Stereotypes Of Black Women Essay

Introduction
In the United States, black women are negatively stereotype. I believe black women are negatively stereotype because of the color of their skin. They are seen or treated different if they are not white. Race (is refer to a person’s characteristics such as skin, hair, bone structure, and eye color) has been an on-going issue since the 19th centuries. For example, black women are portrayed as stupid and uneducated. However, not all black women are like this. There are some very smart and educated black women in this world. To end “black women” stereotypes, I think black women should educate the ignorant, be mindful of the image they want to portray, and set a positive role model for future African American women. In my position paper, I will discuss why black women are negatively stereotype for being angry, welfare queens, and gold diggers, video vixens, & jezebels.
The Angry Black Women
Black women in America are stereotype for being angry. The angry black women also
known as the “Sapphire” is characterized as aggressive, unfeminine, bitter, and overbearing (Ashely, 2014). The Sapphire image is a woman that has brown or dark skin. These women take on this role to shield themselves from discrimination, disappointment or victimization. For example, in the radio and television show “Amos and Andy,” Sapphire Stevens was married to George Stevens. Sapphire was hostile and always nagged her husband. Anytime her husband George stepped out of place, she let him have it. During slavery, black women were portrayed as strong, masculine, and hardworking. For example, “slaves” such as black women worked in the fields with black men. They did not stay home to cook or care for their children (West, 2008). Nevertheless, some black women fear the labeled “Sapphire”. To suppress these images, black women appear as non-threatening. They are feminine, happy, and friendly (Ashley, 2014).
Welfare Queen
Secondly, black women are also stereotype for being welfare queens.
The phrase “welfare queen” refers to women who are accused of collecting excessive welfare payments through fraud or manipulation. Black women in particular abuse this system because they are lazy, have a lot of children and do not want to work. They are uneducated and rely on public assistance for food, shelter, and money. These women would rather live in poverty to raise their children than to lose their welfare benefits (Hancock, 2004). For example, in the movie “Precious” Mo’Nique plays as precious’s mom. Mo’Nique is on welfare and receives food stamps for Precious and her granddaughter. To maintain benefits for Precious and her granddaughter, Mo’Nique would lie to the social workers and stage domestic scenes. Monique was lazy and did not want to work. She was capable of working but chose not to (Pimpare, 2010). Yet, there are some women who are not consider welfare queens but in need for public assistance
momentarily.
Gold Diggers, Video Vixens and Jezebels
Finally, black women are stereotype for being gold diggers, video vixens, and jezebels. Black women that are gold diggers exchange sex for money and gifts. These women are not committed in a relationship with men. They are sexually active and seek for sexual favors. For example, Hugh Hefner the founder of Playboy has 3 to 4 Playboy Bunnies (girls) that live with him in his mansion. These Playboy Bunnies have sex with Hef for fan and gifts. Black women that are video vixens appeared in hip hop music videos. These women are female models that exploit their body. They can be seen dancing in videos with their boobs and butts out. For example, Draya Michele is a video vixen. She appears in many videos and poses for nude pictures (Wallace, Townsend, Glasgow, & Ojie, 2011). Last but not least, black women are portrayed as jezebels. These women are hypersexual and promiscuous (Henry, 2011). For example, in 1619 slaves such as black women were naked when they were sold to slave holders. These slaves were seen as sex objects and force to have sex with their master (West, 2008).
Conclusion
To conclude, black women are negatively stereotype for many reasons. African-American women are stereotype based on beliefs, appearance, and behaviors. Some black women are stereotype for being rude, loud, and ghetto. Other black women are stereotype for being sluts, uneducated, and masculine. Whatever the case may be, black women are pass judgement all the times. Most black women do not fall in these categories. There are some very successful black women in the world. Society just fails to realize it.