Bibliography & Proposal. A critic of Kenny Leon's film, American Son.

Annotated Bibliography and Proposal
Students Name
Institutional Affiliation
Tittle: A critic of Kenny Leon's film, American Son.
Background
Racism has been one of the most talked-about topics in today's American society. Among the most affected communities by racism are African Americans. One could assume that racial discrimination used to exists in the colonial era. Still, the sad news is that a substantial number of American citizens are being discriminated against daily as a result of their color or ethnic origins. Various films have been created to bring the issue to the attention of the world. Among them is the American Son, directed by Kenny Leon. Therefore, my research will focus on how the director represents the issue of racism, as presented in the 2019 film, American Son. It is a perfect example of black pop culture.
My research will focus on the roles played by each of the main characters. I will address the message that the characters send to the viewers in regard to racism. For instance, the choice of parents indicates that being born of mixed-race parents in America does not change your identity. The teenager's father is white, but the child is being treated as an African American. The accused cop and the lieutenant are African Americans hence showing the role that the blacks play in the work environment.
Research question
How did Kenny Leon's 2019: American Son represent racism in the current American world?
Research methodology
The film focuses on an interracial couple who reunite in a police station to report about their missing teenage son. The fact that their son is half African puts him in the spotlight of being a suspect in criminal activity due to the nature of questions that suggest racial profiling. Kenny Leon brings out a situation where African American is viewed as criminals regardless of the kind of upbringing that they face. Kendra, the teenager's mother, utters a lot of praise about her son, indicating that she brought him up in the right way, and hence, there is no way he could be a criminal. At some point, the parents point out that their son only has two black friends, who have been raised well. I think this helps in creating the illusion that African Americans deserve to be treated like the rest of the white people, instead of letting their color be the face of criminal activities. A turn of events occurs when the police leash out the news about an incriminating bumper that the son had on the back of the vehicle. The mother claims that Jamal, the son, is being considered as suspect due to his ethnical origin. At the end of the film, it turns out that the lost son was killed in a shoot-out that involved drug dealers. Therefore, this is an indication that no matter how good parents bring up their kids from the African American society, the world already has a misjudged conception about blacks. In addition, the choice of characters is a perfect way of bringing out the issue of racism. Therefore, this will make an ideal choice for my research in covering the issue of racism in America and the black pop culture.
Annotated Bibliography
Legewie, J. (2016). Racial profiling and use of force in police stop: How local events trigger periods of increased discrimination. Ame...