On February 5, 2026, Trump took to Truth Social and, a few days into Black History Month, made a post regarding 2020 voting fraud allegations and election conspiracies. More specifically, the post targeted former President Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama through an AI video depicting their heads on ape bodies in the jungle, accompanied by the song “The Lion Sleeps Tonight” in the background. Amassing over 3.66k likes and 1.14k reposts, the post was removed 12 hours later, and sparked public bipartisan outrage for its ties to stereotypical, clearly documented dehumanizing racist tropes of Black people dating back to before the Jim Crow era. However, Trump dismissed the racist claims and did not issue an apology. When speaking to reporters, he confirmed, “I didn’t make a mistake.”
At a time when racist imagery is still so present and normalized across our forms of public media, even by our own chief executive and the leaders of the country, the Black Student Union’s call to highlight African American representation in media and film could not be any more essential.
The presentation explored the history and roots of these African and African American depictions in the United States, offering a look into the way media, whether it be through music, dance, or film and television, form our social culture. More importantly, the presentation posed the question: Who truly gets to see themselves reflected on screen? And, what warrants representation as “good” versus simply “satisfactory,” or downright “inadequate”?
Marie Djacga ‘27 shared that “as a daughter of African immigrants living in the U.S.,” she struggled with never truly seeing one movie or show that fully captured her experience. She explained that it wasn’t about the lack of portrayals of systemic racism, but a lack of diverse role models. Additionally, seeing histories that often differed from her own left her unsure of “what circles [she] was supposed to be in” and what images she felt she had to fit into in order to feel understood and accepted by the people around her.
“People might not even realize the privilege they have of being represented well in the media, because it tells you that you’re doing something right,” Djacga said. “It’s important to realize how many stories get left behind, and not to categorize people in rigid buckets based on what you see online that don’t capture all of society.” Just because a group of people may be represented doesn’t mean it’s being done correctly. Identity is complex and multifaceted; therefore, it should be welcomed to be widely interpreted and celebrated. But stereotypes are so normalized that we often fail to stop, recognize, and question them. Settling for mere presence, to “token” or sub-par representation, can feed into the problem.
Representation isn’t just about visibility, but understanding, BSU member Sofia Marinucci ‘27 emphasized. One film she especially resonated with was 2018’s The Hate U Give, adapted from author Angie Thomas’ New York Times Bestseller and Printz Honor Winning novel. The Hate U Give follows Starr, a Black teenage girl navigating life at both a predominantly white private school and in her Black neighborhood. She faces racism and the prejudices and biases of both environments. Marinucci honestly sees some of these aspects mirrored in her own life and was originally surprised by its relatability during her first watch. Having gone to predominantly white institutions her whole life as someone of mixed-race, she says she’s “always felt like adjusting parts of [her]self depending on who [she’s] around” and “code-switching” casually. “Seeing that experience on screen made me feel seen in a way I didn’t even realize I needed,” she said. While some may see such stories as “educational,” for many others, it’s “personal” everyday life.
With their presentation, the BSU encourages students to take the time to critically think while consuming the media they watch. They leave us as an audience with four questions: Who made this story? Who benefits from it? Who is being pushed aside? And what stereotypes may be relied on?
