Image source: https://www.cagedbirdmagazine.com/single-post/2017/02/28/The-Facebook-Post-all-Young-Black-Women-Should-See
As early as the 19th century,
the media portrayal of Black women has created animalistic, hypersexual, and
aggressive images of women which contribute towards negative perceptions,
(Gammage, 2015) and culminate in maintaining figurative invisibility of Black
women (Helms, 2017). A few of the historical stereotypes of Black women include
the mammy, the jezebel, and the sapphire (Gammage, 2015). The mammy
characterizes one type of Black woman as non-threatening, overweight, and
unfeminine. For example, the characters in the movie the Help shows women in roles
such as housekeeper, nanny, or cook, (Speight, Isom, & Thomas, 2013). On the other hand, the Jezebel stereotype
characterizes Black women as sexually impulsive and immoral (Gay, 1999).
Finally, we have the sapphire who is depicted as loud and hostile (Bell, 1992).
These Jezebel and Sapphire stereotyped images of Black women were reinforced by
their portrayal in 21st century media such as reality tv shows and hip-hop
music videos, (Gammage, 2015).
The negative effects of stereotyped
images African American women on TV have been well documented in the
literature. Research indicates that exposure to negative stereotypes of Black
individuals may negatively influence both majority group and minority group viewers
perceptions of African Americans, (Punyanunt-Carter, 2008). Pellerin (2011)
found that over 60% of participants in the study viewed African American women
as violent and hypersexual, indicating that public opinion of Black women may
also reflect the negative assumptions about this population. Psychological
consequences at the individual level indicated that these images may contribute
towards internalized ideas of racism and sexism (Gammage, 2015). It prompts the
question of how are young Black girls and other girls of color supposed to imagine
themselves in positive roles, when these images are essentially absent from the
media they consume?
In a photo-biographical study
focused on redefining Black womanhood, participants identified themes of: Education
and talent, community responsibility, beauty, family and love, and self-pride
and joy, as desired representations of Black Women. Recently, media
representations have begun to embrace positive examples of Black women that
align more closely with these desired representations. For example, I remember
my first-time watching Issa Rae’s Awkward Black Girl videos on YouTube as well
as her show Insecure and feeling like I connected with an on-screen character
for the first time. Many other Black women and other women of color have
praised the show for creating an empowering representation of Black women who are
working towards their goals in a non-profit sector, navigating the realistic
challenges in relationships, and addressing the real-life challenges women of
color face. Other media representations shine a positive light on Black women,
depicting them in empowering roles such as lawyers, superheroes, dedicated
parents, and tech experts. Seeing other Black women in roles outside of the
stereotyped images typically portrayed in media may serve as inspiration to
younger audiences.
Although there are an increasing
amount of positive representation of Black women in the media, there is still a
long way to go towards the journey of reaching inclusivity in the media. A
commitment towards increasing representation of Black women with intersectional
identities is a natural next step in moving beyond stereotyped images. Efforts
to cultivate positive self-image amongst Black women can be accomplished
through increased media literacy, multicultural education, and increased
representation of positive images. As feminist researchers, scholars, and
leaders we can utilize these avenues to challenge oppressive images of Black
women in the media, and instead move towards promoting affirmative empowering
representations of Black and African American women.
Written by: Mercedes Anderson, M.A.
References
Bell, E. L. (1992). Myths,
stereotypes, and realities of Black women: A personal reflection. The Journal
of Applied Behavioral Science, 28(3), 363-376.
Gammage, M. M. (2015). Representations of
black women in the media : the damnation of black womanhood. Retrieved from https://ebookcentral-proquest-com.ezproxy1.lib.asu.edu
Gay, P. L. (1999). Slavery
as a sexual atrocity. Sexual Addiction & Compulsivity, 6, 5–10.
Helms, J. (2017). Counseling Black Women:
Understanding the Effects of Multilevel Invisibility
In M. Kopala
& M. Keitel (Eds.),
Handbook of Counseling Women (pp.219-233). Thousand
Oaks, CA: Sage
Pellerin, Marquita M. (2011) “Perceptions of African American
Females: An Examination of Black Women’s Images in Rap Music Videos.” Diss.
Temple University. 2011. Web.
Punyanunt-Carter, N. (2008). The Perceived
Realism of African American Portrayals on Television. Howard Journal of Communications,
19(3), 241-257.
Speight, S. L., Isom, D. A., & Thomas, A.
J. (2013). From Hottentot to Superwoman: Issues of identity and mental health
for African American women
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