Possible Solutions for Racism in Pop Culture

While there will not be an overnight fix to the problem of racism in pop culture, but there are ways to combat it over time. These are some potential solutions to racism that I have come up with.

Boycott 

I think the biggest thing to remember is that the pop culture industry's main goal is to make money. The best way, in my opinion, to make change happen is by cutting the industry off from its life source: money. If there is a movie that casts a white man as a character with a Native-American background, do not go see that movie. Do not buy products from that movie. By actively boycotting that movie, and gaining traction from other people as well, it makes a statement and effects box office numbers, ratings, etc. The same concept can be applied to music. For example, if an artist releases a music video that perpetuates racial stereotypes, disassociate yourself with that artist. Do not spend any money on their merchandise. Do not listen to their music. Without fans, a celebrity is nothing. One person alone will not be able to shift the system. We need to band together in order for that to happen. Which leads me to my next idea...

Post it! 

People like to pretend that race doesn't exist. It seems like people are afraid to talk about race and address that there is a problem unless they're the ones being oppressed. Let's change that! The way to reach the largest audience is through social media. We need to use this tool to our advantage. It's easy to make content go viral and reach millions of people. If you keep posting about issues of race in pop culture, and tagging the people who are at fault (i.e. the casting agencies, specific celebrities, owners of the corporations that produce movies), eventually they will get the message. If enough people are coming together to make their voices heard, eventually changes will be made.

Find Alternatives

If you look hard enough, there are alternatives to the cookie cutter music and movies that are popular in dominant culture. By ignoring the mainstream media and finding media that represents values you hold, represents all races, and promotes equality, you are bettering the problem for yourself. You are refusing to feed into what dominant culture wants you to think and are thinking critical about the message you receive.

A common theme is that enough people need to get on board with these solutions to make them work. Theoretically, these solutions could solve the problems with enough support and a loud enough voice.