Discusses rape from a social and political viewpoint. Criticizes current literature on rape for perpetuating racist stereotypes and failing to account for the effects of a capitalist economic system on social and sexual relations. (GC)

Reprint of a 1970 article that describes the oppression of Blacks and the distortion of Black family life throughout United States history. Holds that the myth of Black matriarchy sets back the struggle for Black liberation. (GC)

Reprint of a 1971 article that criticizes the notion of Black matriarchy as implying that Black women actively assented to slavery. Discusses Black resistance to slavery, especially among women, and stresses the importance of recognizing such resistance if current popular sociological views on Black women are to be revised. (GC)

The well-known "Up from Slavery" is actually Booker T. Washington's second attempt at an autobiography. The earlier work, "The Story of My Life and Work," was written primarily for African Americans and published in a ghostwritten and poorly produced edition in 1900. The two versions are compared. (SLD)

For many years, the dominant image of Africa seen on Western films was that of condescension and paternalism. The history of films about Africa, with some exceptions to the prevailing portrayals, is traced; and the origin and growth of the African film industry are reviewed. (SLD)

"Do the Right Thing" leaves the viewer with contradictory and confused messages that suggest that the film has no clear view of racial relations in a city. The film is examined as an ideological statement. It deconstructs contemporary African-American ideologies but does not replace them with new visions. (SLD)

Early images of African Americans in films determined a pattern that survived until World War II. The role of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People in creating new images of African Americans after the war films is profiled. Although changes seem modest, they reflect some social movements. (SLD)

Mainstream media in the United States, the press in particular, continue to misrepresent African-American life and culture. Provides specific examples of omissions and neglect in reporting the truth behind news accounts about or affecting African Americans. Unidentified or "reliable" sources in stories about African Americans must be…

Explores the contributions of social scientists to the popular image of African Americans as natural athletes and subhuman beings. A review of social science literature of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries finds the present image perpetuated by sportscasters firmly rooted in this literature. (SLD)

Political conditions have influenced the screen images of U.S. cinema, and the images of African Americans have reflected prevailing social stereotypes. The history of African-American representation in films is traced, and it is noted that the tendency to portray African Americans stereotypically has not changed. (SLD)

Examines the literature and explores the portrayal of African Americansin creative writings of revolutionary America. The literature of the period reveals the paradox of African-American life in America, where prosperity for some was based on exploitation of others. Works of Benjamin Banneker, Thomas Jefferson, and Phyllis Wheatley are cited. (SLD)