Kevin Samuels argues that image is a form of power and that the media has historically used mischaracterization to destroy the Black male image. Referencing D.W. Griffith's "Birth of a Nation," Samuels claims that modern media continues to frame Black men as either "thugs" or "gay" to maintain social control. He emphasizes the need for decentralized, Black-owned media to combat these exaggerations and establish a new standard of presentation.