Black Buck


In post-Reconstruction United States, Black Buck was a racial slur used to describe a certain type of African American men. In particular, the caricature was used to describe black men who absolutely refused to bend to the law of white authority and were seen as irredeemably violent, rude, and lecherous.

Background

According to popular stereotypes during the post-Reconstruction era, "Black Buck" was a black man who defies white will and is largely destructive to American society. One would usually be hot-tempered, excessively violent, unintelligent, and sexually attracted to white women. This stereotype was used as a pretext for lynching and other forms of violence against black men.

Examples in media

's motion picture Birth of a Nation is perhaps one of the best known examples of the use of the "Black Buck" stereotype in the media. In the film, a former slave named Gus attempts to chase down a white woman named Flora.
Rather than allow herself to be assaulted by Gus, she throws herself to her death. A spiral of events occurs which then culminates with a state militia clashes with the Ku Klux Klan, with the Klan being ultimately victorious.
The film sparked a national uproar, from white people who feared the film's events to be prophetic truth, and from black people who were horrified by the portrayal of their race. The film was largely responsible for the resurgence of the Ku Klux Klan during the early 20th century.
In the movie Silverado, Danny Glover's character is called "Buck" by the racist saloon owner when he spots him in his establishment.

Use by white supremacists

, former Grand Wizard of the Ku Klux Klan, was quoted in The Sun newspaper of Wichita, Kansas as saying, "White people don't need a law against rape, but if you fill this room up with your normal black bucks, you would, because niggers are basically primitive animals."