. ▁ ▁Race ▁films ▁typically ▁avoided ▁explicit ▁dep ict ions ▁of ▁pover ty , ▁gh ett os , ▁social ▁decay , ▁and ▁crime . ▁When ▁such ▁elements ▁appeared , ▁they ▁often ▁did ▁so ▁in ▁the ▁background ▁or ▁as ▁plot ▁devices . ▁Race ▁films ▁rarely ▁treated ▁the ▁subjects ▁of ▁social ▁in just ice ▁and ▁race ▁relations , ▁although ▁black s ▁were ▁leg ally ▁dis enf ranch ised ▁in ▁the ▁South ▁and ▁suffered ▁disc rim ination ▁in ▁the ▁North ▁and ▁South . ▁ ▁Race ▁films ▁avoided ▁many ▁of ▁the ▁popular ▁black ▁stock ▁characters ▁found ▁in ▁contemporary ▁main stream ▁films , ▁or ▁else ▁re leg ated ▁these ▁s tere ot ypes ▁to ▁supporting ▁roles ▁and ▁villa ins . ▁M iche aux ▁dep icted ▁his ▁protagon ists ▁as ▁educated , ▁prosper ous , ▁and ▁g ente el . ▁M iche aux ▁hoped ▁to ▁give ▁his ▁audience ▁something ▁to ▁help ▁them ▁" fur ther ▁the ▁race ". ▁ ▁Black ▁com ed ians ▁such ▁as ▁Mant an ▁Mor eland , ▁who ▁had ▁played ▁supporting ▁comedy ▁roles ▁in ▁main stream ▁Hollywood ▁films , ▁repr ised ▁his ▁character ▁as ▁the ▁lead ▁in ▁such ▁films ▁as ▁Professor ▁C ree ps ▁and ▁Mr ▁Washington ▁Go es ▁To ▁Town . ▁Some ▁black ▁entertain ers , ▁such ▁as ▁M oms ▁M able y ▁or ▁P ig me at ▁Mark ham , ▁star red ▁in ▁their ▁own ▁vehicles . ▁M able y ▁and ▁Mark ham ▁did ▁not ▁appear ▁in ▁main stream ▁entertain ment ▁until ▁the ▁late ▁ 1 9 6 0 s , ▁when ▁both ▁were