Race is an unnatural social construct for classifying groups of people based on “skin color, hair texture, nose and eye shapes, and thinness of lips” according to Herman Gray’s Race. Race is created through legal, social, and cultural invention to enable power dynamics. It has also been portrayed poorly in television shows, movies, plays, and literature. Leading up to the 2000s, there was outrage over how little and poor the representation media would have for people of color. Once viewed as classics, books like Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and plays like Uncle Tom’s Cabin are now seen as extremely offensive through the lens of contemporary consumers because of the reinforcement of racist stereotypes. However, media also has provided a way for race to be expressed through showcasing cultural roots with these different storytelling techniques. Performances can express feelings of injustice against race or encourage people to be proud of their culture and want to learn more about other cultures as well.
