Citation/Abstract

The current thesis analyzes the film Glory Road (2006) for representational images, profiles, and symbols that project racial ideology and stereotypes. This research uses a cultural studies framework to establish the criteria defining whether the Black characters in Glory Road are portrayed in a manner consistent with racial ideology and stereotypical profiles. Two categories of racism--direct and inferential--are used to provide a critical reading of the film. I argue that content containing either of these forms aids the marginalization of Blacks, particularly Black athletes. The results of this study support the argument that Glory Road contains content that depicts Blacks and other ethnic minorities as marginalized people. Glory Road and similar films can function as object lessons that demonstrate the power of maintaining and sustaining racist portrayals in its story lines. This study suggests that the failure to express racial equality on film can serve to intensify inequality and racism in the community through the normalization of racial representations. Limitations are addressed and suggestions for future research are provided.