Origins of the Magical “Exceptional” Negro Concept

By Rev. Dr. Philippe SHOCK Matthews

I haven’t yet seen this movie. Still, I remember seeing the trailer in the theater and saying to myself, “Oh shit, here we go again!” In a recent interview with David Allen Grier on the Breakfast Club, he mentioned his latest movie project, The American Society of Magical Negroes Movie 2024. (Power, 2024)

As per information from Wikipedia, “The American Society of Magical Negroes” is a comedy film released in 2024, written, directed, and produced by Kobi Libii in his first directorial effort. The cast includes Justice Smith, David Alan Grier, An-Li Bogan, Drew Tarver, Michaela Watkins, Aisha Hinds, Tim Baltz, Rupert Friend, and Nicole Byer.

The movie debuted at the Sundance Film Festival on January 19, 2024, and later had a theatrical release by Focus Features in the United States on March 15, 2024. (Wikipedia Contributors, 2024)

STORYLINE:

A young African-American man named Aren displays his yarn sculpture at an art gallery but faces disappointment as no one shows interest in purchasing it. The gallery owner, who is white, suggests that he try selling his work to a specific white patron. However, the patron mistakes Aren for a waiter and hands him an empty glass. Despite this, Aren remains respectful and takes the glass without complaint. Later, he shares his experience with an African-American bartender named Roger at a nearby bar, who sympathizes with him.

Aren discards his yarn sculpture in the garbage behind the gallery before heading home. He withdraws money from an ATM and encounters a young intoxicated white woman who seeks his assistance, alleging issues with the machine. As he holds her purse, her card becomes stuck in the ATM, leading to her screaming for help. Subsequently, two white men approach Aren with the intention of attacking him. Fortunately, Roger intervenes, miraculously returning the purse to the woman and diffusing the situation by suggesting a nearby barbecue restaurant to all three individuals.

Roger offers Aren a job and brings him to a gathering of “The American Society of Magical Negroes,” a clandestine organization of African Americans dedicated to ensuring the safety of Black individuals by making white people feel more at ease. At the meeting, Aren witnesses a magical demonstration led by Society member Gabbard, showcasing historical instances where a Black man from the 1920s boosts the confidence of a struggling white pool champion and a Black prisoner on Death Row from the 1950s expresses gratitude to a white guard for a harmonica, ultimately bestowing fertility upon the guard to help him reclaim his sense of manhood. Subsequently, Roger mentors Aren by tasking him with accompanying a reserved white police officer named Miller to a trendy dance club.

Aren accidentally bumps into a young woman of color named Lizzie, who is not African-American, at a coffee shop. He apologizes by offering to buy her a new coffee to replace the one he spilled and engages in some light-hearted flirting. However, his pocket-watch from the Society signals him to leave. Roger assigns him the task of providing support to a despondent white man named Jason, who is employed at “Meetbox,” an online social networking platform. Aren begins working at the company and discovers that Lizzie is also an employee there.

Aren starts to have romantic feelings for Lizzie, but he realizes that Jason, who refers to Lizzie as his “work wife,” may also harbor feelings for her. During another chance encounter with Lizzie, a piece of jewelry with the inscription “SOSWAG” falls from her purse.

Reports from the news media surface, indicating that the facial recognition software used at Meetbox encounters difficulties in identifying Black individuals. Mick, the British founder of Meetbox, organizes a virtual meeting with the company’s employees to address this issue and implement some cosmetic enhancements to the software.

Lizzie also starts to have romantic feelings for Aren, but Roger instructs Aren to suppress his emotions and focus on advancing Jason’s career and love life by encouraging a relationship between Jason and Lizzie, mirroring a situation Roger once experienced himself. Masterson, the direct supervisor of Jason and Aren, selects Jason to participate in a significant online presentation with Mick, the founder, despite Lizzie being the one who developed the project.

Aren is assigned to assist Jason with the presentation but decides to defy this directive. In front of a global audience tuning in to the presentation, he boldly challenges Jason, who had previously mentioned that Aren was included to bring diversity to the presentation. Aren criticizes this statement and reveals that he has faced lifelong struggles in a society that has rejected him, only recently coming to terms with his sense of belonging. Jason, Masterson, and Mick watch in astonishment at Aren’s outburst.

Aren locates Lizzie and they share a kiss before he transports her magically to the Empire State Building. Suddenly, he vanishes, called back to the Society headquarters. DeDe, the leader of the Society who once possessed the ability to levitate magically, now finds herself unable to do so as Aren’s departure from his assignment has caused a disruption in the Society’s magical abilities. Consequently, DeDe decides to expel him from the Society.

Roger attempts to magically erase all of Aren’s memories related to the recent events, but the spell fails as the magic is beginning to weaken. Aren’s actions have incited a sense of defiance among other members of the Society. For instance, a farm worker refuses to assist a white farmer, and an executive who previously engaged in inappropriate behavior by touching a white executive’s crotch now demands that his own crotch be touched as well.

Aren discovers that Lizzie has returned to Los Angeles and they mend their relationship. However, in the final scene, Lizzie enters a hair salon and uses a hidden entrance to access her own secret society known as “SOSWAG,” which stands for “Society of Supportive Wives and Girlfriends.” (Wikipedia Contributors, 2024)

It Began With Spike Lee

The movie trailer synopsis says The American Society Of Magical Negroes is a fresh and satirical comedy that draws inspiration from the “magical negro” stereotype prevalent in American cinema and television during the 20th Century. This trope was initially identified and criticized by filmmaker Spike Lee. In a twist on this stereotype, The American Society Of Magical Negroes tells the story of a young man named Aren, who is invited to join a clandestine group of magical Black individuals devoted to a significant cause: ensuring the comfort of white people. Initially captivated by his newfound abilities, Aren begins to question the merit of using supernatural powers to fulfill a lifelong obligation.

The expansive trailer of the comedy hints at a narrative centered around a character named Aren (played by Justice Smith), who is introduced into a covert group of magical Black individuals committed to a crucial mission: simplifying the lives of white individuals. Alongside Smith, the film features David Alan Grier and Nicole Byer as fellow members of this clandestine organization, with additional roles played by An-Li Bogan, Drew Tarver, Michaela Watkins, and Rupert Friend (BET, 2023).

With magical negro movies such as Driving Miss Daisy, The Green Mile, Bagger Vance, The Help, and more, the magical negro trope was coined during a visit to Yale in 2001 to promote his movie “Bamboozled,” where renowned director Spike Lee coined the phrase “magical, mystical negro” to describe a saintly Black character designed solely to enrich the lives of white people. (BET, 2023) He strongly criticized the persistence of stereotypical portrayals of African Americans in contemporary films and television. Lee emphasized the detrimental impact of images on society, stating that his film explored this theme. Lee’s remarks were made to an audience of over 200 students at the Calhoun College dining hall (Gonzalez, 2001).

Spike Lee first used the term “Magical Negro” in 2001 during a talk at a Yale campus visit, where he criticized the portrayal of Black characters in films like “The Legend of Bagger Vance,” “The Family Man,” and “The Green Mile” as having powers that benefit white people (Brea Shanice, 2024), (Gonzalez, 2001). However, more than two decades later, this stereotype has become the creative spark behind the actor-writer-director Kobi Libii’s satirical first film, “The American Society of Magical Negroes” (BET, 2023).

The release of the trailer for his first film, “The American Society of Magical Negroes,” in December led to an unexpected social media backlash for writer and director Kobi Libii and his cast. Some responses seemed to stem from mistaken expectations, like a viewer anticipating a Black “Harry Potter” adaptation and feeling surprised. (Ronda Racha Penrice, 2024) One reviewer commented, “The American Society of Magical Negroes falls short of its magical concept” (Coggan, 2024).

According to BlackTraumaGPT.com, “The “Magical Negro” is a term that describes a recurring trope in American cinema and literature, where a Black character, often with special insight or mystical powers, comes into the life of the primarily white protagonist to offer guidance, wisdom, or even physical protection without any personal motivation or backstory. This character’s role is typically to help the white protagonist overcome obstacles, grow personally, or achieve goals. The “Magical Negro” character is not fully developed; their existence is largely centered around the needs of the white characters rather than their own narrative or development.

Critics of the trope argue that it perpetuates a narrow and stereotypical view of Black people, reducing them to one-dimensional saviors whose primary purpose is to support white characters’ journeys. This criticism points to a broader pattern of racial stereotyping and marginalization in media and literature. The trope fails to provide Black characters with their own stories or complexities, thus denying them the fullness of humanity afforded to their white counterparts.

The term was popularized by film director Spike Lee, who critiqued the Hollywood tendency to utilize Black characters in such a limited and servile manner. His critique invites audiences and creators alike to reflect on the implications of these portrayals and to strive for more nuanced and equitable representations of Black individuals in media.

In addressing the “Magical Negro” concept, it’s crucial to consider the broader context of racial representation in media. This includes recognizing the power of media to shape perceptions and the importance of challenging stereotypes by promoting diverse, complex portrayals of Black characters. Engaging with works by Black filmmakers, writers, and creators who offer authentic and multifaceted representations of Black life is a positive step toward dismantling stereotypes and enriching cultural narratives.

By fostering discussions that highlight the importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion in media representation, we can contribute to a more nuanced understanding and appreciation of the rich tapestry of Black experiences and identities. This, in turn, can play a role in healing from the collective trauma inflicted by centuries of racial stereotyping and marginalization. (BlackTraumaGPT, 2024)

5 Examples of the Magical Negro in Cinema

1. Morgan Freeman in “The Shawshank Redemption” (1994): Freeman’s character, Red, serves as a wise, calming presence who aids the white protagonist, Andy Dufresne, in coping with life in prison and eventually escaping.

2. Will Smith in “The Legend of Bagger Vance” (2000): Smith plays Bagger Vance, a mystical golf caddy who appears to help a struggling white golfer find his game and himself.

3. Michael Clarke Duncan in “The Green Mile” (1999): Duncan’s character, John Coffey, is a death row inmate with supernatural healing abilities. He predominantly uses these abilities to dramatically affect the lives of the white guards and inmates around him.

4. Whoopi Goldberg in “Ghost” (1990): Goldberg’s character, Oda Mae Brown, is a psychic who helps the white protagonist communicate with his love interest after his death.

5. Laurence Fishburne in “The Matrix” (1999): Fishburne’s character, Morpheus, serves as a wise mentor guiding the white protagonist, Neo, to his destiny.

These films, while popular and critically acclaimed, have been critiqued for their use of this trope. The characters often lack their own narrative arc and exist primarily to support the white protagonist’s journey. Recognizing these patterns is crucial for understanding how media representation can influence perceptions and for advocating for more multifaceted portrayals of black individuals in film and literature. This is particularly important in the context of black mental health, as positive and diverse representations can play a significant role in shaping self-image and community identity.  (BlackTraumaGPT, 2024)

The Exceptional Negro Syndrome

Similar to the exceptional negro syndrome, (D. O’Neal, 2018) the Magical Negro concept, also referred to as Magic Negro or Mystical Negro, is rooted in 2nd frequency, white-dominated cinema. In American cinema, the Magical Negro is a recurring supporting character who aids white protagonists in films. These characters, often possessing unique insight or mystical abilities, have been a longstanding tradition in American fiction. 

Given their profound spiritual insight and occasional supernatural abilities, one might question why the Magical Negro doesn’t take charge and resolve the situation independently. However, this scenario is unlikely to occur. The Magical Negro is portrayed as so enlightened and altruistic that they have no interest in seeking recognition for themselves; their sole aim is to assist those seeking guidance, typically individuals traditionally cast as protagonists by Hollywood, rather than their own oppressed community. (D. O’Neal, 2018)

Critics use the term “Negro” deliberately to highlight its outdated nature in contemporary English, emphasizing that portraying a “magical black character” who selflessly aids white individuals harkens back to harmful stereotypes such as “Sambo” or “noble savage.” (“Magical Negro,” 2022).

Many Americans believe in the existence of the Magical Negro, and recent studies on superhumanization bias indicate that attributing magical powers to Black individuals can lead to serious repercussions. Current research represents the initial systematic empirical exploration of superhumanization, which involves assigning supernatural, extrasensory, and mystical mental and physical traits to humans. Through five studies, the hypothesis that White Americans tend to superhumanize Black individuals compared to White individuals has been tested and confirmed. In an article on the topic, researchers write that “a subtler form of dehumanization of blacks persists [that] increases endorsement of police brutality against blacks … and reduces altruism toward blacks.”(Muise, 2015) According to their research, this superhumanization bias shapes white people’s perceptions of black people (Peterson, 2015).

The Magical Negro trope is criticized for perpetuating racial stereotypes and reducing Black characters to supporting roles for white protagonists (Washington & Washington, 2015). The origin of this trope can be traced back to films where Black characters were portrayed as mystical, possessing innate wisdom, and existing solely to serve the needs of white characters (Hughey, 2009). This trope is part of a broader pattern in cinema known as “White Savior” films, where racial stereotypes are used to structure interracial interactions, with one character working to redeem another (Hughey, 2012).

The Magical Negro trope is a problematic representation that overlooks the historical systemic oppression of Black individuals by white people (Kosciesza, 2022). It is a form of racial stereotyping that portrays Black characters as existing solely to support and uplift white characters, reinforcing power dynamics and racial hierarchies (Haider, 2019). This trope is evident in various movies where Black characters are depicted as possessing mystical qualities and serving as a source of wisdom for white protagonists (Barbour, 2015).

In conclusion, the Magical Negro trope is a harmful stereotype in cinema that reduces Black characters to one-dimensional roles meant to assist white characters. Its origins lie in a history of racial stereotyping and systemic oppression, perpetuating harmful narratives about race and reinforcing power imbalances between different racial groups.

Enjoy the trailer “The American Society of Magical Negroes Movie Trailer 2024” and enjoy decoding the movie! The American Society of Magical Negroes Trailer #1 (2024)

I’m not sure if I will go and see this movie regardless of the new plot twist and diversity but let me know in the comments what you think if you have seen it and what movies or TV shows have you seen over the years that remind you of the American society of magical negroes.

Hashtag: 

• #TheAmericanSocietyOfMagicalNegroes

Official Website:

• https://www.theamericansocietyofmagicalnegroesmovie.ca/

Recommended Reading:

• The American society of magical negroes, 2024: Unmasking the power within: a journey of hidden magic and black resistance https://amzn.to/48ZardJ 
• THE AMERICAN SOCIETY OF MAGICAL NEGROES 2024: Unveiling the Most Anticipated Comedy Movie in March, Knowing About All the Casts & Their Roles, The Film’s Impacts & Controversies https://amzn.to/3VlM0E0 

References:

Barbour, C. (2015). When captain america was an indian: heroic masculinity, national identity, and appropriation. The Journal of Popular Culture, 48(2), 269-284. https://doi.org/10.1111/jpcu.12256 

Haider, M. (2019). The racialization of the muslim body and space in hollywood. Sociology of Race and Ethnicity, 6(3), 382-395. https://doi.org/10.1177/2332649219885982 

Hughey, M. (2009). Cinethetic racism: white redemption and black stereotypes in “magical negro” films. Social Problems, 56(3), 543-577. https://doi.org/10.1525/sp.2009.56.3.543 

Hughey, M. (2012). Racializing redemption, reproducing racism: the odyssey of magical negroes and white saviors. Sociology Compass, 6(9), 751-767. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1751-9020.2012.00486.x 

Kosciesza, A. (2022). The moral service of trans npcs: examining the roles of transgender non-player characters in role-playing video games. Games and Culture, 18(2), 189-208. https://doi.org/10.1177/15554120221088118 

OpenAI. (2024). ChatGPT [Large language model]. https://chat.openai.com/share/52bf9d65-ff34-4252-b7b2-24a887b9b8a8 

BET. (2023, December 15). Exclusive: Take A Look at The New Trailer For “The American Society of Magical Negroes,” Director Kobi Libii Talks His Debut Film. BET; BET. https://www.bet.com/article/2j66tj/the-american-society-of-magical-negroes-director-kobi-libii-talks-his-deb ut-film-being-inspired-by-spike-lee-and-stepping-behind-the-cameraBlackTraumaGPT. (2024). ChatGPT. Openai.com. https://chat.openai.com/share/52bf9d65-ff34-4252-b7b2-24a887b9b8a8Braxton 

Peterson , J. (2015, July). Why We Need to Stop Talking About the “Magical Negro” | Perception Institute. Perception Institute. https://perception.org/featured/why-we-need-to-stop-talking-about-the-magical-negro/

Brea Shanice.   (2024, January 3). (Hopefully) Waving Goodbye to the Trope of the Magical Negro | Unwinnable. Unwinnable | Videogames & Geek Culture. https://unwinnable.com/2024/01/03/hopefully-waving-goodbye-to-the-trope-of-the-magical-negro/

Coggan,  D. (2024, January 20). “American Society of Magical Negroes” doesn’t live up to magical premise. EW.com. https://ew.com/american-society-of-magical-negroes-review-sundance-film-festival-8546840D. 

O’Neal, T. (2018, April 12). The Exceptional Negro: Racism, White Privilege and the Lie of Respectability Politics: O’Neal, Traci D: 9781732031500: Amazon.com: Books. Amazon.com. O’Neal, T. (2018, April 12). The Exceptional Negro: Racism, White Privilege and the Lie of Respectability Politics: O’Neal, Traci D: 9781732031500: Amazon.com: Books. Amazon.com. https://amzn.to/43pPR4T 

Gonzalez, S. (2001, March 2). Yale Bulletin and Calendar. Yale.edu. http://archives.news.yale.edu/v29.n21/story3.html

Muise, A. (2015). Good, Giving, and Game:  The Relationship Benefits of Communal Sexual Motivation – Amy Muise, Emily A. Impett, 2015. Social Psychological and Personality Science. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/1948550614553641

Power, C. (2024). David Alan Grier Talks “Magical Negroes”, Comedy Competition, In Living Color + More [YouTube Video]. In YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H-Tc1XaZtCI

Ronda Racha Penrice. (2024, March 15). “American Society of Magical Negroes” cast and director say not to judge the film by its trailer. NBC News; NBC News. https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/american-society-magical-negroes-cast-director-rcna142823

Rotten Tomatoes Trailers. (2023). The American Society of Magical Negroes Trailer #1 (2024) [YouTube Video]. In YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N-24YGCTEis

Wikipedia Contributors. (2024, March 18). The American Society of Magical Negroes. Wikipedia; Wikimedia Foundation. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_American_Society_of_Magical_Negroes 

Washington, P. and Washington, D. (2015). Film review. Humanity & Society, 39(3), 351-353. https://doi.org/10.1177/0160597615584478