Is it Supernatural or is it Racism?

Supernatural elements have historically been used in films to demonize the Black community in the United States. In multiple class works we have covered, Vodou, zombies, and vampires have been used to represent how supernatural African Americans are along with their beliefs. Three films: Tales from the Hood, Night of the Living Dead, and Blacula all demonstrate how Vodou, zombies, and vampires are used to subjugate the Black community into a sunken place in America. Tales from the Hood is composed of multiple stories, but one of them KKK Comeuppance is about a white, racist, former KKK politician who doesn’t respect Black lives or practices. The house he is staying at is said to have been the site of where a massacre of enslaved people happened and is haunted by the souls of those who were killed. This politician dismisses that and continues to disrespect the community and the people who live in it. In his office, there is a painting of a woman on a rocking chair with dolls surrounding her, Miss Cobbs. Miss Cobbs was said to be the ‘witch’ who put the souls of those killed into the dolls that haunt the house using hoodoo. The dolls along with Miss Cobbs end up killing the racist politician, as they should. However, I think it is important to note how Hoodoo, a spiritual practice that is used among the Black diaspora, is used as a tool for revenge. The practice has been twisted into being supernatural, hence scary.

Similarly, in Night of the Living Dead, zombies are used to representing a wave or the rise of Black people. This film was made during the ’60s, right after the civil rights movement. The main character, Ben, is a strong, Black man who saves everyone in the movie. He, however, ends up shot dead by the police who arrive after the zombies leave the house. There is a line in the movie before he is killed that says something along the lines of killing him, just like the rest of them, referring to the zombies. Ben, despite being the main character, is killed by the police. His struggles and efforts to stay alive and keep the others alive are futile because he is Black. He is treated as a monster or a supernatural being. Lastly, in Blacula, Mamuwalde is a Black vampire with a hunger for blood and women. He falls into the category of a misogynist and perpetuates negative stereotypes of Black men. Instead of bringing representation to Black life, the film uses a supernatural being to exaggerate and discredit the Black community. Supernatural beings are not foreign to Hollywood. They are used to other certain communities and keep white privilege alive.