person in the world and has been a breakthrough with having a new black president. But how does this have a positive impact on the British society? Historical references show how the media uses images of black thugs in order to impose moral panic upon society. "It’s not possible to know why black people are serving longer sentences than whites, other than that a high proportion of black people are convicted of offences involving drugs, street crime"[5] a moral panic which was lead to a great deal of injustice and racism society and a at unease that remains today. This corresponds to the issue of the misrepresentation as it is seemed to be very difficult to label all black people by images. In addition, it further shows that the ways where which black British teens have been treated in the past has been unacceptable whereas white people have never been shown in this light as “thugs” or convicted murderers.

"Overall black workers earn less than white workers"[6] black people have largely portrayed as part of the mainstream low class/middle class which does not accurately reflect the lives of the black people who which consider find themselves barred from such a life as highly developed. This connotes as a further stereotype as it is known that the working class black people are according to the stereotype is more likely to cause controversy with others. "street crime occurs when gangs spend much of their time, energy disrespecting rival gangs and other teenagers that do not look familiar with them"[7] To fully understand stereotypes held against black characters and how these representations might have changed. “Blacks are natural causes of tension within films”[8], this creates a momentous importance as to why black British teens were given a tough upbringing in terms of the media having to deal with the repeatedly negative news reports. However, this soon moves on as blacks understand their rights and create their own opinions on other black people when they see other black reported in the media in a negative way. Moving on from the negative vibes from the media that the blacks have been receiving the rise of black entertainers and performers changed the way they were portrayed as they moved from an obvious to a slight representation as the comedy era become famous within the black ethnic group. From this we had performers such as Richard Pryor who is known to be one of the funniest comedians of all time which shows that the blacks are slowly but surely have their grip in society as positive consumers.

When looking at the genre of some films that black British teens play is typically gangster as well as being action packed movie genres. Some of the genres have been represented in gangster and comedy is both leading categories. “Comedy success has also come from more recent generation of black performers such as Will Smith, Chris Tucker, and Chris Rock to what extent of that statement do you believe is true?”. Well, the new beckon of comedy era changed the way black people, actors; actresses were being portrayed as it has changed them from being represented as servants, uncivilised and Niggers to be more a happy thoughtful and funny people as all American comedy shows i.e. Are We Done Yet? (2007) and Daddy Day Camp (2007). This emphasis that institutions for instance Warner Bros still transmit black people as interior to white people as they have distorted their image which does not give permission to the audiences to realise with the black actors in the film. New York, Oprah Winfrey has reclaimed the title of being the most popular celebrity on TV in a new poll. Oprah Winfrey is one of the fairly minority women to have establish a personal as a distinctive, characteristic as well as being extremely wealthy. Oprah Winfrey has also established herself as a bit of a Hollywood comedian in recent years in her talk show. Therefore, Oprah Winfrey unquestionably can be an iconic figure to many black British teens that watches her show and follows her every move as there are loyal fans and want to aspire to be like her. She is portrayed very wealthy, very sophisticated and elegant women who are going against the dominant stereotypes of black people in general and in the media.

Colors is a 1988 police procedural crime film starring the likes of Sean Penn and Robert Duvall which the narrative that takes place is in south central, Los Angeles and is about an experienced LAPD cop (Duvall) and his rookie partner (Penn) who try to keep the gang violence between the Bloods and Crips at bay “I’m a black British teen and joining a gang is dangerous” [9]. “Violent conflict between gangs are common, and gang members are at least 60 times more likely to be killed than the rest of the population"[10]. This film portrays how difficult it was for black people to achieve liberty that they want to gain particularly in these hard times. This film highlights evident violence that black teenagers are facing each other. When hegemony takes place within the youths of black people, they result fiercely as they believe that they are the only people that control what happens in their area and their gang/crew. Sean Penn who is the officer who has just transferred to LAPD’s unit from patrol teamed with 19 year old veteran Robert Duvall he is a hot-headed adrenaline junkie.

This film caused somewhat debate across America as the director implied how these youths are acting upon one another and how they destroy one another. This movie also raised some eye brows as the director was accused of just showing how abusive and destructive these youths are having no self respect. "Racism is what happens when ways of labelling and stereotyping people. That’s when gangs form these street crimes"[11]. This left off screen opinions of not just black youths but also black people as a whole as they were portrayed within the film as the black characters were shown to have no remorse between one another with two identical gangs doing what has to be done to defend their so called “ends”. The fact that both police men are white actors this connotes the treatment of black people in films to be inferior to white people as they are the police which shows a sense of hegemony and black teenagers don’t like that especially if they are white people. "Young teenagers resolve to crime because of the racial abuse that they might believe still exists"[12] this can be seen as black character are exposed and misinterpreted within this movie.

Taking it back in time, where black people were exploited to slavery many films have taken advantage of this and decided to replicate what had happen to modern day issue with street crime increasing but both gun and knife crime. The way that the black characters were portrayed within films has given the black people something to consider when they are acting aggressively so that this way they could turn away the stereotypes that might be reinforced by the media nowadays. "White people using their power to exclude black or Asian people from opportunities for good health care, education and employment"[13] suggests that black people shouldn’t have the top level success and therefore should remain a lower class and remain with lower class jobs. However, positive British movie directors such as Noel Anthony Clarke have increased with Noel Clarke being one of many black British teens’ role models having won a BAFTA award winning English actor, director and screenwriter from London. He is best known for playing Wyman Norris in Auf Wiedersehen, Pet and Mickey Smith in Doctor Who. Clarke appeared in and wrote the screenplay for Kidulthood and wrote, directed and starred in the sequel, Adulthood which gained £1, 209, 2319 from the opening weekend of its release. The success of Noel Clarke has moved from negative representation of black British people from the media to the new era of multi talented actor. With the burst of new Black British actors as well as directors was on the verge of changing the representation of black characters within the films also in the media and what positive affects this could bring to people. Vice versa, the increase across the world in positive black role models for the media and other people to realise has changed the way they are being portrayed as they gone away from the visible unenthusiastic stereotype as the action period started. This is the ideal time with the number of black British teens involved in street crime increasing in the UK and having successful idols such as Noel Clarke playing his role to remove all the negative patches that the black people have by having such fantastic early success and proving the media wrong that not all black British people are all the same in terms of going out and causing crime. In the sequel of kidulthood, adulthood has many positive scenarios that the blacks’ British teens face on a regular day. Clarkes demeanour in adulthood connotes the way black people are not always after revenge and not wanting to fight back at their fellow blacks which emphasis that black people just need that wake up call so show them some sense that street crime isn’t the way. Contrastingly, the dominant representations of black characters this film challenges the stereotypes and shows the protagonist (Noel Clarke) as being strong, intelligent and single minded man which is an alternative representation but one that does not pull the wool over your eyes black of people.

Word Count - 2,065

[1] Luton, George – 1999 - Representation on Race.pg 36.
[2] 10 Black People and The Criminal law - Braham, Peter (1992).Pg. 85.
[3] ibid. Pg106.
[4] Robert Ferguson. (1998) By Arnold (Hoddle Headline Group).pg 47.
[5] Gifford, Clive - Gang (2006).pg.66.
[6] Ibid.pg32.
[7] Gifford, Clive - Gang (2006), London - Evans Brothers Limited.pg.50
[8] Wignall, Paul - Prejudice & Difference (2000) - Reed Educational and Professional Publishing LtD.pg.111.
[9] Striniatic, Dominic (1995) by Routledge.pg578
[10] Ibid.pg480.
[11] Race, And Unemployment - Donnellan, Craig - Published by Independence. (2003).pg.124.

Bibliography

Works Cited

Books

Humpfry, Jay - Published by Heward Ellen - Black Culture (2000)

Luton, George - Published By Phil David - Representation on Race (1999)

10 Black People And The Criminal law - Braham, Peter - Rattansi, Ali - Racism and antiracism (1992) - London, SAGE Publications LtD.

Robert Ferguson, First published in (1998) By Arnold (Hoddle Headline Group)

Gifford, Clive - Gang (2006), London - Evans Brothers Limited.

Wignall, Paul - Prejudice & Difference (2000) - Reed Educational and Professional Publishing LTD.

Striniatic, Dominic - First published (1995) by Routledge

Race, And Unemployment - Donnellan, Craig - Published by Independence (2003)

Phil, Cane - Published by Paul Mattson - Racism & Culture (2000)

Edward, Price - Published by Ford Knewton - Gang Culture (2001)

Internet

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZVYIBIlTIQs