James Wan’s Annabelle is an example of Black people in horror film and perpetuates the harmful trope of the “sacrificial negro.” The main purpose of the “sacrificial negro” or “magical negro” is to die or sacrifice themselves to further the main white characters. In Annabelle Evelyn (Alfre Woodard) sacrifices herself to allow the malignant demon possessing the doll to take her spirit instead of Mia’s child. Even though Evelyn had a tragic back story of her own as a grieving mother who lost her own child, her only purpose in the film is to further Mia’s. This also goes along with the 80s era of the Black character always being the one to die. It also shows the efforts of Black Nationalist ideas in Blaxploitation horror had been forgotten during this time. Black characters continued to be used and treated like a monolith.
Source:
Zevallos, Dr Zuleyka. “Hollywood Racism: The Magical Negro Trope.” The Other Sociologist, April 23, 2019. https://othersociologist.com/2012/01/24/hollywood-racism/.