Guess Who

The Jones family is a middle class African American family. Mr. and Mrs. Jones both work in white collar jobs and have tried to raise their children to be color blind. This may be important to them as they probably did not want to limit their children to fit into the stereotypes in society for black females. As black people have been systematically oppressed, the Jones' wanted their daughters to realize they had the same opportunities as White females. However, Mr. Jones never considered the other side of the coin. Color blindness is no longer appropriate when considering a mate. Biracial couples are not the norm and stir up a bit of controversy in the Jones home. Mr. Jones is so disturbed by the fact that his daughter is dating a White man that he lies to his coworker, telling him that his daughter is dating a Black man named Jamal. According to Mr. Jones, Jamal went to Howard University, which is a Historically Black University, he played basketball, knows the Cosby’s and his parents live in Atlanta. This is probably the type of man Mr. Jones envisioned his daughter to be with, which exposes his cultural capital. Mr. Jones is prejudiced against White men because he fears that his culture may not be passed down to his grandchildren if they are raised by a White man.

There were many stereotypes revealed throughout the movie. For example, there was a joke in the movie that offended the Jones family: Name three things a black man can never get, a black eye, a fat lip and a job. The stereotype that the majority of black men are unemployed came up a number of times. More stereotypes arise as the movie discretely defines masculinity. In this movie, a real man plays sports. A white man plays hockey, golf, or follows Nascar. A man is supposed to be the head of the household. On two separate occasions, a man states, "This is my house," even though both men were married and their wives lived in the same house as them. The movie sends the message that a women depend on men to provide for them. This is why it is so important for a man to have a good job.

No one wants their culture to be lost. White people have historically been guilty of attempting to alter cultures and influence other groups of conforming to their norms, so Mr. Jones has a legitimate concern. As a person with a White mother and a Black father, it is difficult for me to see the harm in biracial relationships. Because of my racial background, I have been taught to ignore stereotypes and appreciate people’s differences. In my opinion, biracial couples are a beautiful thing.

Furthermore, it is not a secret that there is a shortage of responsible, employed, law abiding Black males in the United States. There is a destructive cycle that Black men often fall victim to. It starts with being brought up in a fatherless home, which leads to the lack of guidance into manhood. These guys grow up with no intentions of being a family man. They have illegitimate children and for various reasons often end up in jail, leaving their children to grow up in fatherless homes. There is a great need for more positive Black male role models in predominately Black communities. As a teacher, I can attempt to provide my students with positive role models by inviting professional Black males to speak to my class. Since I am not a Black male, it will be difficult for me to make a difference, but I will try to assist in breaking the cycle.