This afternoon I saw a newly released movie entitled The Soloist. The film starred Robert Downy Jr. who played a Los Angeles Times reporter (Steve Lopez) who wrote articles about Jamie Foxx who acted as a schizophrenic homeless man (Nathanial Ayers) with an incredible talent for the cello. Much of the friendship between these two men took place in the neighborhood outside the Lamp Community Center which provided services to the homeless. When Lopez first cautiously and fearfully drives into this community, the camera bombards viewers with images of violence, drugs and poverty. One distinctive social encounter occurs when a large and muscular Black man aggressively approaches Lopez while flexing his muscles. This intense and angry encounter illustrates one of my many examples outside the Lamp Community Center that show tension between the White protagonist and the Black homeless citizens. While watching these powerful images, I felt upset not only because it probably represents a reality for much of the homeless population in Los Angeles but also because of the stereotypes portrayed in these images. In the first weeks of class, we discussed a chapter in the Uprooting Racism text where Kivel asked questions such as “Do you hold your purse closer to you (lock your car doors, etc.) when you see a man of color approach you?” Kivel wrote about how these habitual reactions result from the stereotypes integrated into our minds through society and media. While The Soloist featured a couple admirable and helpful Black men, the overwhelming portrayal of this group (besides the homeless and mentally ill protagonist) came through images of violence, abuse and aggression. I could not help but to think how these representations shaped the thoughts of the audience. Overall, I felt very mixed reactions to the content and message of the movie. On one hand, it promoted awareness of the staggering poverty that continues to exist in the United States. The film delivered a powerful message about the inequalities in our country, and it certainty impacted my entire family. On the other hand, the film depicted also many scenes of crime and violence that involved primarily Black men and I wonder how these pictures contributed to producing a “fear-based society in which no one feels safe” (Kivel, 66).