Why does the media paint anger as the only emotional state of the Black community?
The media paints anger as the only emotional state of African-Americans because this is the descriptive narrative that has followed the death and destruction of black bodies! Anger, rioting even, is what follows when there is no outlet, no communication, no respect and in all reality — no hope. Mike Brown and Eric Garner are the most recent examples of the hopelessness that “justice” will prevail when it comes to the death of African-American men and boy at the hands of police. The media frames the conversations and issues in the African American community as that of an angry group because to see them in any other light would be to see their humanity. In many cases this is the inherent bias in the reporting on the Africa American community. It is this bias that has bought us “the angry Black woman” and “the angry Black man.” Again, these characterizations are born out of bias in the media and the fact that African-Americans, in many instances, do not frame the narrative of their story in the media or anywhere else for that matter. Therefore, to answer the question, “Why does the media paint anger as the only emotional state of the African American community?” It does so because of the inherent bias in the media as an institution. Flavor Flav respond to a statement in the beginning of the hip-hop classic ‘Prophets of Rage’ that sums up this question; Man: “You’re quite hostile!” Flavor Flav: “I got a right to be hostile, my people been persecuted!”
