Unmasking Authentic Black Female Identity: The Power of Self-Defining and Shattering Stereotypes [Hardcover]

This book is a provocative and fresh look into how Black women display an authentic identity in the face of constant negative images and portrayals of themselves in the media over time. Idrissa N. Snider explores noteworthy occurrences when prominent Black women, including First Lady Michelle Obama, Oscar-winning actress Viola Davis, and Grammy-winning songstress Beyonce Knowles, have used their platforms and notoriety to push back against age-old stereotypes used to justify their subjugation and mistreatment, such as the mammie, angry black woman, jezebel, or the tragic mulatto. Snider emphasizes and honors how Black women uniquely identify as a form of resistance and positive self-actualization and argues that both everyday and socially elite Black women and girls can  and do  utilize self-definition to disrupt and reject inauthentic and harmful representations of themselves.This book examines how Black women display an authentic identity in the face of stereotyping intended to subjugate them and justify the mistreatment they experience. The author argues that both everyday and socially elite Black women can  and do - utilize self-definition to disrupt inauthentic and negative portrayals of themselves.Idrissa N. Snideris a rhetorical criticism and womanist scholar and holds a PhD from Wayne State University.Unmasking Authentic Black Female Identitypresents readers with a wealth of information rooted in Black feminist thought. Through a blend of personal reflection, storytelling, social critique, and theoretical framing, Snider engages readers on this controversial and timely subject & [A] powerful resource for those interested in learning or researching more about Black women and self-definition. Alabama Writer's Forum

Introduction: Sojourner Truth & the Birth of Self-Defining
Chapter 1: The Truth About How America Sees Black Women
Chapter 2: The Truth About How America Sees Black Women (The LiesMammie, Sapphire,andJezelÃp