KIPP:STAR - Caricatures Still Exist lyrics

Have you noticed black girls t**ng in music videos? How about black children in poverty on television Shows? These are what I like to call modern day minstrel shows. Believe it or not minstrel shows use to be very popular during the time slavery was going on. Minstrel shows are very offensive to black people.The starting of minstrel shows made a negative stereotype of of black people that still exist today. One offensive caricature was the Mammy caricature. The Mammy caricature is very disrespectful to older black women. It created an offensive stereotype for older black women. The Mammy was said to be “obese, coarse, maternal figure”(Pilgrim). The Mammy caricature has been found in modern day movies. “ Male mammies: A social-comparison perspective on how exaggeratedly overweight media portrayals of Madea, Rasputia, and Big Momma affect how black women feel about themselves”. When our people make fun of the Mammy caricature it makes whites think its ok to laugh at us as a community. The Mammy caricature is very offensive to older black women, other caricatures are offensive to black men. The Coon Caricature makes black men look a certain way. It creates a stereotype of black men still believed today. “The coon acted childish but he was an adult…”(Pilgrim). The coon caricature can be found in modern day television shows. “Arguing with men over paternity on talk shows like Maury Povich and Steve Wilkos “ (ShawsJames.Blogspot.com). When black people act childish and wildly it makes white people look at us like we're crazy. The coon caricature is offensive to black men other caricatures offend black children. The Pickaninny caricature makes all black children seem poor. The Pickaninny caricature creates an image of all black children. “but the Pickaninny caricature suggests that all black children are impoverished” (Pilgrim). The Pickaninny caricature can also be found in television shows. In the show “Everybody Hates Chris” Chris is viewed as a poor money-conserving African American boy (whenintime.com). When our people make shows like “Everybody Hates Chris” It makes other cultures think all black children live in poverty and live in low cla** communities. The Pickaninny Caricature is offensive to Children, Other caricatures offend older black men. The Uncle Tom Caricature creates a stereotype of older black men. The Uncle Tom Caricature makes older black men look jolly even when treated badly. “The Tom caricature portrays black men as faithful, happily submissive servants” (Pilgrim). The Tom Caricature can be found in modern day toys. “Physically Mr. Popo of Dragon Ball Z” was a loyal, and obedient servant to “Kami Guardian of Earth” (www.authenticstory.com). When our people or other people portray the Uncle Tom Caricature and we do nothing about it, it makes us look weak as a community. The Uncle Tom caricature is very offensive to older black men and so are other caricatures. We as a community need to come together and stop encouraging people to make fun of our culture. For example we need to buy different rice “Uncle Ben” rice shows the Uncle Tom Caricature. So if we stop buying that type of rice they will stop making the product and making fun of our culture.