Images in media, television especially, are a direct projection of the people who control and project them, which often tends to be white people. “‘We face the problems of images projected by people not of us,’ she said. ‘The media is the most powerful mind-manipulating tool on the earth.’”(Ruby, 18) The perception of black women in the media today can be damaging to the self-image of the young black women of today. During the Black Arts Movement, many artists and poets spoke of how white influence in our lives has created skewed beauty ideals in the African-American community. This white influence tends to harm black women’s images of themselves. Most female images seen in mainstream media are white, thin, tall and just plain gorgeous, making it hard for the average African American woman to relate to. Black television has done well with having different shapes and sizes for women of color to relate to, but that only includes one or two channels on all of television. For example, even though BET was founded by Robert Johnson, a black man, BET is now predominantly owned by white people. “"Day after day, in all forms of media -- print, radio, and television -- we see, hear, and read the perspectives of non-Black women and women of color who are not actively involved in the struggles of Black women -- especially on so-called 'women's issues'.”(Women’s Health Weekly, 546) Large television networks must choose to show things that will not only keep ratings up but also keep people interested in watching their shows. Unfortunately in today’s age and day drama and negativity is what most Americans look to watch. Even though many people feel that these negative things are wrong, we still find ourselves watching and reading about it. The... ... middle of paper ... ...: Theory, Research, Practice, Training 32.3 (1995): 458-466. PsycARTICLES. Web. 21 Apr. 2014. Townsend, Tiffany G., et al. "I'm no Jezebel; I Am Young, Gifted, and Black: Identity, Sexuality, and Black Girls." Psychology of Women Quarterly 34.3 (2010): 273. Anonymous. Roundtable: Sexual Media Images of Black Women., 2006. Web. 17 Mar. 2014. - Bobo, Jacqueline, and Ellen Seiter. "Black Feminism and Media Criticism: The Women of Brewster Place." Screen 32.3 (1991): 286-302. Web. 17 Mar. 2014. Bond, Jean Carey. "The Media Image of Black Women." Freedomways 15.1 (1975): 34. Web. 17 Mar. 2014. Coleman, Robin Means. "'Roll Up Your Sleeves!': Black Women, Black Feminism in Feminist Media Studies." Feminist Media Studies 11.1 (2011): 35-41. Web. 17 Mar. 2014. Hayes, Dianne. "The Black Woman's Burden." Diverse: Issues in Higher Education 29.2 (2012): 18. Web. 17 Mar. 2014.
McGuire, Danielle L. At the Dark End of the Street: Black Women, Rape, and Resistance- A New History of the Civil Rights Movement from Rosa Parks to the Rise of Black Power. New York, New York: Vintage Books. 2011.
Melissa Harris-Perry analyzes the myths surrounding black women and the implication that correlate with these myths. Perry focuses on three main stereotypes of black women that began with slavery and are still prevalent in society today. Perry not only examines the depth and causes of these stereotypes, but she also scrutinizes their role in African Americans lives as citizens today. Black women today are not only separated from society outside of the African American community, but there are also existing stereotypes within the culture. Examining the history of black women, the three prominent stereotypes attached to them and comparing these to society today, it is clear that the standard for African American women is not only inaccessible but also unreasonable.
Collins, Patricia Hill. "Mammies, Matriarchs, and Other Controlling Images." Black Feminist Thought: Knowledge, Consciousness, and the Politics of Empowerment. New York: Routledge, 2000. 89. Print.
Within the book, she conceptualizes that black women are misrecognized while they endeavor to stay upright in a “crooked room” surrounded by stereotypes. Harris-Perry’s notion that “black women tilt and bend themselves to fit the distortion” of the “crooked room” staggeringly compares to W.E.B. Du Bois’ concepts of double consciousness and the veil. Harris-Perry uses a multitude of techniques from statistics to personal experiences to various examples of American literature within her book. The use of such techniques demonstrates that the standards of white America affect the instances in which black women are identified by society as well as the instances in which they identify themselves. This further showcases black women’s struggle of identity that is perpetuated by the paradigms of modern America. Therefore, “by studying the lives of black women” Harris-Perry showcases the difficulty of a black woman to shake off stereotypes and find her
Marlon T. Riggs’ video, Color Adjustment, offers the viewer an exciting trip though the history of television, focusing on the representation, or lack thereof, of African-Americans. A perfectly chosen combination of television producers, actors, sociologists, and cultural critics join forces to offer insight and professional opinion about the status of African-Americans in television since the inception of television itself. As Color Adjustment traces the history of television shows from Amos n’ Andy and Julia to "ghetto sitcoms" and The Cosby Show, the cast of television professionals and cultural critics discuss the impacts those representations have on both the African-American community and our society as a whole. Color Adjustment continually asks the question: "Are these images positive?" This video raises the viewer’s awareness about issues of positive images for African-Americans on television.
To be labeled as a feminist is such a broad classification therefore it is divided into various subsections, one such subsection is known as hip hop feminism in which Ruth Nicole closely associates herself with throughout this essay I will thoroughly discuss this form of feminism. Ruth Nicole is a black woman that categorizes herself as a girl, by her definition a girl is far from independent. Black girlhood discusses the shared experiences of the ever-changing body, which has been marked as vibrant, Black, and female, along with memories and representations of being female. As a result, Ruth Nicole wrote Black Girlhood Celebration in order to share her personal and political motivations of working with black girls within the community. A conversation that is not often articulated about due to a language barrier. In which this discussion accurately details a means to work with black girls in such a way that does not control their body or pilfer black female individuality. Under those circumstances, Brown believes that black girls are being exploited for their physique through the use of music and instructed to conform to white norms constructed by society.
Society has always been in the mindset of a white cis male, racist and sexist. In the article “The Globalization of Eating Disorders”, by Susan Bordo, talks about how the media portrays women in an impossible light and how women of color are overlook in eating disorders. The article “Saving the Life That Is Your Own: The Importance of Models in the Artist’s Life” by Alice Walker, talks about how women of color are overlook and not taken seriously in literature and how people need good models in life to do and become great things. They both have a common topic of that women of color are often over looked in literature and media and if women of color were truly portrayed in society then girls of all ages could really benefit from it.
Being a woman is hard work. We many have pressures on us from society to marry, bear children, be an upstanding citizen, and maintain some sort of career, all the while trying to understand our bodies and its changes; being a woman of color, or black woman, it’s even harder. Not only do we have to deal with everything a White woman does, and we also have the added pressure of defying stigmas and stereotypes within our own group of people. What stigma’s you ask? How about not being perceived as ignorant, uneducated, and or “ghetto”. The stereotypical misrepresentations of African-American women and men in popular culture have influenced societal views of Blacks for centuries. The typical stereotypes about Black women range from the smiling, asexual and often-obese Mammy to the promiscuous and the loud, smart mouthed, neck-rolling Black welfare mother is the popular image on reality television. These images portrayed in media and popular culture creates powerful ideology about race and gender, which affects every day experiences of Black women in America.
How has the media portrayal of African Americans affected the way society perceives them as a whole? “…negative exposure to African American portrayals in the media significantly influences the evaluation of African American in general” (Punyanunt-Carter 242). My research question centers on the general public’s view of African Americans as individuals and as a minority. Mass media is a vital source of information that contributes to the public perceptions of African Americans and their roles and personality. According to several scholars and my own perspective, I believe that the depiction of the African American has been one-dimensional, negative and distorted; without a doubt, the stereotypical portrayal of African Americans has contributed to racial prejudice and assumptions. In my opinion, I feel as if the negative depictions outweigh the positive.
Racism and discrimination continue to be a prevalent problem in American society. Although minorities have made significant strides toward autonomy and equality, the images in media, specifically television, continue to misrepresent and manipulate the public opinion of blacks. It is no longer a blatant practice upheld by the law and celebrated with hangings and beatings, but instead it is a subtle practice that is perceived in the entertainment and media industries. Whether it’s appearing in disparaging roles or being negatively portrayed in newscasts, blacks continue to be the victims of an industry that relies on old ideas to appeal to the majority. The viscous cycle that is the unconscious racism of the media continues to not only be detrimental to the white consumers, who base what they know about blacks by what is represented in television, but also the black consumers, who grow up with a false sense of identity.
Christian, Barbara. Black Feminist Criticism: Perspectives on Black Women Writers.New York : Teachers College Press. 1997.
Thomas, Deborah A. "Modern Blackness: "What We Are and What We Hope to Be"." Small
Staples successfully begins by not only admitting the possible faults in his practiced race but also by understanding the perspective of the one who fear them. Black males being opened to more violence because of the environment they're raised in are labeled to be more likely to cause harm or committing crime towards women but Staples asks why that issue changes the outlook of everyday face to face contact and questions the simple actions of a black man? Staples admits, "women are particularly vulnerable to street violence, and young black males are drastically overrepresented among the perpetrators of that violence," (Staples 384) however...
The Black Public Relations Society hosted a general body meeting titled, “Black Women in the Media” in the Tuttleman Learning Center. The meeting was conducted by two of the black female students one of which was the president. Going into the meeting, I felt eager to get talking about the negative stereotypes on women. Now that I look back, I didn’t even think about the black women of the LGBTQIA+ community and how they are portrayed in the media.
Johnson, Yvonne. The Voices of African American Women. New York: Peter Lang Publishing, Inc., 1998.