Victor Paone IVProfessor LoganCollege WritingFebruary 20, 2019Racist Stereotypes Caused by the Media’s InfluenceWhen we think of the media we think about social publicity and their views from political, and educational standpoints, as well as their reviews and sources of information, but wedo not think of the impact that they have on us. The media plays a major part in our country because of their outlets and publicized opinions in every situation, but we do not think of the stereotypical phrases and thoughts that they put in our heads while doing this. The predominant factors that contribute to the continuation of racism are these stereotypes that the media makes usbelieve to be true, and the only way to put an end to this is to break free from their influence and not judge a person by the color of their skin or the history of their race, but as the individual that they are themselves. The media over time has made us believe that white privilege will always bepresent in our lives, that in our country whites are the dominant race and have the most power. Because of the media we believe that whites have a right to everything and should always be prioritized which in todays society should not be true, but the older generations stick by these views and develop their own opinions on the changes which occur within our country, which they pass on to the upcoming generations. Older generations voice their opinions through the media on black culture and believe that this culture is inferior to whites, also spreading popular opinions that if you are black you are not entitled to anything. Rap culture today, as portrayed by the media, could be used to show how powerless a person feels when put in a position of not being able to do something. For example, as stated byCoates, “Coates concluded that white people should use this sense as a lesson: “The experience of being a hip-hop fan and not being able to use the word ‘ni**er’ is actually very, very insightful. It will give you just a little peek into the world of what it means to be black.” (Coates). He gives insight into African American culture and what it is like to grow up as a person of color in the United States. Coates is very passionate about African American culture and attempting to show what it is like to live a life in which you must work twice as hard as the man next to you in order to make a living. The media contributes a lot to the social media aspect of rap culture and the music that most teens find appealing. Although the artist of a particular piece of music may have a story that he or she is trying to tell through their music, we commonlyoverlook this and go by what the media says the song means. The statement made by Coates argues that if something that seems to be just a commonly used word today is stripped away frompeople who do not identify with African American culture should demonstrate meaning. By taking away something that is unfortunately part of life amongst everyone, people would see what it is like having to live in a world where the odds are stacked against you. The media makes us think that we are free to say whatever we want no matter the offense that it may cause to others, and Coates attempts to explain that there are certain words and phrases that are harmful to a person if they are taken out of context. But racism is not only defined by words and phrases, it is defined by looks given to others, the way a person acts amongst a person of a different race or color, by jobs and cities, and much more. Unfortunately in today’s society, upcoming generations have been taught that white people should inherit power and not have to work for things. As stated, “When you’re white in this country, you’re taught that everything belongs to you. You think you have a right to everything. … You’re conditioned this way. It’s notbecause your hair is a texture or your skin is light. It’s the fact that the laws and the culture tellyou this.”(Coates). For an unknown reason, the generations of the past believe that we are still living in a society of white supremacy and because of this and the manner in which their opinions are voiced, we are conditioned to believe that it is true. With the continuous growth of technology the older generations are able to express their views through news and social media articles online, which rapidly spread amongst not only the country but the world. Kids who are taught about racism are generally pushed to one side due to the opinions of their families, but then look to social media for clarification on their views. In order to make a significant impact on these area’s of racism we must be able to set standards for ourselves and demonstrate equality,which could only be made possible if we break free from the influence of the media.The struggles of black culture are not something that white men and women would easilyunderstand because it is not something that they lived, but it is something that our country as a whole could fix over time. Racism is not an issue that can be solved overnight, but it is something that will take centuries to fix. The generations ahead are the ones who must build a barrier against racism and slowly remove it from society. In order to start this process we must first make the media not only publicize instances in which black people are the bad guys, but also when they are victims, innocent bystanders, or even the heroes. By publicizing only certain events, the media is creating a stereotype that all black people are criminals or drug-users, when in fact whites are found guilty of the same crimes very commonly. Through not only music, but television and movies as well, the media makes us think that it is acceptable to look for humor in racism, but we truly do not know the pain that we put a person through when they fall victim to these jokes. We must begin teaching other generations that these phrases and terms cannot be used to look for humor because of the derogatory meaningbehind them. We also must teach to overlook stereotypes such as the young black boy in a hoodieand sweatpants is always up to no good. By not being able to overlook these stereotypes and using phrases and jokes that we do not understand, we try and make peace with them and make jokes or sly comments in which we mean no harm because we think that it is okay due to us constantly seeing it online, but we cause a world of torment in a matter of seconds. The