Boyz n the Hood. How and Why Does the Black Filmmaker Depict an Immensely Troubled Picture of African Americans?

Academic Paper from the year 2018 in the subject American Studies - Literature, grade: 1.3, University of Würzburg, course: American Poverty, language: English, abstract: One of the first films that gave a vivid insight into black poverty was 'Boyz n the Hood'. Set and filmed in South Central Los Angeles, California, the 1991 drama film depicts many negative stereotypes that surround - mostly young male - blacks in the U.S., as well as the extreme conditions of the ghetto. 'Boyz n the Hood' quickly became a success. It nearly decupled its budget and the writer and director, John Singleton, became the youngest person ever and first African American to be nominated for the Best Director Oscar. When considering Singleton's ethnicity, the question arises, why a young black director would portray his own race in a predominantly negative way, in a semi-autobiographic film. What also adds to the importance of this question, is that Singleton was part of the 'early 1990s wave of African-American cinema.' This means that the number of African American film makers at the time was very low. Hence, he was one of the few, who had the opportunity to make a film about his own race. So, how and why did a young minority with the potential influence, that Singleton had, not use his first film to show his race in a better and more advantageous way?