RACIAL DISCRIMINATION AGAINST AFRICAN AMERICANS IN THE FILM EMANCIPATION BY ANTOINE FUQUA (2022)

Adela Theresia Manuela Bui

doi:10.33365/linguistics_and_literature.v7i1.1379

Adela Theresia Manuela Bui Universitas Pamulang

DOI: https://doi.org/10.33365/linguistics_and_literature.v7i1.1379

Keywords: African Americans, emancipation, film, racial discrimination, resistance

Abstract

This study examined the representation of racial discrimination and resistance experienced by African Americans as depicted in the film Emancipation (2022). The topic is significant as the film reflects historical and social realities of racial oppression that continue to influence contemporary discussions on race and inequality. The study aimed to identify the forms of racial discrimination portrayed in the film and to explain how the main character, Peter, resisted such discrimination. A descriptive qualitative method was employed, with data collected from selected scenes and dialogues that illustrated acts of oppression and resistance. The analysis revealed that the film depicted two main forms of racial discrimination: individual discrimination, shown through verbal abuse and physical violence, and institutional discrimination, represented by the legalized and systematic practice of slavery. In addition, the findings demonstrated that Peter exhibited several forms of resistance, including refusing submission, escaping captivity, and actively confronting his oppressors. His transformation from an enslaved man into a soldier symbolized not only his personal struggle for freedom but also the collective resistance of African Americans against racial oppression. Overall, the study concluded that Emancipation presented racial discrimination as a deeply rooted system of oppression while emphasizing resistance as a powerful response to injustice and dehumanization.

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