Examples of "Black Buck" in Media
D.W. Griffith's Birth of a Nation is perhaps one of the most well-known examples of the use of the "Black Buck" stereotype in the media. In the film, a former slave named Gus (described by the filmmaker as "a renegade, a product of the vicious doctrines spread by the carpetbaggers") attempts to chase down (and, apparently, rape) a white woman named Flora.
Rather than allow herself to be assaulted by Gus, she throws herself to her death. A spiral of events occurs which then culminates with a state militia (led by the mulatto protégé of a local Congressman) clashes with the Ku Klux Klan (portrayed by the film as heroic figures), with the Klan being ultimately victorious.
The film sparked a national uproar, from whites who feared the film's events to be prophetic truth, and from blacks who were horrified by the portrayal of their race. The film was largely responsible for the resurgence of the Ku Klux Klan during the early 20th century.
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