Mr. Bojangles

Mr. Bojangles is a perfect example when speaking of Black portrayal on television in the past. Mr. Bojangles was basically an in-house servant. In ‘Color Adjustment’ one of the statements emphasized was that the few blacks that actually had the opportunity on TV, were portrayed on television in the beginning years as being happy. This was a time of extreme hardship and pain for black people as a whole. White people did not except them. Families were broken up due to slavery. Life was not good. I highly doubt Bojangles was truly ecstatic about helping a little girl tap dance down the stairs. In reality he probably would have been beaten or killed for being so close to her. A grown black man and a little white girl would have never been alone together in that time. Mr. Bojangles was in multiple films around the 30’s and 40’s and he was always the “happy” guy waiting to help out. With a smile always present, a viewer would think that these times were nothing but pleasant. This inaccurate viewpoint fooled viewers into thinking black people were “fine.” If the movies show them being happy, then that must be the real feelings they have.