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While scrolling through social media, I came across an interview with the cast of American Fiction. It is a comedy-drama film directed by Cord Jefferson about a novelist named Monk who is frustrated with the entertainment industry and capitalizes on the offensive Black tropes. He ends up writing a book that showcases these issues but ends up going down a road of hypocrisy and confusion.

During the Around the Table interview by Entertainment Weekly, with Jeffrey Wright, Tracee Ellis Ross, Sterling K. Brown, and Erika Alexander, the cast discussed the movie and the importance of rewriting Black stereotypes. They shared personal stories of times when they had to endure or speak up against scripts that always assign offensive language to Black characters. 

They admitted during the interview that speaking out would often get them labeled as being difficult.

This interview got me thinking about the roles Black people have taken on over the years. As a result of my pondering, here is a second look at the progression of Black actors through film history. Let’s look at where Black actors have been, what they achieved, and how far they must go for accurate representation.

A Brief History of Black People’s Roles in Film and Television

Black people have long been a part of the TV and film industry. Ethel Waters was the first Black person on TV when she hosted her own show on NBC on June 14, 1939. Then, in 1950, Waters made history as the first African American to star in a TV show, Beulah. 

Waters played Beulah, the maid serving a white family, who always got the family out of trouble. Waters remained in the role for about one year. After she left the show, it continued with other Black actresses, such as Hattie McDaniel and Louise Beavers, who took her place. Since the servant-type role continued, it followed and perhaps haunted Black actors for future films and movies. 

Here are some other Black stereotypical roles that have been prominent in film and television over the years. 

The Domestic Role: Portrays Black people as the help, the maid, the domestic worker, the caretaker, or the mammy. It may seem innocent, but it continues the narrative that Black people belong in roles of servitude. 

The Thug Role: Perpetuates the stereotype that Black men are dangerous. This role portrays mainly Black men as drug dealers, pimps, con artists, or other law-breaking personalities. While these roles are fiction and don’t represent every Black man, it has contributed to the misconception that Black men should be feared.

The Magical Negro: A slightly better portrayal of Black men but still harmful. It is a role in which the Black men have special powers or abilities they use to help or save their white co-star. This type of role tells a story of a Black man potentially sacrificing himself to save his white friend. While some may see this as an honorary role, it gives into a slave mentality that Black people are only here to serve. It also dehumanizes Black people by making their suffering seem insignificant. 

The Black Best Friend: Mirrors the Magical Negro character. I noticed this role in The Queen’s Gambit. It’s a great movie, by the way. Still, when the main character (a talented but frail white woman) was in trouble, guess who was there to lend a helping hand and a good amount of cash? You guessed it: Jolene, the Black best friend, played by Moses Ingram. These stereotypes position Black women as the support system and showcase Black women putting their needs aside to help out those who refuse to help themselves.

The Angry Black Woman: One of the most consistent and inaccurate portrayals of Black women. Movies and TV shows often showcase Black women as loud, aggressive, ghetto, problematic, and the most dramatic, which can sometimes increase show ratings. Because of the repetitive nature of this role, Black women in real life often get labeled as difficult or problematic when they are sticking up for themselves or involved in everyday interactions. 

Identifying these stereotypes is not to say that Black people can never play these roles. If Black people hadn’t taken these roles, they might not have broken into the film industry. However, what is crucial is an evolution from these roles.

Empowering and Uplifting Roles Throughout the Years

Despite the previously mentioned stereotypes, roles have shifted throughout the years. One great example is Eartha Kitt, the singer and actor who played the well-known villain Catwoman in the 1960 series Batman. Kitt was the first Black entertainer to act in a comic-book-based role. 

NBC’s Saturday Night Live has played a crucial role in advancing the careers of Black comedians such as Eddie Murphy, Leslie Jones, Dave Chappelle, Chris Rock, and many others. 

Living Single (also known as the original Friends) was one of the first shows to showcase positive representations of Black culture and people. The show helped pave the way for even more impactful shows, such as Insecure, Abbott Elementary, Pose, and many more. 

Even in the film industry, there have been significant changes, such as Disney having a Black princess, introducing Afro-Latinos in the movie Encanto, and, of course, a Black little mermaid. 

Outside of animation, I enjoyed seeing the first Black Captain America.

With more melanin on the TV and the big screen, one can not deny the progress of Black entertainers. However, it’s important to note that their progress must continue. Since there have been generations that grew up with these Black stereotypes, those ideas linger in many people’s perceptions. Thus, a few movies and shows with accurate representations can’t completely undo the damage of previous stereotypes. 

Something I’ve personally learned, having traveled to different countries, is that many cultures that don’t have interactions or experiences with Black people learn a lot about our culture through movies. More representation in the entertainment industry means communicating that Black people are multi-faceted.