Scripted to be Beaten: A Cultural Studies Analysis of Whupping Black Boys for Humor in Popular Culture (Poster 5)

• In Event: AERA Poster Session Friday 8:00 a.m.
  In Poster Session: Rise Above: Transformative Practices for Supporting Black Men and Boys in Education

Abstract

Physically abusing children within schools has been a long-standing practice since the colonial era, and the act has been particularly inflicted upon Black school-age youth. However, little research has examined how the practice of beating (i.e., whupping) Black children are presented in popular culture. Utilizing Charles Mills’ theory of the racial contract and Ronald Jackson’s notion of Black masculine scripts, this article examined the portrayal of Black boys being whupped in popular culture. Findings indicate that Black boys are scripted as pathological subpersons in need of physical abuse.

Authors

• Daniel J. Thomas, Texas A&M University

• Marcus Wayne Johnson, Texas A&M University

• John A. Williams, Texas A&M University

• Nathaniel Bryan, University of Texas at Austin