Race, class and gender prejudice are sharply criticized by many groups especially those that are affected in one way or the other. Racism started during colonial era where blacks were perceived differently from whites and even the issue of gender which left females helpless as they were regarded as defenseless and should give in voluntarily without objecting any command. The problem of racism has resulted in negative impacts on the life of victims who are struggling to be recognized by the society. Media such as television, films and music are being used to help reduce issues of race among the white people that have been demeaning the blacks that stay within them. The paper, thus, analyses issues of race, gender, class, and sexuality about how media has been used to curb the situation.
During the period of colonization, women who were working as laborers to the whites were being forced to have sex with their bosses and due to their gender they could not react back and at the same time were after the help of the whites due to poverty. They were perceived differently from others and even money that they were given as compared to male counterparts. Since then it has taken time for the whites to be convinced otherwise about the female blacks which according to them are not supposed to be called human beings. Up to date, the issue of race has remained to be dealt with in many ways and groups such as feminism which fight for the women rights have been formed, (Brown, 1995). Individual communities or societies view women differently from men in that they are classified in the group of children who do not have a voice and cannot participate towards the development of a nation.
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The racial discrimination which is based on color has barred the blacks from going to the nations of the whites due to the perception they are having towards the blacks. It has raised many issues especially when determining the group where the biracial people fall in. When trying to migrate to the United States, the blacks are denied access and in fact, some get killed at the border. The state agents when carrying out the operation have always tried to assume the offense by referring to it as accidental or unintended repercussions of border militarization. The race is an illusion, a belief that people fix into their mind out of what they hear. Out of slavery and bigotry that happened many years ago, the whites are indeed haunted by race and therefore cannot let it go very easily.
According to Root (1990), many bi-racial individuals have been trying to know their identity which according to the whites so long as one is related to the blacks is classified among the blacks. It is this norm that has affected many especially those that are half cast and are living in the United States and trying to cope into the community has been a problem. The fact that one possesses the phenotypes of single blacks does not mean that they should be perceived as blacks. The biracial people are trying to overcome the racial prejudice by refusing to have any racial identity. If this can be accepted then, the rate of race can decline within the whites, (Bowles, 1993).
Discrimination based on class has also affected many who struggle to exit within the community that perceives low-class people differently. The issue of class has hit many people socially and economically in that out of what they hear and how they have handled affects their moral. In a society where most people are earning highly, the less privileged that are either working as slaves or domestic workers are mishandled or a time denied freedom of expression due to their class. It has affected many who are trying to raise a living. There are certain categories of people that do not consider or pay attention to the inferiority. It is out of this type of discrimination that has affected the economy of various countries because when they are given a chance to practice their capabilities, it will be much easier for the government to achieve its stated mission.
Media has played a significant role in trying to bridge the gap between race, gender, and class discrimination. Black people are looking for ways they can pass the information to the whites who perceive them as inferior and do not have a place in the society. It is always hard when it comes to coping with the society where no one gives you the chance to express an idea or views. Fortunately, media has successfully helped communicate to the whites and those of higher class that see others differently. The main reason why the blacks or the less fortunate are targeting media to pass the information is that a large number of people can be reached during the process and again not all can pay attention to them and the only way to get them is through media. The film of Monsters Ball with Halle Berry whereby the character was a black lady and went through torture was meant to pass information to the oppressors. Halle Berry could not hold back her tears when she whined the Oscar award being that she suffered terribly in the hands of the white husband whom she got married.
Leticia, a single mother in the play who suffered to raise her son after her husband was jailed and killed, was sexually harassed by Hank whose primary target was to have sex with the black woman. Being that she did not know who Hank was, she gave in easily but later on got upset when she was told what the man was truly after. The notion that the black women cannot resist and because of their low class, they can be tortured or slaved should be done away with. The play has various characters which try to communicate how race is being practiced by the high class and the white. Hank, who was a racist in the play, could not let a chance go, and this is evidence when he took the advantage of Leticia.
The film helped in bridging the gap of class and racial discrimination practiced by the whites and the high-class community. Being of a higher class, Hunk did not care about the life of Tyrell whom he took the time to take to the hospital and succumbed to death before reaching the hospital. When Hunk killed his son by telling him that he hates him shows how rude he was to his family and someone who does not care much about his family. Though the blacks are perceived differently, Leticia, black women in her part proved to the whites that they are not easy going when she did not get married after the death of her husband and even when she spent with the hunk did not get pregnant.
The social world has contributed majorly in drawing the line of a race whereby people cannot interact easily due to their class, gender or even color. Less has been done especially to the societies that view their women as minors and should not participate in the public. Women do not hold public offices due to their gender and are denied the right of expression when it comes to public participation. Such belief has brought great impacts to the lives of women who are trying to rise, (Demo, David, and Michael, 1993). The society should come up with ways of addressing this issue as a way of reducing gender discrimination that has left women out. It is through media that we can deal with this situation where the potentiality of women can be documented and even giving them chances to hold positions in the public offices. Also, it is as some of the ways in which the society addresses the issue of gender discrimination.
Technology, which has brought many means of doing away with the race, gender and class discrimination whereby anybody can get access the media or social sites, is among the ways that can be used in bridging the gap of discrimination in the society. By not limiting the access, many people regardless of gender or color can contribute or share their views regarding their capability and status. Technology has also transformed the media platform from analog to digital. With this in place, many people can be reached within a short period. Thus, the issue of race and gender disparity can be reduced by educating people or making them understand that, people are equal and should be treated in a particular way. Further, the notion they are having in their mind concerning the blacks and low class is of no use.
Race, gender, class, and sexual have been discussed by various theorist and many groups formed to end the practice which is lowering the moral of many who are less privileged. Even though media is being used to bridge the gap, it will take time for ethnicity to end due to it's not easy to convince those who have been told the belief and since birth has believed on what they hear and not what they see.
References
Brown, ElsaBarkley.(1995)." What Has Happened Here":The Politics of Difference in Women's History and Feminist Politics." We Specialize in the Impossible : A Readerin Black Women's History. Eds. Darlene ClarkHine, WilmaKing, and Linda Reed. Brooklyn,NY:CarlsonPublishing,
Bowles, Dorcas. (1993)." Bi-Racial Identity: Children Born to African-American and White Couples ."ClinicalSocial WorkJournal21:417-42
Demo, David, and Michael Hughes.(1990)." Socialization and Racial Identity among Black Americans ."SocialPsychology Quarterly53:364-37
