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In Hollywood, African Americans were cast in undesirable roles or subservient to whites. Specifically, black males were portrayed as toms, coons and bucks, while Black femininity was taken away by the portrayal of the "mammy ". Blacks retaliated by producing their own movies, better known as "race movies"." The Lincoln Motion Picture Company was one of the first Black film companies. It produced over six movies, but had trouble competing mainly due to not having enough capital to advertise. "Race movies " were not just made for Black people enjoyment; it was also an avenue to get subliminal messages to the Black community. While Hollywood would demean Black actor's or actresses "race movies"" allowed Blacks to depict themselves in honorable roles. Young children could see pretty black woman and men dressed proper and portrayed in high-class society roles rather than in rags and impoverish.
Depiction of African American Women in Media.
The beginning of the 1900's through the 1950's, African American woman were portrayed as four main stereotypes, the Mammy, Aunt Jemimah, Sapphire, and Jezebel. The most enduring of these were Mammy. Every portrayal of the character Mammy; illustrated a heavy set, dominate woman with dark skin. She wore a dowdy dress and the infamous headscarf and her life consisted of her serving her master and mistress and their children. The depiction insinuates that she raised and loved the master's children even more than her own. While she treated her master or employers with respect, the Mammy was a bully in her own household. She was known to have a temper and take it out on the family especially her husband, which was mostly represented as a Sambo. This depiction of the Mammy as the ruler of the African American male was used as a device to infer of his subservience to whites. .
Mammy stereotypes arose as to substantiate slavery. Mammy stereotypes did not just stop in the early 20's 30's or 40's, Mammy stereotypes are still infused in television shows and film to date.