Questions to be answered about Pressure (Horace Ove, 1976)

1. What event occurred in the 1970s and 1980s that represent the presence of racial tensions?

Pressure was released "in the wake of Black exploitation cinema's peak, well after the political impact of the genre's early films had been softened by formulaic storylines, in an attempt to appeal, as the studios saw it, to a broader mainstream audience". Black exploitation films, like Pressure, were "seeking to carve a niche for themselves within the system, not trying to overthrow or transform it". 

BBC website on Race in the 1980s: The riots of 1981 were largely sparked by racial issues. In Brixton, the spiritual home of Britain's afro-Caribbean community, youths rioted amid resentment that the police were targeting more and more young black men in the belief that it would stop street crime. Similar riots followed in Liverpool and the Midlands. The subsequent Scarman Report found that "racial disadvantage is a fact of current British life".

2. Why do you think Pressure was made?

I think it was made because it was able to show how unjust people are to the black population. It shows how prejudiced and racist they can be and as it is told from a Black person's perspective it seems like he is speaking for the rest of the Black population and is  rising up to get their story heard, so that they can finally feel a part of Britain and not just classed as "foreigners" and "outcasts".

3. What examples of racism are represented in Pressure?

A lot of racism and prejudice is shown through the police. They are shown to stop mainly only black people, seem to always be suspicious of them and never seem to believe them only thinking that they are liars. Also, the fact that Tony has been rejected by so many employers after he has had an interview just because he's black because he is qualified for the jobs he applies to. Racism is shown again when Tony's white friend invites him into her flat but the landlady wants him to leave straight away because he is black she thinks he is 'trouble'.

4. How does the theme of collective identity come across in Pressure?

The Black people in the film all come together to help each other out, for example, they steal together and share food as they are just all trying to survive. They are becoming more and more united in the film, especially during the 'Black Power' meeting as they all share the same views and want to fight for their place in England as it is theirs as well now. Tony joins the 'Black Power' group but it took him a while to get to that position as he felt before he didn't fit in with them as he was born here in England and had an English education so he felt it already was his home and he didn't see himself as an outcast.

5. How do you think Pressure differs from mainstream representations of Black Britons?

I think the film shows how the Black population were really feeling at that time, for example, isolation, loneliness and foreigners. The film had a Black director which would have highly influenced the way it represented Black people. I think that the film differs from mainstream representations of Black Britons by showing that they didn't want to just "fit in" and be like the English people living there, they had their own culture and they want to celebrate that and keep to their own traditions.

Notes on 'Pressure' (Horace Ove, 1976)

• British food - fry up - typical 'English' Breakfast
• Reggae music played past the shop
• Breakfast similar to Trinidad - avocado/zaboca (what the 'natives' call it)
• Tension between the two brothers and their identity (Breakfast scene, eating different food, eating differently - knife and fork compared to slicing the avocado with a knife in your hand
• Different taste in music
• Different sides of the table
• Never got a job before
• "Not like us. He born here" - Different
• Just because he's black he wasn't born in England
• Tony doesn't understand why he didn't get the jobs before
• The interviewer assumes Tony has been in trouble with the police before because he's black
• The white interviewers stare at Tony when he coughs
• Song playing over the noise 'Mother sent me to a World so unfriendly'
• English education should sort you out for your life
• 'Bill Haley times'
• Meeting about black people, instead Tony goes to the 'Bird's Nest' with his white friends
• Reggae music played during the black power meeting
• English education keeps black children "suppressed and blind to what is going on"
• Bitterness, hatred and anger results from the system
• Chicken and chips
• Land Lady chucks out Tony because he's black but doesn't say it herself, she implies it
• Black people accused of 'rape' towards white women
• Tony says 'pate' instead of 'pattie'
• Black person is arrested for carrying an 'afro-comb' as it looks like an "offensive weapon"
• Brother Colin wants Tony to 'think Black'
• Individualism is a white man's desire
• Colour, culture, Collectiveness = Blackness
• "Black people dress up, kneel and beg the white man (Jesus) for forgiveness
• Drive all black thoughts from your heart and replace them with white good ones
• Black people already 'Under all that pressure' - then the police always pick them up off the street
• "To the white man, every black man look the same"

Prezi and Researched Media Texts

1. What links all the media texts together?

All of them portray the real lives of some people in Britain today. The older films showed how people experienced racism back then and the newer films show how it can still happen today and that there is still some unnecessary racial violence. The music is all linked together in some way, they all sing from their experiences and are fighting for the minority that are still rejected by society.

2. How are the media texts representative of the changing landscape of Black Britain? (past, present and future)

I think it does show that there is a rapidly changing landscape of Black Britain, there may still be some inequalities and racial tension but those divides aren't as big as they used to be. For example, Professor Green and Dizzee Rascal have completely different backgrounds and skin colours but they have the same values and show that through their music and they are representing the Black British culture. All the films have shown some kind of truth that society tries to ignore and keep hidden, which is why the films have been created to show that something needs to be done in the future, for everyone to be equal.

'What is Black British Culture?' programme

I learnt from the radio programme that many people are still are unsure what their identity is, it seemed like even though they were raised or born in England they still may have said they were from another country because of their parents nationality. Someone in the extract stated “I don’t want to put myself in a box because of the colour of my skin”. I agree with this statement because we judge people based on the colour of their skin before we know their background. There were things mentioned that were associated with being ‘Black British’, for example, chicken, rice, hip hop, rnb, ghetto, urban, reggae and their language. Also their ‘fashion’ was talked about. There was a black style that was about how black people in Britain had helped to shape their identity by using ‘Black’ clothes. 

During the Windrush years when black people started to come over to England they believed that they were going to be welcomed over to their ‘Motherland’ but found that their reception was less than friendly. Britain used to have a huge empire even though those countries have gained their own independence; there are still close links which leads to mass immigration to the UK. During the middle of the 20^th century those people from other countries wanted to come over to Britain as an opportunity and to help with the labour demands as Britain had had many casualties after the Second World War. When the immigrants came over they expected there to be a better quality of life but they found they were living in crowded accommodation as other accommodation wasn’t available to West Indians. Back then black people weren’t allowed into certain venues so they found other ways of entertaining themselves and socialising even though black people were “few and far between”; it was the beginning of a Black British culture. West Indians would always try to be involved wherever there was music, they were good dancers and they became central attractions and found a small place in the community.

‘Jamaican Patois’ or ‘patwa’ was and is a popular symbol of black identity, it’s a dialect and shows how they would talk to one another, many people changed the way they spoke to sound more British. Black British can be defined as who you are, your nationality, and your parent’s background. Many Black British learned the British culture but at the same time they didn’t want to lose their own individuality. “Garms” is a shortened version for ‘garments’. Even though there was a resistance towards the Black people who wanted to keep their pride and individuality, they wore their clothes as a way of saying the white people that they were here to stay and they should get over it.

The second/new generation, those born in the UK, brought a new way of living. Whereas the first generation’s roots were mainly with their home country, this generation were beginning to mix the two together – they wanted to mix with all the other cultures. In tandem there was a need to be fashionable, to be part of the 60s revolution, the Jackson 5, a lot of young people were conscious of the politics. British culture was influenced by the clothes worn by the black culture. Those who mixed their cultures were proud to say they were black and British. Many black hip hop artists are mixing their culture references, for example, 50 cent and Jay-Z. Many think that their culture and style has crossed the race line and has just become ‘style’. However, some people are worried that original references aren’t acknowledged.

In 2003, Channel 4 showed a documentary called “Black like Beckham”. It stated that Beckham was not only the black community’s greatest icon; he was also Britain’s most famous black man because of his lifestyle. Those who borrow from black culture are often accused of ‘acting black’ (talking with the slang, walking with the bop, the attitude). ‘Black’ has been associated with being naturally loud, being rude, wearing big earrings, being all loud, angry/aggressive, these are all stereotypical things and clearly they are not all like that.

There are still gaps in the racial lines. Recent government stats show that more white defendants were found guilty than black defendants in 81% of the crown court cases. But more black offenders were sent to prison. In terms of education, latest figures show that black boys are underachieving in comparison to their white counterparts. People have associated Black British with things such as gang members, drug dealers and those people that hang round on the street. Young Black people find that people judge you by your colour not by your character. There are negative views in the media towards black people which doesn’t help with racial stereotypes and prejudices.

One black youth said: “It’s got nothing to do with the colour of our skin how well we do in school; it’s got to do with the fact that gun crime, drugs and alienation are all symptoms of poverty. Young black people feel alienated because there is a lack of positive stereotypes, there is a lack of positive representation in media. They are constantly hitting a barrier, constantly seeing themselves demonised. They begin to believe the negative stereotypes because of their skin.”

Weak people will be influenced by anything. Music has been criticised for having a bad influence. It shouldn’t be called black music because everyone listens to it. The more there is a divide between what we call black and what we call white the longer the divide between the two races leading to more racial tensions.

Notting Hill Race Riots Radio Extract 1958

Who is being represented?

I think that there are two races being represented in this extract and they are Black and White. We can guess that the Radio DJ is a white man from his language and how articulate he is, but it doesn't seem like he is making his own opinion on the subject, he is showing two sides: one from the Black population and one from the White population.   

What is being represented?

I think the racial tension and racial violence and the riots of Notting Hill are being represented in this extract. However, the riots are only briefly mentioned as the extract mainly talks of opinions differing. It also mainly talks of the reason behind the race riots in Notting Hill being due to mass inter-breeding leading to a "mulatto Britain" which apparently the White population doesn't want. The Radio DJ makes it clear that this is not the opinion for Britain as a whole.

How is the representation constructed? (Communicated?)

The white man spoke of 'evils of the coloured invasion' instantly communicating his representation and opinion of black people. The white man's message was that they believe in preventing the evils which must resolve from mass-coloured immigration by removing the problem completely and they believe in doing that by blind violence. The black people do not care for mass inter-breeding and are determined that Britain will never be kept white for they are here now. The Radio DJ ends the extract with "A unity of heritage that will still be there when the feuds and furies of today have been long forgotten". This suggests that the Radio DJ doesn't believe in the feuds and thinks that everyone should get along which could be why he got two opinions from different sides and stated that "opinions differ" suggesting that these aren't the only opinions. Some people would be happy to inter-breed.

The Windrush Years Part 15

- 1976 during the Notting Hill Carnival, Black children fought back to the police

- People found Bob Marley’s music strengthening

- His music captured everything that the black people were feeling

- Marley was a Rastafarian. Rastafarianism and Reggae was seen as defiance

- There was a revolutionary thought at the time that God was a black man

- A march in Lewisham 1977 ended in a battle that the police were caught in the middle of

The Windrush Years Part 14

- Police were still racist

- They would raid a Caribbean restaurant just because there were black people inside

- Black people began to afraid of the police even more than the teddy boys

- They were arrested often over nothing

- They were always stopped and searched

- The police felt that were fighting against a rising tide of black criminality

- Black people were 15x more likely to be convicted than white people

- Black children’s parents were more likely to side with the police

- Black parents began to realise that police were biased and so resentment towards them grew