October 11, 1995
Web posted at: 11:30 a.m. EDT
From Reporter Michael Okwu
NEW YORK (CNN) -- When "Birth of a Nation" pioneered the art of movie-making in 1914, it offered a handful of the most enduring images of blacks in film. To many, it was the first open celebration of bigotry in Hollywood.
African-American actors say things haven't changed much in the past 80 years. The first challenge is getting any kind of black image into mainstream films. Actress Angela Bassett recalled that she saw a film "set in New York and the only black person I see is in a poster behind one of the lead characters, but nowhere in the life of the film. Hmmm. ... Now that is interesting."
One would think progress could easily be seen by the rash of films focusing on black America. The characters are more complex, stronger. Blacks are in the driver's seat, it seems. But not really.
Insiders say that more often than not, the blacks literally are put in a driver's seat, and are usually careening towards trouble. Even if that is not the case, the characters are often loaded with negatives. "Stories that come out of the black American community are by and large films that deal with gangsterism, rap music, things of that nature," said actor Laurence Fishburne.
Such images can be seen in movies such as "Menace II Society" and "Boyz N the Hood," films that have been box-office draws. That's why Fishburne enjoyed appearing in a recent HBO special about corps of black pilots in World War II. He considers it a minor coup. "We are told that these films are made because the mark&et is younger people and there is no market for films that would deal with things like the Tuskegee airmen or family oriented stories," he said.
Observers insist violent, drug and gangster films will continue to dominate because studio executives believe other kinds of African-American tales just aren't real. Spike Lee knows that turf well. "Just go to the offices of any studio in Hollywood and you see very few people of color. I don't think there's a (black) exec in Hollywood who has the power to green light a picture," Lee says.
Black actors and filmmakers agree that one of the most disturbing movie trends is the prolific use of the "n-word." What some filmmakers argue is realism, others declare is good old fashioned racism. Academy Award winner Denzel Washington said he's run across some overkill. "I was in a film where they felt the word nigger had to be used every 15 minutes in order for it to be effective. I said, 'Uh, you're using it more in this movie that I've heard it my whole life.'"
Dr. Alvin Poussaint of Harvard Medical School, who is often used as a film consultant, also has noticed the "n-word" problem. "It's titillating. It's appealing to the unconscious of a lot of people and I think they overuse it," he said.
But for some actors, all the talk about racism is much ado about nothing. "It's always there as a scapegoat," said Morgan Freeman. "In case we need it."
Nonetheless, few will argue that navigating Hollywood is still a bumpy ride for minorities.
Copyright © 1995 Cable News Network, Inc.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.