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THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF MAGICAL NEGROES – Michael Abels
Original Review by Jonathan Broxton
In cinematic and literary parlance, a “magical negro” is a stock trope that refers to a supporting black character who often has special insight or displays mystical powers, and who seems to exist only to help the white protagonist in their journey or to solve their problems, often at the expense of their own development and agency. Magical negroes often possess supernatural abilities, deep wisdom, or unusual insights that exceed those of the main (usually white) characters. Their role revolves around assisting the white protagonist, sometimes at personal cost or with little regard for their own story arc, and often lack a fleshed-out backstory, personal aspirations, or development independent of their assistance to the main character. Examples of the “magical negro” trope in cinema include John Coffey in The Green Mile, Dick Hallorann in The Shining, Oda Mae Brown in Ghost, and most notably Bagger Vance in The Legend of Bagger Vance, and many now see those characters as racial stereotypes which perpetuate the idea that black characters exist primarily to aid white characters’ narratives. Read more…
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