How is the american ethos impacted by racial stereotypes of african american males?

Question

How is the american ethos impacted by racial stereotypes of african american males?

Answer 1

there is always a grain of truth in a stereotype, and as long as they continue to be true, nothing will change.

Answer 2

We are, of course, the poorer for it.   The real tragedy, however, is that the moral strength of the African-American male grew and got strong and proud and has all the potential to succeed across the board were it not for the decimation of spirit caused by drugs, absent fathers, fickle women who do not emotionally support their man and rap music that preaches violence to those young boys coming up.   Bill Cosby, who should have done much more 20 years ago, has summed it all up and put before young black boys and men a kind of map to getting out of the morass and taking their rightful place as head of the household and driver on any of a hundred career paths.

Answer 3

Stereotypes will exist for African American males, as it will for every racial, cultural, religious, and ethnic group.  The reasons stereotypes continue to exist is that there is a kernel of truth in these stereotypes (albeit they are generalized to include the whole population).  So what does this mean?  It means that it will take generations to overcome stereotypes for all groups of people.  But those groups being stereotyped must make an effort to be something other than how they are being portrayed if they want to break that stereotype. Not being African American, how does the stereotypes of African American males affect me?  To be honest, on a day to day basis, it doesn't.  I guess one could argue in a vague and indirect way, an individual would not want to live in a society in which any group is treated differently.  Which is true.  And maybe I'm not as good a person I could be if I could shed my stereotypes of all groups.  But the reality is, the "American ethos" (by which I mean all of American society) is not greatly impacted by stereotypes of African American males.   In the end, the group that suffers most from the racial stereotypes of the African American male is the African American male himself.