Black presidents: From movies to
reality
By
Kimberly Colander
12/14/2008
Barack Obama made history when he
became the first African-American to be elected president of the United
States. Obama was the first black president but blacks have filled the
position in movies and on television for over 75 years.
There have been several presidents on
screen that have been played by black actors. The movies fall into the
categories of classics, science fiction, comedies and television series.
The Classics
The first known movie that had an
African-American president was a 21-minute film titled “Rufus Jones for
President.” Sammy Davis Jr. played
Jones, who became the first black president. The movie was directed
by Roy Mack and made in 1933. It included stereotypes of black people.
Jones gave away pork chops for votes and also gambled in the White
House. The film made a mockery of black people. According to the New
York Times, “the screen is replete with derogatory and offensive
African-American stereotypes [involving chickens, watermelons and crap
shooting]. One can imagine the cast, needing the work in those hard
times, had to grin and bear it.”
James Earl Jones played
Douglass Dilman in
the movie “The Man” directed by Joseph Sargent in 1972. The movie was
based on the novel “The Man” written by Irving Wallace. “The Man” was
more serious than “Rufus Jones for President.” It was a much talked
about role. According to the New York Times, the most memorable thing
about the film is not the story because they claim it didn't make too
much sense, but the dialogue. The movie received a lot of attention
because Dilman was a reputable character without the stereotypes that
was in the character of Jones.
Science Fiction
“The Fifth Element” is a science
fiction movie released in 1997 and directed by Luc Besson. Besson worked
on the script for 22 years before it made it to the screen. Actor Tommy
“Tiny” Lister played a minor role as President Lindberg in the movie
whose first name was never mentioned. Bruce Willis was the star of the
movie. The film dealt with the survival of humanity. There was a “Big
Evil” on Earth and the president needed a special weapon to defeat it.
“Deep
Impact” was directed by Mimi Leder in 1998. Morgan Freeman played
President
Tom Beck. In this movie a comet named Wolf-Biederman is going to
collide with the Earth and cause an extinction-level event.
According to the New York Times, “Morgan Freeman makes a fine
President of the
Comedy
Chris Rock directed and also starred
as President Mays Gilliam in the comedy “Head of State” in 2003.
Gilliam was chosen as the Democratic Party nominee for president
after the first candidate dies during the campaign. He was chosen to be
the designated loser but ended up winning the election.
According to the New York Times,
Gilliam is at first a dedicated and respectable statesman who would do
anything for his residents. Initially he wore denim shirts and sneakers.
But, half way through the movie he began wearing Kangol hats and Sean
John sweat suits. The character seemed confused between being a
realistic candidate and one displaying racial stereotypes.
“Idiocracy” is a dark comedy directed
by Mike Judge and released in 2007. Terry Alan Crews plays as President
Dwayne Elizondo Mountain Dew Camacho, who is a former porn star and
professional wrestler. The setting of the movie is in the future where
Television Series
Movies aren’t the only entertainment
that has cast a black man as president. “24,” a television series on the
FOX network, is the latest to have an African-American president. Thirty
years after the movie “The Man,”
David Balmer [Dennis Haysbert] became the president on the show in
2003. After the character died, his position was filled with another
black man in 2006 for the sixth season of the series. The character who
takes the head of chief position is Wayne Palmer [D.B. Woodside], the
former president’s brother.
On the show “24,” the race of the
presidents was not looked at and it was barely mentioned. Some viewers
believe that this show and the movies started to break down the barriers
in order for Obama to be nominated in reality.
Impact on Reality
Phill Branch is an assistant professor
in the English and Cinema Studies programs at
“Scripted television has an impact on
how people are viewed in society,” Branch said, “In general, diverse
images are good and allow people to see the full spectrum of who we are.
I don't think that helped Obama in any specific way.”
Of all of the movies that have
included black presidents, “Head of State” is Branch’s favorite. He
pointed out that the film was fiction but some of the themes from the
movie parallel Obama’s campaign. “‘Head of State’ was a comedy, but it
addressed real issues about society. I don't think it was any less
serious [of a movie] because it was a comedy,” said Branch.
Yaniel Sargeant, a
To Sargeant, the movie was just a
movie. She never thought that she would see an African-American
president. “When I first saw the movie, I never thought that it would
happen,” said Sargeant. She enjoyed the movie and believed that there
was some truth to the jokes.
“‘Head of State’ opened a door for
Americans to think differently,” Sargeant said, “But Barack’s words and
sincere concern and hope for our nation is what won him the presidency,
not any movie or show.”
The writer is a junior at
