Fresh Prine of Bel Air
Jacob Mata
English 1302.711
Professor Kaplan
April 12, 2013
Fresh Prince of Bel Air The Fresh Prince of Bel Air is about a young man named Will who is sent to live in Beverly Hills with his rich aunt and uncle who already have three children. Will is sent to live in Beverly Hills because his mother does not want him to be raised in a neighborhood full of crime and low life. She feels that he stands a better chance of a better education and life with people that have money and were educated. Will’s mother expected him to become respectful, responsible, and mature. The show deals with his life experiences as a young African American who is just trying to get by life and school. He also deals with similar teenage experiences that occur today. The show stays interesting because Will brings a bit of his neighborhood soul and street smarts to the Banks family. He teaches them what he has learned and they teach him how rich, high society people should act. In every episode, Will brings them back to reality, his old life experiences. He teaches them that money isn’t everything In return, the Banks teach him a few things that highly educated people have experienced. Although Fresh Prince of Bel Air has real world life experiences, the show portrays how African Americans during the 1990’s were rising and beginning to take status in society. They were getting educated just like any other person. Television producers were making a statement to society; African Americans were no longer staying behind educationally. Although African Americans were getting educated and climbing the latter of success, discrimination still existed. In the 1980’s Molefi Kete Asante published a book, “Afrocentricity” this book was based on the idea that looking at information from, “a black perspective” as opposed to the norm, “the white perspective”. Afrocentricity: The theory of social concept. It points out the black ideas and values. African Americans began reaching
English 1302.711
Professor Kaplan
April 12, 2013
Fresh Prince of Bel Air The Fresh Prince of Bel Air is about a young man named Will who is sent to live in Beverly Hills with his rich aunt and uncle who already have three children. Will is sent to live in Beverly Hills because his mother does not want him to be raised in a neighborhood full of crime and low life. She feels that he stands a better chance of a better education and life with people that have money and were educated. Will’s mother expected him to become respectful, responsible, and mature. The show deals with his life experiences as a young African American who is just trying to get by life and school. He also deals with similar teenage experiences that occur today. The show stays interesting because Will brings a bit of his neighborhood soul and street smarts to the Banks family. He teaches them what he has learned and they teach him how rich, high society people should act. In every episode, Will brings them back to reality, his old life experiences. He teaches them that money isn’t everything In return, the Banks teach him a few things that highly educated people have experienced. Although Fresh Prince of Bel Air has real world life experiences, the show portrays how African Americans during the 1990’s were rising and beginning to take status in society. They were getting educated just like any other person. Television producers were making a statement to society; African Americans were no longer staying behind educationally. Although African Americans were getting educated and climbing the latter of success, discrimination still existed. In the 1980’s Molefi Kete Asante published a book, “Afrocentricity” this book was based on the idea that looking at information from, “a black perspective” as opposed to the norm, “the white perspective”. Afrocentricity: The theory of social concept. It points out the black ideas and values. African Americans began reaching
Cited: Schiele, J. H. "Afrocentricity: Implications for Higher Education." Journal of Black Studies 25.2 (1994): 150-69. Print. http://theafrocentricexperience.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=129&Itemid=138