Can someone tell me why they are always making movies about white teachers saving the "poor black kids"?

Question

There are thousands of black teachers who lift up, motivate, and struggle with students in inner cities all over America yet the movie industry sends the kids a "savior"/"angel", who at first struggles to gain their respect, and then fits in like they figured it all out..If it weren't for Sydney Poitier in To Sir With Love.......C'mon Hollywood..A little respect!

Answer 1

u should see the movie gridiron gang it's the best !!! and it isn't lead by a white guy but its lead by the rock and it's based on a true story

Answer 2

For the same reason once a week someone comes on this web site and asks "why is that black people can call each other ngrs but if a white person calls a black person ngr" and you know the rest. They didn't read the last answer or they are still intrigued with the question when there is no real answer. Hollywood likes formula movies because they have free space to fill in between blockbusters and they want to make sure than the urban geography has been dutifully represented in the Hollywood way. I sorta think Hillary Swank thinks she can put a spin on a tired story that has been dissected in every way. There are so many once a year stories that I am surprised people still go to the movies to see them. Like the white girl going to an all black dance school and falling in love with the lead dancer. The young guy falls in love with the daughters mother story line. All black men are pimps and drug dealers or ex cons. All black women are single mothers on welfare struggling and the teenage daughter turns up pregnant. All formulas and they like the person who asks the "ngr" question know why but they like Hollywood are like fillers taking up empty space with useless questions. Can I ask you a question why is it when there is a space camp type of movies for young teenagers there are never any black people along for the ride? Because no one wants to see black kids in inspiring roles, don't believe it even if he was in one of those movies or no use giving black kids any sort of hope that they could be an astronaut. It reinforces sterotypes just in case people tried to forget about them. The first movie before to sir with love was the black board jungle with sidney poitier and a white actor I forget his name and then there was the cute Alice in Room 222 and there was Welcome Back Kotter there have been a series of tv shows, movies and documentaries about white teachers and poor ghetto children as far back as the 50's so you can't fix it or change it so don't go and ignore it.

Answer 3

OMG you lierally took the words right out of my Mouth. I just don't understand why they make it seem as if these loveable Caucasian motivators and Heroes can just walk into a South Central Classroom and make a huge difference when we have way more role models to look up to, and that goes for Asian, Latino, Blacks, etc. I don't appreciate how Hollywood makes it seem as if the "Minority" Children are the ones who need the most guidance and the best mentor will be some White Person who never lived that kind of life, will never understand that kind of life, so truly not making an impact. And the sad part is their are MILLIONS of White Children in America who need way more counseling, but you know damn well they won't make a movie about a Black Man/Woman or Latina/Latino or Asian from the Ghetto come into a Beverly Hills Prep chool and make some kind of difference. O no no no my friend, that would be poliitically incorrect!!!! It's a really twisted little image in the heads of these Screenwriters and Directors that think these Superior White Figures are the Saviours to these inner city Black Kids, and they think their making some moving, powerful movie, when all they'e doing is feeding the same Bullshit to our young Black Community that you'll never get anywhere without the help of a Loveable White Person who has more than you. It makes us not have anyone to look up to within our own community. Now don't get me wrong, their are PLENTY of White people out here who truly put their heart and souls into making the world a Better place for everyone. But I jut don't appreciate having the same tired old bullshit message brodcasted in Hollywood about white teachers aving the "poor black kids". Absolutely ridiculous.

Answer 4

Let's face it - nobody today has figured out how to top that movie. I don't think anybody's been able to beat Lilies of the Valley, either. What a classic. And considering that both were about a black guy being the hero in an otherwise white ensemble, and considering the era it was originally shown in, I'd say Hollywood actually is showing some respect - for the movies, unfortunately.

Answer 5

Yeah, seriously. My fellow college freshman English instructors and I recently discussed this race/media phenomenon in my composition theory class. Movies certainly influence our ideas of what it means to be a successful teacher; unfortunately, as we know, reality isn't like in the movies. Even _To Sir With Love_ still pushes a middle-class ideology that hard work is always rewarded - and fairly - and education is all you need to "rise above" any circumstances. Obviously, physical or blue-collar hard work is rarely as rewarded or respected as white-collar work (lawyers come to mind). Many colored people still struggle with employment discrimination and exploitation from white business owners (Latino/a farm workers). Also, all post-secondary education has a price that many cannot afford; inherited wealth unfairly predisposes a person to a better education and better opportunities. In post-secondary areas of study, race and class play a significant role, e.g., not often do you see rich white kids attending technical college rather than the university to study auto mechanics or major in police science. Working-class kids, on the other hand, go to school to acquire job skills, not take philosophy classes to ponder life's mysteries and learn to be good citizens. These movies overlook the problems in the system.

_Take the Lead_ with Antonio Banderas is another one. It contains some more interesting race dynamics than usual, but no fewer stereotypes.

Answer 6

It's funny, because I noticed that "jynxieeye..." used the word "minority" to describe the latino's, blacks, asians etc...in the country. I am Canadian and the minority is quickly becoming us whites. LOL. Ahhhh. Too funny.Wouldn't THAT just make some people roll in their graves. And yes. Your point is definately taken. I find it discusting as well. Makes us look like a bunch of pompous idiots........and thank you for actually having a real question involving racism instead of all these..."why can't white women do their black child's hair?". I am so sick of racist questions (from all races...I have seen some pretty sick and warped questions on this site that only make my blood boil). This is definately an issue that Hollywood needs to address. Although they may address it like they do in Television. Just add a few "minority" races to make it look "politically correct". I would like something done from the heart and not so much because they feel that they have to. Right now, they are doing it for the purpose of image and for no other reason.....well, that's my opinion anyways.

Answer 7

As a people what choices do we have in this situation?

1. Accept it and do nothing

2. Create a Black Hollywood

3. Produce more scripts for the current Hollywood that are broader in their themes (more acceptable to us)

4. Complain and do nothing to change the situation

Answer 8

Sadly most of the movies you are referring to were based on actual people and experiences.
I don't think the race of a person determines their intelligence. I do think many factors are involved regarding aquiring that intelligence.

In regard to the movie biz...when African-Americans can control the attention of the major production companies to financially back African-American projects that have serious content and will make money at the box office. The only African-American writer-directors I can think of off the top of my head are Spike Lee & Forrest Whittaker{who I am a huge fan of}. I'm sure there are many other African-Americans in the biz who I am not aware of or can't come up with now.
I don't really pay attention to who the directors, producers, screenplay.....blah,blah,blah.
When it comes to movie studios though all they care about ultimately is the profits. When the general public says they want to see movies that have inspirational, "savior"/"angel" roles that have African-Americans in the lead roles then it will happen.

Answer 9

because in historically the books and documentarys where about a rich or well off white folk coming in and not willing give up on 'problem' or struggling children like highschool high and the ron clark story to name a few also the press doesn't care and neither does the public when a black teacher lifted inner city kids up because it doesn't create a blockbuster statistically although you shouod check your facts because movies like coach carter are movies about a black "teacher'' in this case he was a coach who taught the high school athleates to achieve a greater standard academically so they would develope dissapline to suceed and apply to the game of basketball

Answer 10

sensationalism.....but with all due respect, I am an irish/american indian/country girl, I know who Moses was married to, and I think if it's o.k. with God then who are we to say; however, In America, we do not have a miss white America Pageant, nor do we have the miss white business womens' association......and, we as sort of caucasion folks aren't always causing an uproar. What do you think if we tried to have a Miss White America Pageant? Uuh huh,,,that's what I thought. By the way, I loved "To Sir With Love" and I love to watch Denzel Washington, who is playing the part of one of the most famous self-made black Americans ever.

Answer 11

I know I hate that. They make it seem like the white person is some type of martyr and angelical. Just like in Dangerous Minds and Hardball, a white teacher comes and "educates" the ill-mannered Black or Hispanic youth. There is a movie coming out with Hilary Swank called "Freedom Writers" where she is this white teacher who "changes" the gang violence in her classroom. They make it seem like all minorities are troublesome and violent.