International Tutors' Magazine February 2019 | Page 18

INTERNATIONAL TUTORS’ MAGAZINE
in January. Its release was revolutionary Social issues in Music
because of its great representation of Many singers and musicians put a lot of
black culture and inclusion of black actors effort into their artistry in 2018, sending
portraying important, developed characters out meaningful messages and dealing
throughout the film - especially the first with controversial issues that encouraged
black superhero in the Marvel universe! discussions among fans. Singer-songwriter
The film also dealt with and prompted the and rapper Childish Gambino released his
significant discussion of what it means to be most radical song yet, “This is America”,
black and the empowerment of minorities. in May. The song tackles the issue of
Another film that changed Hollywood was racism, police brutality and gun violence
the adaptation of Singaporean-American in America. These issues have been growing
author Kevin Kwan’s book Crazy Rich at an alarming rate in the country. Black
Asians, released in August. It marked a Americans are tragically harassed and even
major milestone for Asian representation killed, even as they are unarmed, young, or
because the last time an all-Asian cast was otherwise non-threatening. Studies have
portrayed in an American film
linked implicit racial biases
was in 1993’s The Joy Luck
to the phenomenon of
Musicians
Club. That means it took
police violence, with black
have
been
dealing
25 years for Hollywood
citizens or other people of
to have an Asian take with controversial color unfairly targeted. And
the lead role again. For
in terms of gun violence,
issues.
many people of color,
2018 saw the worst high
the representation of blacks
school shooting in American
and Asians in these films marked a new history where a young man opened fire at
cultural dawning as they finally get to his own school and left 17 students and
see themselves in mainstream films. staff dead. Mass and deadly shootings have
Left: Stars of ground-
breaking films Crazy
Rich Asians and Black
Panther.
Opposite page:
Childish Gambino
released a song
dealing with issues of
racism, connecting to
movements like Black
Lives Matter.
all photos sourced online and labeled for noncommercial reuse
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