Black Leaders

While watching the show 24 on Netflix, I realized something that had been true in more than one other TV show. The angry black police chief that either made to look unfit for he job, or made to be the bad guy by ruining the main characters plans. In 24 a TV show about a Counter Terrorist Agent, the police chief is made out to be a grumpy man who is too quick to judgment and makes too many mistakes.in both cases, the black police chief is the only person standing in the way of the white main character.one one hand, it represents progress that a black man is in a position of strength, but the stereotype of the angry black man rooted in the “brute” stereotype, along with him being portrayed as the bad guy is still a problem.

While this problem can be looked at as progress for black actors, it still signifies that old stereotypes are still prevalent. In 24, the main character, Jack Bauer disagrees on a judgment call the CTU director made. The decision was made out of a hunch and even though Bauer had a lead that could give more clarity to the situation, the director went ahead and made the call. It turned out to be disastrous and his job was in jeopardy until the main character found the evidence and gave I to the director, saving his job. Having the black leader make many mistakes leads right into the common conception that black men are not fit to lead.

The black quarterback is another reinforcement that a black man can not lead a group of men. In the NFL, the quarterback is the most important player on the field because he is in charge of operating the offence. The stereotype for black quarterbacks is that they can run fast but do not have the mental capacity or arm to successfully run a NFL offence. Tim Tebow, a white quarterback had the same strengths as many black college quarterbacks. He was fast, aggressive, and ran a offence that fit his skillset, but did not translate to the NFL. Tebow was encouraged to play quarterback in the NFL despite his flaws. The problem here is that black quarterbacks who face similar challenges Tebow did and have the same skillset are encouraged to change position. Black quarterbacks are not giving the benefit of the doubt and that plays directly into the stereotype that black people are not as fit to lead as white people. The stereotype of mental superiority of whites over blacks is still common today and the evidence is in what we watch on TV every day.