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Mitchell, Steven. “Monster’s Mask” Writing Arguments (2003): 564-565 In a letter to the editor of the Seattle Times, Steven Mitchell argues that the 2002 Academy Awards reinforced racism by awarding Oscars to Denzel Washington and Halle Berry for roles that misrepresented the black community. He goes so far as to call it “a backhanded slap in the face to black Americans.” (p.56) Denzel Washington was awarded the best actor award for his villainous portrayal of a renegade cop in Training Day. According to the author, his character defies statistics, as there are more white cops who behave corruptly than black cops. The deaths of Amadou Diallo and a black sheriff in the south are cited as example of this. So, as argued, racism is encouraged and blacks are portrayed as deviant law officials. By contrast,