Final answer:
African Americans often reject negative stereotypes and respond to direct action and initiatives addressing inequality and systemic injustice. Historical struggles and continual discrimination emphasize the preference among many African Americans for hands-on approaches to enact change, such as protests and advocacy for equal rights.
Step-by-step explanation:
African Americans do not respond well to stereotypes and framing that portrays them as aggressive, athletic, and more likely to break the law, but do tend to respond to self-help, immediate protests for equal rights, and efforts toward economic equality and anti-discrimination.Historically, the relationship between African Americans and Whites has been filled with prejudice, resulting in a complex framework of societal expectations and misconceptions. This framing can discourage positive policy change and provoke African Americans to take to the streets in protest seeking a voice and change through more direct means as was the case during the civil rights movement with figures like Malcolm X and groups like the Black Panthers.
Racial profiling and perpetual stereotypes in media representations have also led many in the African American community to reject passive attitudes towards racism and instead engage with causes that directly address inequality and seek to dismantle the status quo. These responses highlight a tendency towards favoring action over complacency in confronting systemic injustices.