Magical Negro
The magical negro (sometimes called the mystical negro or magic negro) is a term generally used to describe a supporting, often mystical stock character in fiction who, by use of special insight or powers, helps the white protagonist get out of trouble. The word negro, now considered by many as archaic and offensive, is used intentionally to suggest that the archetype is a racist throwback, an update of the "Sambo" and "savage other" stereotypes.[1] Spike Lee popularized the term, deriding the archetype of the "super-duper magical negro" in 2001 while discussing films with students at Washington State University and at Yale University.[2][3]
The magical negro in fiction
The magical negro is typically but not always "in some way outwardly or inwardly disabled, either by discrimination, disability or social constraint," often a janitor or prisoner.[4] He has no past; he simply appears one day to help the white protagonist.[5] He sometimes fits the black stereotype, "prone to criminality and laziness."[6] To counterbalance this, he has some sort of magical power, "rather vaguely defined but not the sort of thing one typically encounters."[5] He is patient and wise, often dispensing various words of wisdom, and is "closer to the earth."[2]
The magical negro serves as a plot device to help the protagonist get out of trouble, typically through helping the white character recognize his own faults and overcome them.[2] Although he has magical powers, his "magic is ostensibly directed toward helping and enlightening a white male character."[4] It is this feature of the magical negro that some people find most troubling. Although from a certain perspective the character may seem to be showing African-Americans in a positive light, he is still ultimately subordinate to European-Americans. He is also regarded as an exception, allowing white America to "like individual black people but not black culture."[7]
To save the white protagonist, however, he would do anything, including sacrificing himself, as Sidney Poitier portrays in The Defiant Ones, the prototypical magical Negro movie.[2] Note that Poitier's character is also saved by the white protagonist, as the two help each other throughout the film.
The magical negro is a recurring theme in Chinese Literature from the Tang Dynasty.[8] Known as "Kun-lun" (崑崙, an ancient Chinese term that denoted all dark-skinned races), these African slaves were portrayed as having supernatural strength and the power to invade people's dreams to reveal great knowledge. One tale known as the Kun-lun slave mentions a slave leaping over high walls while laden with the weight of two people in order to rescue his master's lover.[9] Other tales mention them swimming to the bottom of raging rivers to retrieve heavenly treasures for their lord. The color of their skin was believed to be a medicinal balm that could be wiped off and used to cure a person's illness.[8]
Examples
Examples of magical negroes as published by social commentators include:
- Uncle Remus (James Baskett) in the film Song of the South (1946) [10]
- Noah Cullen (Sidney Poitier) in the film The Defiant Ones (1958)[2]
- The magical negro is a recurring archetype Stephen King's novels as well as some adaptations of his work:
- Dick Hallorann in The Shining (1977), and in both the 1980 film adaptation (Scatman Crothers) and the 1997 TV miniseries (Melvin Van Peebles)[2]
- Mother Abagail in The Stand (1978), and the 1994 TV adaptation (Ruby Dee)[2]
- John Coffey in The Green Mile (1996), and the 1999 film adaptation (Michael Clarke Duncan)[2][5]
- Moses the Clock Man (Bill Cobbs) in the film The Hudsucker Proxy (1994) [11]
- Cash (Don Cheadle) in the film The Family Man (2000)[3][5]
- Bagger Vance (Will Smith) in the film The Legend of Bagger Vance (2000)[2][3][5][12]
- Gloria Dump (Cicely Tyson) in the film Because of Winn-Dixie (2005)[13]
- Eddie "Scrap Iron" Dupris (Morgan Freeman) in Million Dollar Baby[14]
- Morpheus in The Matrix.[5]
- Lamont (Guy Torry) in the film American History X.[15]
Uses outside of fiction
Examples of the use of the term magical negro as published by commentators in non-fictional contexts include:
- Barack Obama-- Presidential nominee of the Democratic Party in the 2008 general election[16]
- David Hampton--Con artist[16]
- Magic Johnson--Basketball player[16]
See also
References
- ^ Jones, D. Marvin (2005). Race, Sex, and Suspicion: The Myth of the Black Male. Westport, Conn.: Praeger Publishers. pp. p. 35. ISBN 0275974626. OCLC 56095393.
{{cite book}}:|pages=has extra text (help) - ^ a b c d e f g h i Okorafor-Mbachu, Nnedi (2004-10-25). "Stephen King's Super-Duper Magical Negroes". Strange Horizons. Retrieved 2006-12-03.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ a b c Gonzalez, Susan (2001-03-02). "Director Spike Lee slams 'same old' black stereotypes in today's films". Yale Bulletin & Calendar. Yale University. Retrieved 2006-12-03.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ a b Hicks, Heather J. (2003-09-01). "Hoodoo Economics: White Men's Work and Black Men's Magic in Contemporary American Film". Camera Obscura. 18 (2). Camera Obscura: 27–55. doi:10.1215/02705346-18-2_53-27. Retrieved 2007-02-03.
{{cite journal}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ a b c d e f Colombe, Audrey (2002). "White Hollywood's new Black boogeyman". Jump Cut: A Review of Contemporary Media (45). Retrieved 2006-12-03.
{{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter|month=ignored (help) - ^ Persons, Georgia Anne (2005). Contemporary Patterns of Politics, Praxis, and Culture. New Brunswick, NJ: Transaction Publishers. pp. p. 137. ISBN 141280468X. OCLC 56510401.
{{cite book}}:|pages=has extra text (help) - ^ Gabbard, Krin (2004). Black Magic: White Hollywood and African American Culture. New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University Press. pp. p. 173. ISBN 081353383X. OCLC 53215708.
{{cite book}}:|pages=has extra text (help) - ^ a b Snow, Philip. The Star Raft: China's Encounter With Africa. Cornell Univ. Press, 1989 (ISBN 0801495830)
- ^ Liu, James J.Y. The Chinese Knight Errant. London: Routledge and Kegan Paul, 1967 (ISBN 0-2264-8688-5)
- ^ Killough, Patrick (1997-12-09). "BRER RABBIT SEZ, SEZEE: THE WISDOM OF JOEL CHANDLER HARRIS". Retrieved 2007-05-16.
- ^ Wood, Noel (2002-10-29). "Exposing Hollywood's Fascination with the Magic Negro". Retrieved 2008-03-19.
- ^ Farley, Christopher John (2000-05-27). "That Old Black Magic". Time. Retrieved 2007-02-03.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help); Cite has empty unknown parameter:|1=(help) - ^ Thompson, Gary (2005-02-18). "'Winn-Dixie' Gets No Place Fast". The Philadelphia Daily News. Philadelphia Media Holdings LLC. Retrieved 2007-07-21.
{{cite news}}: Check date values in:|date=(help); Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ Eugene Robinson. "Oscar's 'Ray' Of Hope". The Washington Post Company. Retrieved 2008-07-27.
- ^ "'History X': Hate With a Passion", By Stephen Hunter, Washington Post Staff Writer. October 30, 1998
- ^ a b c Obama the 'Magic Negro' - Los Angeles Times
External links
- ""magic Negro" definition from Double Tongued Dictionary". Retrieved 2007-10-04.