It is in the history of white folks to create, support, reward, and in some sick way allow their minds to believe that the images they see on the screen are fact. (i.e Birth of a Nation)

Mind you it was only a mere four centuries ago, when white folks believed that slavery was a type of redemption for Africans.

Their self created disease called “The Great White Hope Syndrome” follows them everywhere they go in their commercials, films, in their trips to Africa, and in their interference with so called “3rd world country” affairs.

To fuel this syndrome, movies in which Blacks are portrayed in subservient positions, as illiterate, as weak, and sometimes as evil, stroke the psychotic belief that without them the “poor Black people would suffer”. Let us not forget the 2009 film The Blind Side about a country woman who invites a homeless young Black man into her home in which she begins life coaching him on “proper” English, and football. Here are a few summaries of the film for you:

A poor, oversized and under-educated teenager is recruited by a major college football program where he is groomed into an athletically and academically successful NFL prospect. Written by IMDb editor

“The Blind Side” depicts the story of Michael Oher, a homeless African-American youngster from a broken home, taken in by the Touhys, a well-to-do white family who help him fulfill his potential. At the same time, Oher’s presence in the Touhys’ lives leads them to some insightful self-discoveries of their own. Living in his new environment, the teen faces a completely different set of challenges to overcome. As a football player and student, Oher works hard and, with the help of his coaches and adopted family, becomes an All-American offensive left tackle

Words like “groomed”, “under-educated”, “homeless”, “broken home”“help him fulfill”, and even the description of him being African American is offensive because the writer doesn’t clearly state the ethnicity (or lack there of) of the White family. The writers were really trying hard to be P.C in this one- and still they failed.

When will humanity ride over being P.C?

–More fuel to the fire.

Movies where Blacks are portrayed as powerful, smart and confident rarely get praise and the personality traits displayed in these films are considered to be limited to token Blacks, which dismiss the truth of the film. Yet films that berate us, are praised, awarded, and unfortunately become the blueprint for an entire people.

I ask myself, how much say-so do we have about our portrayals on the big screen? and How does this change?

I think we need to write and produce are own movies that portray us in a way that is true for us. And continually boycott films that aren’t in alignment with the truth about ourselves.