In 1964, an important accomplishment was achieved in the struggle of the black population of America for their rights; the US Congress finally passed the Civil Rights Act, formally prohibiting racial discrimination. However, in the minds of ordinary people, these changes took much longer, and the film In the Heat of the Night was a brave step toward equality. In America in the 60s, when racial prejudice was still strong, a white sheriff from a provincial town was made to join forces with a black detective. Their mutual hostility on racial grounds is reinforced by the absolute dissimilarity of characters and various methods of investigation. Thus, the investigation of the crime turns into an interracial conflict. How relevant is the fight against racism today? Is there a modern interracial conflict?
Since the 1960s, the fight against racism has caused conflicting attitudes in society. Black and white Americans interpret discrimination and racism differently. There is no such thing in the minds of many people that blacks can be racist, too, as they justify it with a system of power that they think black Americans don’t have. Blauner is a professor of sociology and social psychology, and in his book, he deals with the conflicts of race and ethnicity. The author talks about different types of racism, not only about ‘black’, so this article is very important for research, as it considers different aspects of discrimination.
Bowser, in his article, raises the topic of the theoretical origin of the concept of racism. According to the researcher’s article, the initial understanding of racism has undergone significant changes over time. In modern society, racism is understood to mean almost everything related to racial conflict, in addition to discrimination. Benjamin P. Bowser is a Distinguished Professor of Philosophy with over 100 scientific publications. In the presented article, the author focuses on the modern interpretation of America’s important concept as racism.
In his article, journalist Richard James Havis emphasizes the importance of the film In the Heat of the Night, like part of Hollywood. After the adoption of the civil rights law, which provided for the beginning of the fight against discrimination, changes in the minds of citizens came much more slowly. Norman Jewison’s crime drama was the first anti-racist film and was released only three years after the law’s passage.
The article was published in Post Magazine first opened in the late 19th century. Richard James Havis, a writer and Hollywood critic, has over 50 film reviews and published articles. The research interest of this article is the reaction of ordinary people to the changes taking place in the society. In addition, given the role of the media and television in shaping public consciousness, Hollywood films are of great importance.
Horowitz, Brown and Cox consider opinions on the current position of black Americans in society. Amid a national upsurge, Americans are divided over whether an increased focus on race will lead to major policy changes. According to them, about 58% of the entire population of America say that racial discrimination still exists, and the situation does not change in any way. Only 15% believe that current politics is helping to improve the situation of black Americans. All three authors are active members of the Research Center and focus on racial, social and discrimination issues. This article is indispensable to my research, as it highlights the current opinions of citizens regarding racism.
Steven Roberts and Michael Rizzo analyze psychological and social research to understand the essence of the emergence of racism in American society. They argue that ignoring or denying the existence of racism contributes to its further development. The authors teach numerous courses on civil rights and racial inequality and are assistant professors of psychology. This article is of research interest because it highlights the factors that cause racism.
Works Cited
Blauner, Bob. “Talking Past Each Other. Black and White Languages of Race.” Race And Ethnic Conflict: Contending Views on Prejudice, Discrimination, and Ethnoviolence, by Fred L Pincus, Routledge, 2019.
Bowser, Benjamin P. “Racism: Origin and Theory.” Journal of Black Studies, vol. 48, no. 6, 2017, pp. 572–590.
Havis, Richard James. “In the Heat of the Night: The Film That Confronted Racism in America.” South China Morning Post, Post Magazine, 2018, Web.
Horowitz, Juliana Menasce, et al. “Views on Race in America 2019.” Pew Research Center’s Social & Demographic Trends Project, Pew Research Center, 2021, Web.
Roberts, Steven, and Michael Rizzo. “The Psychology of American Racism.” American Psychological Association, 2020.