The Peculiar Role of the “American Society of Magical Negro” as Represented in Pop Culture

 In the spectrum of American movies and novels, the term “American Society of Magical Negro” occupies a very substantial and rather ambiguous position. It is a familiar theme that throws Black characters into a caricature with supernatural or extraordinary powers that serve mainly the white hero. This article focuses on the history, meaning, and opinions about the “American Society of Magical Negro” in today’s society in order to stress on the relevance of acknowledging and comprehending this narrative tool.

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The “American Society of Magical Negro” stereotype became most widespread in the mid-twentieth century together with the Civil Rights campaigns. Some examples of this kind of character are John Coffey in The Green Mile and Bagger Vance in The Legend of Bagger Vance. These characters have magical powers which help the white protagonists to gain knowledge, cure them or lead them, but these characters themselves do not undergo any transformations or have complex pasts. The “American Society of Magical Negro” thereby evokes questions about representation and narrativity, on what is done and what can be done with characters and peoples of color.

The critics state that the tendency of creating the “American Society of Magical Negro” is just enshrining the stereotypes and reducing the Black characters’ depth. Because they exist solely for the purpose of blacks to aid in the white man’s journey, these characters are denied agency and become unidimensional tools. This trope, albeit done with good intentions sometimes, epitomizes larger problem prevalent in the American society and it’s media – the erasure of the characters and stories belonging to minority groups. Accepting the “American Society of Magical Negro” starts the process of the change that would lead to representation and fairness.

But it provides the existence of the “American Society of Magical Negro” which is not just nostalgia. Modern media still has not escaped this trope, although it is now much less blatant. For example, the film The Help: the film’s narrator and focal character, the white journalist, sets the stories of the Black maids. Due to this, while it presents itself as a commentary on the race relations in America and presenting non-white characters’ stories, the main focus is still the white protagonist, which returns to the concept of “American Society of Magical Negro”. Both creators and consumers should stand guard and get sensitive to such portrayals always because they are influential.

A generation earlier many filmmakers saw this as a way to reduce the darkness of their movies, more recently, there has been an attempt to dismantle the “American Society of Magical Negro.” It is evidenced, that filmmakers and writers present the Black characters having more diverse and realistic images. Some current shows are Get Out directed by Jordan Peele and When They See Us directed by Ava Duvernay where black characters have plot and agency and character development beyond consisting of the inevitable relationship with white characters. They are not just diverse and the way they contribute too, but they are more realistic than many recognized story- telling forms.

Given that the phenomenon of the “American Society of Magical Negro” continues to exist, it is apparent that people should not stop discussing race, representation, and media. Although, it is important not to underestimate the background of this narrative, one has to demand the change and representation in the media. In this manner, power relations and a more accurate representation are achieved in relation to various subjects and identities.

Therefore, the “American Society of Magical Negro” is an intricate stereotypical image that colours American media till the present moment. Even while it has had narration and given to specific paradigms, it is crucial to deconstruct and progress beyond these paradigms of characterisation. Employing and valuing the diverse and pluralist narrative as pertinent, has a rather positive impact of celebrating the marginalized existence together with addressing the need for media inclusiveness.