
Stating, “One
in twenty-one African-American males will die of murder”, and that “most will
be killed by another African-American” is how the film Boyz N the Hood begins. Boyz N the Hood is a disturbing
account of the lived experiences of black people, particularly black males, in
a poverty-stricken South Central Los Angeles neighborhood. The story follows
the relationship and connections between three young Black males: Tre Styles, Darrin
“Doughboy” Baker, and Ricky Baker. During the film, it is apparent how racism,
indifference, rampant violence, and the increase breakdown of the South Central
Los Angeles culture influence the three black males in the movie. One of the troublesome
structural rudiments in the film is how black males have to battle with receiving
an education or staying alive. Tre Styles learns at an early stage in his
experience that the existing structure of curriculums and schools have little
cultural relevancy to black students living in disadvantaged urban conditions,
especially when his teachers make no effort to be inclusive in their educational
teachings. Boyz N the Hood is an unfortunate story of a culturally relevant true-life
example of what happens to those who are born into less fortunate cultures and
the struggles faced on a day-to-day basis.