Jariah Moore

Jariah is a fourth year English major with an interest in the portrayal of African Americans in literature. Her undergraduate thesis focuses on the relationship between anthropomorphism and black-coding, and how this relationship has evolved from the 1930s to the mid-2010s. She will be analyzing black-coded, non-human characters from a narratological and aesthetic standpoint. The works in question will include Disney’s Dumbo, Fleischer Studios’ Minnie the Moocher, and Cartoon Network’s Steven Universe and The Amazing World of Gumball, questioning why and how all of these animations choose to anthropomorphize and racialize its characters in order to piece together the views held towards black people by a predominantly white society. Additionally, Jariah will analyze the ways in which Obama-era postracialism affected both of Cartoon Network’s animations and the ways in which they portray black Americans. Following her fourth year at UCLA, Jariah is planning to attend law school and become an attorney. She will use her J.D. in order to advocate for people of color.