Vermont Humanities
Still image from The Jackie Robinson Story film from 1950. Actors Ruby Dee and Joel Fluellen sit center in bleachers as they interact with other characters.

Representations of Racial Issues in Film: 1945-1960

From “Birth of a Nation” to “Gone With the Wind,” harmful stereotypes of Black life were the rule in Hollywood. After World War II, there was some progress in showing a more realistic picture on the screen, due to the efforts of younger, more progressive Hollywood screenwriters – many of whom wound up on the Hollywood Blacklist.