Rachelle Brunn-Bevel | Fairfield University (original) (raw)
Papers by Rachelle Brunn-Bevel
Humanity and Society Special Issue “Beyond Representations: Production, Distribution and Consumption of Racialized Media.”, 2019
A theory on the political economy of image production argues that the U.S. film industry, namely,... more A theory on the political economy of image production argues that the U.S. film industry, namely, Hollywood, prioritizes financial considerations over racial justice or political correctness. Decisions made in the production and marketing processes are to minimize financial
risks, but they often limit the representation of racial– ethnic minority filmmakers and actors. At he same time, Hollywood incorporates foreign-born directors and actors to reach international
audiences. This article assesses how Hollywood’s “going global” impacts local racial–ethnic minority politics in the U.S. film business. As a part of a larger study examining the 100 top- grossing films in the United States from 1995 to 2014, we closely examine films where racial–ethnic minorities comprise the majority of the cast or films where minorities are the lead actors. We argue that the incorporation of foreign-born directors and actors undermines U.S. racial–ethnic
minority filmmakers’ efforts to tell cinematic narratives from a critical perspective. Also, Hollywood fails to pro- mote black films and black actors based on the assumption that they cannot appeal to international audiences, but our findings illustrate that black films directed by black
directors perform well domestically and they show great potential with more support from Hollywood.
Michelle Obama’s Impact on African American Women and Girls, 2018
In 2010, First Lady Michelle Obama launched the Let’s Move! campaign to drastically reduce childh... more In 2010, First Lady Michelle Obama launched the Let’s Move! campaign to drastically reduce childhood obesity within one generation. Concurrently, President Barack Obama formed the first White House Task Force on Childhood Obesity. Obesity is an urgent health issue for many Americans but is particularly problematic for American Indian/Native Alaskan, Black, and Hispanic children. Let’s Move! and the Task Force share five goals: encourage healthy pregnancies and early childhood, empower parents and caregivers to make healthy choices, provide healthy food in schools, improve access to healthy affordable foods in communities, and increase physical activity. This chapter analyzes Let’s Move! literature, Michelle Obama’s speeches and writing, media coverage of the initiative and Task Force reports to assess the initiative’s success in meeting these goals.
We explore the gender gap in college completion among Blacks and Whites. Using the National Educa... more We explore the gender gap in college completion among Blacks and Whites. Using the
National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988, we examine how early school achievement
and educational expectations affect attainment by following a nationally representative
sample of youths from 1988 (approximately age fourteen) to 2000 (approximately age
twenty-six). The odds of attaining an associate’s or a bachelor’s degree among Black
women are greater than the odds among White men after controlling for family
socioeconomic status. However, the difference between Black men and White men is
additionally dependent on differences in middle school and high school achievement and
in high school sequencing.
The examination of student group performance is a constant need as American higher education cont... more The examination of student group performance is a constant need as American higher education continues to expand and become more racially and ethnically diverse. Recent scholarship on the academic performance of Black students at elite colleges and universities has glossed over possible disparities among these students, particularly among different immigrant groups.
Books by Rachelle Brunn-Bevel
Book Reviews by Rachelle Brunn-Bevel
Ethnic and Racial Studies, 2014
Humanity and Society Special Issue “Beyond Representations: Production, Distribution and Consumption of Racialized Media.”, 2019
A theory on the political economy of image production argues that the U.S. film industry, namely,... more A theory on the political economy of image production argues that the U.S. film industry, namely, Hollywood, prioritizes financial considerations over racial justice or political correctness. Decisions made in the production and marketing processes are to minimize financial
risks, but they often limit the representation of racial– ethnic minority filmmakers and actors. At he same time, Hollywood incorporates foreign-born directors and actors to reach international
audiences. This article assesses how Hollywood’s “going global” impacts local racial–ethnic minority politics in the U.S. film business. As a part of a larger study examining the 100 top- grossing films in the United States from 1995 to 2014, we closely examine films where racial–ethnic minorities comprise the majority of the cast or films where minorities are the lead actors. We argue that the incorporation of foreign-born directors and actors undermines U.S. racial–ethnic
minority filmmakers’ efforts to tell cinematic narratives from a critical perspective. Also, Hollywood fails to pro- mote black films and black actors based on the assumption that they cannot appeal to international audiences, but our findings illustrate that black films directed by black
directors perform well domestically and they show great potential with more support from Hollywood.
Michelle Obama’s Impact on African American Women and Girls, 2018
In 2010, First Lady Michelle Obama launched the Let’s Move! campaign to drastically reduce childh... more In 2010, First Lady Michelle Obama launched the Let’s Move! campaign to drastically reduce childhood obesity within one generation. Concurrently, President Barack Obama formed the first White House Task Force on Childhood Obesity. Obesity is an urgent health issue for many Americans but is particularly problematic for American Indian/Native Alaskan, Black, and Hispanic children. Let’s Move! and the Task Force share five goals: encourage healthy pregnancies and early childhood, empower parents and caregivers to make healthy choices, provide healthy food in schools, improve access to healthy affordable foods in communities, and increase physical activity. This chapter analyzes Let’s Move! literature, Michelle Obama’s speeches and writing, media coverage of the initiative and Task Force reports to assess the initiative’s success in meeting these goals.
We explore the gender gap in college completion among Blacks and Whites. Using the National Educa... more We explore the gender gap in college completion among Blacks and Whites. Using the
National Education Longitudinal Study of 1988, we examine how early school achievement
and educational expectations affect attainment by following a nationally representative
sample of youths from 1988 (approximately age fourteen) to 2000 (approximately age
twenty-six). The odds of attaining an associate’s or a bachelor’s degree among Black
women are greater than the odds among White men after controlling for family
socioeconomic status. However, the difference between Black men and White men is
additionally dependent on differences in middle school and high school achievement and
in high school sequencing.
The examination of student group performance is a constant need as American higher education cont... more The examination of student group performance is a constant need as American higher education continues to expand and become more racially and ethnically diverse. Recent scholarship on the academic performance of Black students at elite colleges and universities has glossed over possible disparities among these students, particularly among different immigrant groups.