In the 1960s, as Black people began to become more integrated into American society, they became more visible and prominent in many areas. By the 1970s, Black people had begun to secure a more permanent place within society and culture. This shift was also reflected in cinema through Blaxploitation films. While Blaxploitation films featured Black actors, one of the motivations behind this was clearly to draw Black audiences to theaters by depicting the Black community in a prominent way on screen. With Blaxploitation, Black actors began playing leading roles in films rather than being confined to supporting roles. Whereas in pre-Blaxploitation films, Black actors were generally cast in roles as criminals or outcasts, with the advent of Blaxploitation films, they began to take on roles as heroes, law enforcement officers, or at least characters who uphold justice. Nearly all Blaxploitation films were independent, B-movies, and grindhouse films. Although the prominence of Black actors in these films was the least offensive development for Black people in cinema up to that point, Blaxploitation films were frequently criticized by many critics and advocates for the Black community due to the racist elements they contained. Although the films featured Black actors in leading roles, they further entrenched the association between the Black community and crime, thereby reinforcing the class-based perception of crime within the Black community (much like how “Redsploitation” films stereotyped Native Americans).