Marcus Pruitt expected more when viewing a Target commercial, but quickly learned it paid less attention to the accuracy of Black American representation than needed.
Expect more, pay less. Indeed, Target.
“I was watching TV after class one day,” said Marcus Pruitt, a senior journalism major in the School of Communication. “What was meant to be my wind-down time, just infuriated me. The Black family they selected for this commercial was in absolutely no way representative of what a Black family looks like—at least in my experience.”
Pruitt describes the featured family on the commercial as a dark-skinned young daughter with two light-skinned parents.
“I understand that it can happen, but it is absolutely not common. And in terms of representation for the entire Black American spectrum, it is just not accurate.”
Driven by the need to voice his growing concerns, Pruitt turned to his natural outlet—writing. He grabbed the closest notebook and started listing his frustrations surrounding misrepresentation in the media.
“The rest is history,” he added.
Eleven pages and 20 sources later, Pruitt’s disappointments in mainstream media misrepresentation looked back in an academic essay titled The issue of representation from the perspective of a Black American.
“It is a culmination of all my thoughts of representation in the media landscape, most notably after 2020. Today, we are starting to see a lot more representation of Black Americans—but it’s just not quite as it should be. It’s inaccurate. And that is what spurred me to write this piece, because simply put … the media is just wrong.”
Pruitt shared his essay with his network on social media and received a resounding amount of support for his words. Encouraged by the response, he plastered his work to the front doors of Fell Hall, hoping to call attention to the issues at hand. More and more students started to read and comment on his piece.
“It was really cool to hear my friends say they saw someone reading it, but the excitement really started when I got an email from Janice Jayes, an editor with The Public i and instructional assistant professor of history at Illinois State University.
“I saw the essay posted on a building and I felt he had a perspective worth sharing. He brought attention not only to stories that need more coverage, but he illustrated how each case was affected by the larger inequities in representation,” said Jayes.
After making a connection with Jayes, Pruitt worked diligently to modify his piece to meet the specifications of the newspaper. Additionally, he honed in on his experiences particularly in Central Illinois, making connections and ties to the cases of both Jelani Day and Jakai Martin.
“My initial piece was focused on my perspective. And while it was important to share my truth and lived experiences with others, I also felt this pull to talk about how misrepresentation holds the entire Black culture back,” said Pruitt.
“I know it was challenging to trim his early essay into a length that would work in our paper, but he did a great job,” added Jayes.
The final piece, How the issue of representation impacts Central Illinois, was published by The Public I in December 2022.
How media misrepresentation holds back Black culture
“I was excited but relieved to see my words published. I’ve been doing a lot of work surrounding social justice and social-political issues for years. I started in 2020 when the protests broke out and I just want to keep going. And it’s so important that I do.”
As stated in another of Pruitt’s articles, How media misrepresentation holds back Black culture: “The misrepresentation of Black people has transformed throughout the years, but at the core, Black culture is warped or erased in some ways. Whether it’s the inaccurate family dynamics in Euphoria or the open racism towards Black characters in The Sopranos, Black people are often denied access to well-rounded portrayals of themselves in the media. The lack of widespread representation and culture on the same accord has created a fragment within the community, as people have different ideas of who they are and what they stand for as Black people.”
The power of Pruitt’s words are designed to provoke thought and call attention to the inadequacies of representation in the mainstream media—but the truth too, evokes fear.
“It’s definitely scary to put my words out there because what if someone doesn’t agree with me? As a Black man, I have to be very careful. Some readers have challenged my ideas, but it’s never been argumentative in nature. I’m thankful for that.”
Here on Illinois State University’s campus, Pruitt has found his support system—a tight-knit group of friends he feels he can share anything with.
“Throughout my time here at ISU, I’ve discovered that not many people have ideas that match my own. But I’ll stand on my truth no matter what. I’m walking a fine line, but I understand the greater issues at play. And it’s worth it.”
Pruitt proudly carries his passion into the classroom as well. He’s currently enrolled in IDS 121: Exploration of Black Identity in America and ENG 165: Introduction to African American Literature & Culture.
And his reputation preceded him.
“When I walked into ENG 165 this spring, my professor had actually already seen my piece on misrepresentation. On the first day of class during roll call, he called my name and referenced my work in front of everyone. It was pretty cool!”
Likewise, Pruitt has also experienced support and encouragement from the faculty in the School of Communication, citing Dr. John McHale, professor of communication, as one of his inspirations to pursue journalism.
“It is a joy to get to work with conscientious and empowered students like Marcus. The opportunity to get to learn with Marcus and then watch as he uses his skills to highlight how we might become a better community is one of the greatest rewards of my calling to be the best teacher I can be. I have immense appreciation and admiration for the important work Marcus is doing,” said McHale.
Beyond the classroom, Pruitt found a home in WZND, having served as a programming intern initially and then as the assistant music director for the student-run radio station during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I learned a lot about the technicalities of radio and how to put on a show for listeners. The skills from that experience without a doubt transferred into my latest project. About six months ago, I started a YouTube interview series called Conversationalists. I seek out people who have a story to tell—and it’s an outlet for them to speak about their passions.”
Pruitt’s ongoing work contributes to the growing body of academic scholarship.
A host of scholars in the areas of media, rhetoric, and communication studies have examined and published work on racial misrepresentations in the media. Scholars such as Hermann Gray, Robin D.G. Kelley, Robin Means-Coleman, Bell Hooks, Yeidy M. Rivero, and Mark Anthony Neal have all produced scholarship that critiques media (film, news, situational comedy) and explores the history of racialized representation and the inadequacy as well as the dangers these create in the larger public culture for people of color.
Additionally, there are a number of documentaries that trace the problems of racial inequity and inequality historically in the United States through the representations of Black Americans in media. Marlon Riggs’ award-winning documentaries Ethic Notions and Color Adjustment, for example, offer a brilliant historical account to a more current account of racialized images in United States media. It is important that conversations continue about unfair and unjust representations, but it must be done so by building on the work that has already been completed—paying respect to and studying the work from those who have paved the path in mass media critique.
As the Chicagoland native sets his sights on crossing the stage this coming May, Pruitt leaves behind a challenge for the Illinois State University community.
“There’s a lot of work that needs to be done still. I appreciate the efforts that are being made on this campus, but we need to continue to strive to equally and equitably platform Black students. Words are just words, but actions speak louder.”
As he writes in his article, How media misrepresentation holds back Black culture: “If we want to see a culture of proper, authentic representation, it is important to identify cases of misrepresentation and misunderstanding. And after identifying them, we must come to a consensus on how to properly represent Black people in order to drown out the centuries of misrepresentation.”
Here in the School of Communication, we’re committed to expecting more, because paying less attention is not an option. To learn more about the School’s Anti-Racism, Social Justice and Coalition-building Committee, visit our webpage.
To follow Pruitt and the important work he’s doing, visit his Instagram profile and check out his growing online portfolio.
