Humez, J. M. (2005). I’ll Fly Away: Regina Taylor’s Transformation of the Mammy into the Poet. In Meiss, G. & Tait, A. (Eds.), Ethnic Media in America: Taking Control. (pp. 195-205). Doubuque, IA: Kendall/Hunt Publishing Company.

Jean M. Humez is professor of Women's Studies at the University of Massachusetts/Boston. She specializes in media studies, U.S. women's social and cultural history, and in American Studies. Her most renowned book is Harriet Tubman: The Life and the Life Story (2003). This autobiography is widely applauded for promoting a better understanding of the interrelationship of culture, society and racial issues.

The author conducts a comprehensive study of the TV show, I'll Fly Away. She applies a critical view point in her research, focusing on the “cultural environment” (p. 195) in 1991-1993.  Humez studies the audiences’ point of view by using secondary texts in which audiences describe their interpretations of the TV show (the primary texts). This approach recognizes that the audiences are active, engaged, and have varying interpretations of the text. Throughout her study, hegemonic/dominant/favored readings of the White and the African-Americans audiences are compared and contrasted.

According to the author, the perspective and understanding of the White audience regarding the show was “’[t]wo different people learning about each other’” (p. 197). From this view point, the focus of the TV show is believed to be human communication and personal relationship, not racial issues. It was thought to be a sublime, complex show that stirred public discussion about political, historical, and familial issues. For the Black audience, including its actress Regina Taylor, the prime issue was how Blacks were represented and characterized in White films. Taylor’s role, Lilly Harper, was at the center of this controversy because she played a stereotypical mammy. Interestingly, Humez reveals that Black critics of this show and others concentrated on the quality of the acting rather than the stereotyping of characters. Black critics emphasized the unique ability of Black actors and actresses to either distance or closely align themselves with their assigned characters.

Using media interviews with Regina Taylor and Sam Waterson, Humez provides excellent examples on how negotiations over how best to interpret the primary text took place on the show. Waterson, a White actor who assumed the role of Forrest Bedford, perceived the show from a traditional, mainstream perspective and did not believe the story addressed racial stereotypes and issues. He remained passive and neutral in his interpretations. In contrast, Taylor used both her professional and private lives when explaining her understanding and promoting public discussion regarding portrayals of Blacks by the media. One of the ways that she enhanced public awareness about Black stereotyping was to describe other aspects and complexities of her assigned mammy character. She contextualized and expanded the role of Lilly Harper by sharing her actual experiences and perspectives of general racial issues in American society. Although she did not control either TV production or distribution, she used her role as Lilly Harper to portray a “mammy” as an African-American woman and as “’a full human being’” (p. 199). She accomplished this subtly and effectively by her unique interpretations of her character.

In addition to demonstrating the audience interpretations of the text, Humez indicates the impact of NBC and later PBS (the networks owning the show) in diminishing Regina Taylor’s activist role. After NBC decided to share ownership and distribution with PBS in order to complete the series, Regina Taylor became an even more significant promoter of the show. However, the nature of her interviews and discussion about the show were dramatically altered. She no longer engaged in stimulating discussions about racial representations. Additionally, she stopped revealing alternative readings of the show and accepted the dominant role as a typical mammy. The author notes that the change in ownership resulted in a shift of the targeted viewership; “a predominantly White and well-off audience” (p. 202). It was not desirable from owner’s position to have her reinterpret the story and make White viewers feel guilty. These changes ultimately created a “color-bind” family show.

Humez effectively demonstrates how different audiences interpret texts. She also reveals the power of the owners and actors to impose their own views and values on the audience. At the same time, there are two obvious criticisms of her work. In further analysis of her methodology, she discloses that she uses articles written by TV critics to represent the views of the general audience. This approach is flawed and misleading, with no justification provided for equating these views. Additionally, while Humez placed a major focus on Regina Taylor’s role in interpreting texts, she fails to show that these actions were effective and impactful on any particular individual or group.

(Reviewed by Sara Motomura)