What lessons did Amos n Andy teach white America?

Answer 1

Entire books, articles, and dissertations have been written about "Amos 'n' Andy," a popular but controversial radio program that was number one in the ratings throughout the late 1920s and much of the 1930s. (It was not as much of a success in the brief time it was on TV.) For its many fans, Amos 'n' Andy, which featured two white men who spoke in an exaggerated black dialect, was a gentle, affectionate, and very funny look at two black men trying to become successful in the big city. But for its critics, Amos 'n' Andy merely spread racist stereotypes of the black man as a fool, a cheat, and a fraud, as well as someone who could not speak proper English and got into one problem after another.

The subject of Amos 'n' Andy was often discussed in the media of the 1920s and 1930s, usually when a black critic of the show complained. It cannot be denied the show was popular, with both black and white audiences, which was a tribute to the excellent cast and clever scripts. Also, in a segregated society, many white people sincerely believed that Amos and Andy were "typical" of black people, and the program provided a socially acceptable way to reinforce these beliefs, while allowing white listeners to enjoy a highly entertaining radio program in which the joke was always on the black characters. In fairness, this program was broadcast in an entirely different time, when racism and racial stereotypes were rarely discussed by the mainstream press. And in interviews, both of the white actors (Freeman Gosden and Charles Correll) professed great affection and love for black culture, and insisted they would never demean black people in any way. But to critics like Robert Vann of the Pittsburgh Courier (a historically black newspaper) and Nannie Burroughs (a syndicated columnist and principal of a school for black girls), Amos 'n' Andy spread a dangerous message, that black people could not and should not be taken seriously.