I see where OP is coming from and I agree, with the caveat that Barret outgrows much of that initial peception by the end of the game as he has more opportunities to show off his personality. He's at once a stereotype and also the most conscious person about social issues and environmentalism in the game. It's an interesting dichotomy for sure. I think for many people, the latter far outweighs the former in how they perceive him, but it's absolutely valid to call him a negative outdated stereotype. It's also true that he wouldn't be Barrett if they hadn't made him a Mr T clone, as the nostalgia factor is insanely high among the game's target demographic. Does that excuse them for keeping him as The Angry Black Man and The Scary Black Man tropes? No. This also, however, presents an opportunity. Given what happens later, it's entirely possible to grow his character completely out of his stereotype to fully become Barrett, the kind father, leader, and socially conscious man, instead of what we initially see him as, angry Mr T with a big gun. I think he's pretty complex as applied to the modern social context.