number364789

I agree. I guess the part I'm trying to explore is, when given a stereotype, whether the group that is the target of that stereotype seeks to try and change the stereotype, or exploit the stereotype for personal gain. It seems that a lot of white Americans, and (likely) a smaller number of black Americans, made a lot of money in the 90s (and probably today) exploiting the stereotype of urban black communities having a lot of violence. That is not to say that the violence was not already there, whether police violence, or gang violence, or violence of some other form - simply that this portrayal of black Americans became pretty common in the 90s. Contrast this with earlier shows like the Jeffersons, Sanford and Sons, Cosby Show, Benson, etc. Maybe it was a necessary step to go through in exposing real issues, but the way it was presented (I think) established a new stereotype that many young, black American men are armed. I think this stereotype is likely a factor in the way some police officers behave - fearfully, and full of adrenaline - which too often leads to unwarranted and unacceptable violence.

I agree there are stereotypes much, much older than this, of course - and 90s pop culture does not explain away the longer term discrimination. Still, if the question is about how white Americans perceive black Americans as a group, especially those white Americans who do not know many black Americans personally, I think you have to consider portrayals in pop culture as a factor. At least, that is my perception, as a white American who has only a handful of black friends, but who has a number of white friends who are/were into this kind of pop culture. At the least, it reinforces any existing fears that might have been initially planted by other sources (e.g. racist family members).

I don't know if this is valid or true, but I sometimes think that the 1990s through early 2000s pop culture depiction of black culture embedded itself strongly in the psyche of many white Americans. It sounds silly to say that gangster rap, and The Wire, and such things are responsible for racial stereotypes, but for many of my white friends, I think this is absolutely true. One sad part of this is that some of the most well-known, financially successful black Americans came out of this environment, either real, or pretended in order to sell entertainment (and make a lot of money).