Images Of Black Women Essay

Essence magazine stated, "In a study found that, more than 1,200 respondents told us that the images we encounter regularly on TV, in social media, in music videos and from other outlets are overwhelmingly negative and fall into categories that make us cringe — Gold Diggers, Modern Jezebels, Baby Mamas, Uneducated Sisters, Ratchet Women, Angry Black Women, Mean Black Girls, Unhealthy Black Women, and Black Barbies"(Walton 2013). Today in America marginalized groups are continuously fighting for an equal and positive reflection in media. Through the use of different texts we see how detrimental specific representations can be to Black women. Looking at the hit show Being Mary Jane we see how Black women are being depicted in today’s media. We …show more content…
In a Master’s thesis paper, by Tilicia Mayo, she states, “images illustrate the concept that Black women are either portrayed in manner that is acceptable by white Americans or they are not present in images at all”(Mayo 2010). This quote is saying that even if we do try to put out a positive image of Black women it is fiercely rejected because it is not something that the dominate group can conceive of. She also discusses how the only images of Black woman that are accepted by society are, “The Mammy”, “The Jezebel”, and “The Sapphire”. Like stated in the beginning these are some of the most prominent representations we see on television. Each of these has to do with a nonthreatening matriarchal or an overly sexualized image of a Black woman. In the article “But She’s Not Black” the author states, “ Whereas the mammy was portrayed as a loyal, desexualized caregiver… the jezebel was overly-sexualized, and the sapphire (or Angry Black Woman) is the assertive but funny woman who is obsessed with status climbing. (Kretsedemas 2010) This creates a different definition of Black womanhood for Black women, and then the expectations of that womanhood that others have for