Representations of Black Women in the Media The Damnation of Black Womanhood [Hardcover]

In 1920 W.E.B. Du Bois cited the damnation of women as linked to the devaluation of motherhood. This dilemma, he argues, had a crushing blow on Black women as they were forced into slavery. Black womanhood, portrayed as hypersexual by nature, became an enduring stereotype which did not coincide with the dignity of mother and wife. This portrayal continues to reinforce negative stereotypes of Black women in the media today. This book highlights how Black women have been negatively portrayed in the media, focusing on the export nature of media and its ability to convey notions of Blackness to the public. It argues that media such as rap music videos, television dramas, reality television shows, and newscasts create and affect expectations of Black women. Exploring the role that racism, misogyny and media play in the representation of Black womanhood, it provides a foundation for challenging contemporary medias portrayal of Black women.

Introduction  1. From Sara Baartman to Michelle Obama  2. From the Auction Block to Hip Hop  3. The Reality of Reality TV  4. Aint I a Woman, Cause I Damn Sure Aint a Man  5.  I am Mom-in-Chief   6: Redefining Black Womanhood-An Africana Womanist Approach  Conclusion

The book's presentations of black women in their widely diverse roles and representations are of real value to non-black scholars and students. Summing Up: Recommended.

- M. R. Grant, Wheaton College Graduate School in CHOICE

Marquita Marie Gammage is Assistant Professor in the Africana Studies Department at California State University, Northridge, USA