Mainstream Media and Racial Narratives
According to noted authors and commentators, mainstream American media seems to perpetuate a specific “worldview” where Black Americans are often seen as perpetual victims. This perspective has been called into question by Robert L. Woodson Sr., a veteran civil rights activist. In a recent commentary, he suggested that society should strive to “ignore race when judging each other” to prevent societal doom.
After a mob violently attacked two individuals in downtown Cincinnati, videos of the incident surfaced on social media. Yet, no major television network reported on it. Woodson expressed concern, arguing it didn’t align with the prevailing media narrative about racial violence in the country. Notably, he pointed out that the victims were white, whereas six Black suspects were arrested for their alleged involvement in the attack. “Contemporary media only seems to react to violence when the perpetrator is white and the victim is black,” he noted, implying a bias in coverage.
Analysis from Media Research Center revealed that major networks like ABC, CBS, and NBC failed to report on the disturbing Cincinnati brawl shortly after it occurred. Woodson, who has authored multiple books including “The Road to America’s Renewal: Red, White, and Black,” believes that the mainstream media tends to overlook incidents or even dismiss “black-on-black” violence.
He cited the tragic case of a young girl, Ariana Delahn, who was wounded during a shooting incident. Woodson lamented that while there is public outcry when Black individuals are killed by police, similar outrage is absent when Black children suffer as collateral damage in inner-city violence.
Woodson noted that during the increases in violence against Asian Americans in 2018, media narratives largely ignored the racial background of Black individuals involved as perpetrators. He described this as a distortion of the truth, which contradicts the victimization narrative often assigned to Black Americans.
He emphasized the need for a change, asserting that American society teaches its children that being Black means being a constant victim while being white equates to guilt. His call to action? To abandon these harmful narratives to avoid the potential demise of national unity.
Woodson also established the Woodson Center with the aim of finding solutions to reduce violence, restore families, and uplift underserved communities.
