The Eighties in America Mr. T 673
MOVE in their lyrics. Even with most of its members
dead or imprisoned, MOVE remained an active or-
ganization and a cause célèbre. Journalist Mumia
Abu-Jamal (born Wesley Cook), convicted of mur-
dering Philadelphia police officer Daniel Faulkner
on December 9, 1981, continued in prison to write
on MOVE’s behalf. MOVE’s intense polarizing ef-
fect between its African American supporters and
white detractors has few parallels in the history of
American race relations.
Further Reading
Halus, Eugene J. “‘At Frankford We Stand!’ The Mo-
bilization of Euro-American Ethnic Conscious-
ness in Philadelphia Neighborhoods and Changes
in City Government, 1950-1995.” Ph.D. disserta-
tion. Washington, D.C.: Catholic University of
America, 2003.
Wagner-Pacifici, Robin.Discourse and Destruction: The
City of Philadelphia Versus MOVE. Chicago: Univer-
sity of Chicago Press, 1994.
Williams, Daniel R.Executing Justice: An Inside Ac-
count of the Case of Mumia Abu-Jamal. New York: St.
Martin’s Griffin, 2001.
Eric v. d. Luft
See also African Americans; Brawley, Tawana;
Crime; Environmental movement; Racial discrimi-
nation; Terrorism.
Mr. T
Identification African American actor
Born May 2, 1951; Chicago, Illinois
Mr. T was one of the few African Americans in television in
the 1980’s who exhibited self-reliance and no fear of white
authority.
Mr. T was born Lawrence Teraud in 1951, and he
spent the 1970’s as a nightclub bouncer and celeb-
rity bodyguard. He adopted a haircut patterned af-
ter African warriors and a multitude of gold chains
around his neck and changed his name to Mr. T.
Sylvester Stallone cast him inRocky III, and his abra-
sive personality made a lasting impression on the au-
dience. He then landed the role of Sergeant B. A.
Baracus onThe A-Team, a campy action television se-
ries that was panned by critics but acquired a de-
voted cult following. His tough persona fromRocky
IIIwas toned down for the series, and he was fre-
quently the butt of jokes because his awesome physi-
cal feats were not matched by his mental abilities.
The lighthearted action ofThe A-Team—on which
thousands of rounds of ammunition were fired, but
no one ever got hit—enabled Mr. T to soften his per-
sona, which evolved from frightening to gruff but
kindhearted.
Mr. T parlayed his celebrity status into a comic
book, a television cartoon series, and a rap album.
In these formats, he had an uplifting message for
young fans. In the cartoon series, he was a gymnas-
tics coach who also helped his young students solve
crimes. The rap album urged respect for parents
and other adults. The album, however, was designed
to capitalize on Mr. T’s celebrity, rather than any mu-
sical talent. It sank into obscurity in the United
States but crested at number seventy-five on the Brit-
ish pop music charts.
In 1985, Mr. T tried his hand at professional wres-
tling. His achievements included a tag team bout
partnered with Hulk Hogan in the first cable edition
of pay-per-view wrestling. After two years, he took on
a more modest role, appearing occasionally as a spe-
cial referee. He faded from the public eye, surfacing
only in occasional television commercials, over the
next twenty years.
Impact Mr. T became a recognizable icon of the
1980’s, joining the panoply of celebrities intimately
associated with the decade. He attemped, with some
success, to use his visibility for socially conscious pur-
poses, as in his children’s cartoon show. Even his de-
cision to wear many pounds of gold chains was
meant to refer to the history of African American
slavery and the chains of bondage. He remained
best known, however, as B. A. Baracus, the menacing
but lovable tough guy ofThe A-Team.
Further Reading
Oglesby, Bill, ed.Action TV: Tough-Guys, Smooth Opera-
tors and Foxy Chicks. New York: Routledge, 2001.
Terrace, Vincent.Television Characters. Jefferson, N.C.:
McFarland, 2006.
Michael PolleySee also African Americans; Film in the United
States; Hip-hop and rap; Television; World Wrestling
Federation.