We spoke to Black students about media representation

After attending a Black History month event one point is clear, there is a huge lack of black representation in the mainstream media and this is a point made clear by a white boy putting this piece together.

The irony of a white person writing this is exemplified further by what Mercy Phillips from Womanist society recognised as the white dominance over the media. She empahsied the need to "Limit the ammount of racist white people in the media", and with media moguls such as the right-wing Rupert Murdoch as head of Sky, The Times and The Sun the UK is over-saturated by a mainstream white media.

UEA's ACS has events going on throughout Black History month.

The BME rammed room at the panel expressed how the media basically portrays black people as stereotypically rappers, basketball players, actors and strippers. This last one recieveing an uncomfotable laugh of agreement from a wide swaith of everyone in the room.

Anesu J Mutasu, a second year History student, too said how that the money-making system creates a "social conditioning" through stigmatizing black people into stereotypes, and keeps them at a socio-cultural bottom. Anesu gave the example of the recent racist Dove advert which saw black people wash and turn white.

How did this even get made?

Anesu owner of his own mens lifestyle website, The New Gentleman, is a man who knows his fashion and loves to dress fresh as fuck. Despite this he admitted; "I am kind of scared, going to fashion shows and mixing in designer circles, am I going to be accepted?"

Anesu argues that Tyler Perry movies perpetuate Black stereotypes.

He went on to bring up how these stereotypes entrenched in pop-culture with productions such as Tyler Perry movies; "I hate Tyler Perry movies with a passion, stop supporting this. Such films are not doing black people any favours"

However, another student also saw positives in Tyler Perry productions. Mercy Phillips, a third year student, co-creator of the Spoken Word society and member of the Womanist Society, points out the potential upside of movies like those made my Tyler Perry. Arguing that they provide the opportunities for Black actors to "move onto bigger things", and to "gives a lot of black people a chance".

Mercy also runs her own blog, Lovemercyph.

She added that despite its stereotypes, the loud and proud representations of black people in Tyler Perry movies are an example of how black people can "create narratives, tell stories". Mercy as a scriptwriter, and head of Spoken word society expressed how getting the word out there for black people is key.

For Mercy roles for "those looking to break into the industry", such as Taraji P Henson thank Tyler Perry films and those like it for "giving him the opportunity for other directors to see her potential as an actress". Such roles therefore are not wholly negative, and ultimately it is greater BME representation in the media that underlies both Mercy's and Anesu's viewpoints.