The question of what it means to belong to a certain race has been asked many times by many people concerned with racial issues. Many people with defined it solely by where one's parents come from. Others would simply define it by the colour of one's skin and other superficial physical features. In his essay "What is this "Black" in Black popular culture?", Stuart Hall attempts to analyze how blacks are viewed in popular culture. He described our culture as one that has transitioned from being completely invisible in earlier times to having a "regulated, segregated visibility". "Black" culture has always been there, influencing American popular culture with their music and art. Hip hip and even rock-and-roll have their roots in African-American culture.
However, the conclusion of Dr. Hall's essay is what struck me as the most interesting part. His final idea is that, just like the 'American' culture, there is no one 'black' culture. The idea that 'black' culture directly opposes the popular culture instead of influences is not a very progressive one. This seems to me to be the same kind of mindset that the people who create movies and music that completely exclude minorities seem to follow. There is no one way to represent all of black culture in one movie or play because of how we have been scattered across America. Blacks that live in New York are not the same as those who live in Atlanta, as anyone who has spent a day at Howard University can attest. Similarities may exist but there are just as many differences that separate us from each other.
This issue is only complicated when we considered those of mixed ancestry. Afro-latinos and afro-native americans are rarely ever talked about or acknowledged, even in the essays like Stuart Hall's. He makes no mention of these minorities who could also be considered to fall under the umbrella of African culture yet seem to be invisible to most cultural essayists, even black ones.
Maybe this why we find it so hard to relate to the movies that are supposedly made for black people. Maybe this is the reason why movies like Tyler Perry are criticized for being stereotypic of blacks rather than representative. It is because we are searching for a quintessential black identity when there really is none. The black culture itself is just as varied as that of America as a whole. Before we can be critical of those who try to represent us and fail we must decide exactly what we want to have represented.
You make a good point on how hard it is to classify what a "typical" person from any race is, especially African American and Afro-Latino, and how you related that to Stuart Hall's book. Did you use his article for your works cited? If so, you should remember to include that at the bottom of your blog.
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