Changing and Challenging the Media’s Distorted Lens

On average, African Americans watch more television than other demographic groups, yet portrayals of African Americans on television remain frequently mired in outdated and harmful stereotypes. How do we change this? How do we harness the demographic power of African American audiences to demand more complex and human treatment on television?

According to Ebony Magazine, Ronald Martin has some ideas:

Martin was the featured speaker in “The “Mess in the Media’s Message,” an hour-long teleconference moderated by the National CARES Mentoring Movement last month. The talk was the fifth in an eight-part series launched by CARES, in partnership with the National Alliance of Faith and Justice’s PEN or PENCIL (penitentiary or education) program, to help Black men and women bring their best selves to mentoring, parenting and guiding our children. The initiative, “Mentoring Mondays,” connects listeners with some of the nation’s most inspiring leaders each Monday at 7 p.m. (ET) and will run through the end of May. Past speakers have included spiritual teacher the Rev. Dr. Iyanla Vanzant and Georgetown professor and author Michael Eric Dyson.