Portrayals of African Americans on Television::

I feel that the portrayal of African Americans on network or cable TV has been limited to a degree to a form of stereotypical roles.  I do not think that the portrayal of African descendents are valid due to the fact there are several types of African Americans in this country and neither of the networks or cable stations for that matter do a great job in relaying that fact.  The men are either portrayed as owning a business while their women work, or they seem to all work for network television or a vending machine company as if that was all African American men do.  The networks never show men in their actual roles, like single fathers without the great jobs, they never show women in a their natural state.  The women are either over polished,  made up to look like European women.

The networks seldom show the many descendents of Africa in a positive light because the people behind the scenes are not always people from that Diaspora. As an African American female with Spanish Nigerian and Black Foot Native American ancestry, I do not see my likeness portrayed.  I am an educated business minded woman and I do not see that portrayed on television  as much as need be.  We need more shows promoting the intellectual and motivated woman, mother, sister and girlfriend.  We are more than just sex kittens, gold diggers, welfare recipients or mothers of troubled youth. 

I do not wish to see anymore shows that portray the business women of color as being childless, manless and hopeless.  I have twins, I have my own TV show, I also design websites and I produce music.  I manage a recording artist and a small fashion design line by the same artist respectively.  I also write grants for non profits and I have raised money for a hospital's residency program.

This type of multitasked individual does not exist according to network TV, but I am living proof that we do exist.  Writers must come to the table to bring these types of situations to the forefront so that advertising dollars can be distributed equally and accurately. 

When Dorothy Dandridge, Nat King Cole, Dianne Carroll and Bill Cosby got their feet in the doors network television  felt that was enough "blackism".  Well it is not. These individuals have contributed a great deal, but they did not speak for the masses.  Oprah Winfrey, who has made millions if not billions of dollars for network TV has not recruited anyone to pick up the ball where she left off.  She is not married, she has not recognized offspring that will inherit her wealth.  She does not accept materials from writers of color unless she can claim the script.  It is a shame that she spends countless hours a day promoting products that do not benefit people of color.  She is only one woman with a lot of power and she does not reach out to the urban areas unless it is sweeps period.  I am not impressed with her although I am glad to see her accomplish what she has. 

I want to see a conglomeration of  people of color getting together to build a new network.  We almost had it with Mr. Johnson who once owned BET but sold that to Viacom to purchase an airport.     I want to see better writers, diversity in the network and on television, less sitcoms, more realistic type programming, not reality show that ridicule and humiliate.  Television was once an education vehicle, now it has gone to the dogs, where news about an exposed body part gets more ratings than the untimely death of a soldier.

Darlene Lewis