Stereotypes of African Americans
Stereotypes of African Americans are misleading beliefs about the culture of people with partial or total ancestry from any black racial groups of Africa whose ancestors resided in the United States since before 1865, largely connected to the racism and the discrimination to which African Americans are subjected. These beliefs date back to the slavery of black people during the colonial era and they have evolved within American society.
The cover of an 1832 edition of the sheet music of Jump Jim Crow, which depicts a stereotyped African-American who is named Jim Crow
Detail from cover of The Celebrated Negro Melodies, as Sung by the Virginia Minstrels, 1843
This reproduction of a 1900 William H. West minstrel show poster, originally published by the Strobridge Litho Co., shows the transformation from "white" to "black."
Racist 1900s postcard, captioned: "Alligator bait, Florida"
In social psychology, a stereotype is a generalized belief about a particular category of people. It is an expectation that people might have about every person of a particular group. The type of expectation can vary; it can be, for example, an expectation about the group's personality, preferences, appearance or ability. Stereotypes are often overgeneralized, inaccurate, and resistant to new information. A stereotype does not necessarily need to be a negative assumption. They may be positive, neutral, or negative.
An 18th-century Dutch engraving of the peoples of the world
Police officers buying doughnuts and coffee, an example of perceived stereotypical behavior in North America
An antisemitic 1873 caricature depicting the stereotypical physical features of a Jewish male
A magazine feature from Beauty Parade from March 1952 stereotyping women drivers. It features Bettie Page as the model.
