Stereotypes Against Black Women

"Be not discouraged Black women of the world, but push forward, regardless of the lack of appreciation shown you." (Amy Jacques-Garvey) Women for a very long time in human history, were treated like nothing, less than an animal. Women weren’t given any chance for individual acknowledgments and the ability to have aspirations. When freedom for white women came to be, they left Black women in the background to struggle and fight for themselves. Years later, Black women are still pushing through the difficulties of life, nevertheless are rising up to be the most influential people in society. Black women are treated as if they have no value and are less than the rest of the population based on stereotypical things like color, butt, the way they speak, attitudes and even emotions. Black women are treated as less because those in power want to keep them inferior and those
in power fear what they are capable of becoming and achieving.
As a result, Black women feel they need to change or alter themselves and their behavior in order to fit what they “need to be.” Black women do not deserve to be treated so unfairly; they deserve to be treated as the queens they truly are. Black women are assigned unfair stereotypes based upon the color of their skin and body type. They are expressed that their skin color isn't good enough, and needs to be lighter. These women being told that what they bring to the table as themselves isn’t good enough for men to love and appreciate. Joshua T. argues “if she ain’t white, she’s at least gotta be light” skinned to be in a relationship with a Black man. Joshua is saying that Black women are not appreciated for a reason of their skin color not being the “right” skin when actually all melanin should be valued and loved. Having this problem of colorism
towards Black women makes them alter themselves, so they aren't truly original and as one with who they really are. Other raced women get tans to receive darker complexions that are like Black women but aren't put down for it since they aren't actually Black. Men imagine their women to be the opposite of a Black woman, who's actually one of the strongest individuals in history. However, as Joshua T. states Black women was “everything that I didn’t want in a woman”. Black women weren't what men pictured them as to be in their life, everything they had it wasn't accepted. These women weren't “picture perfect” for men as a whole because of how they were being portrayed to society and not actually seen for who they truly are. Men were seeing “thick nappy hair and dark skin” (Joshua T.) on these women, but couldn’t see through it and denied Black women as partners. Black women don't have the “right qualities” to pass on to future generations. Black men were doing this to them, but those are characteristics and qualities they have also. Joshua talks about how he didn't realize the qualities he was putting down and hating were his own and in the women in his family have them, too.

Black women who speak “ghetto” or sound uneducated are viewed and treated as inferior. People take how they speak to make Black women feel as though there aren’t smart enough and get treated lower than. Callahan demonstrates “some Black women had to endure taunting and ridicule for their grandiose derrieres” just because of a Black woman tone of voice. Black women were treated lower than on how they act and talk because of the difference in they tones between non Blacks and Blacks. They were judged for something they can’t control because most people, in general, express themselves based on how they were raised. It’s just like in a Latino culture with the dancing, loud music and the clothing. Its unique and powerful to them, so just because Blacks reveal who they are a certain way that's foreign to others doesn’t mean they should be treated differently.