Black Women in the Media Pretty Black Women Art

By Danyelle Johnson

Outlook Writer

When you think about African American women in tv, what comes to listen? Feisty? Loud mouthed? Confrontational? Arrogant?

Recall about it.

Back in the 90s, Black women carried themselves with dignity and were often portrayed as stronger, independent, bourgeois women. Blacks in the media were irresolute for the better in the 1990s, merely are those portrayals however prevalent in today'due south media? Who would've ever known that a positive representation of Blacks would be subject to change?

Many shows, such as: "Cosby Prove," "Fresh Prince," "Steve Harvey Evidence," "Skillful Times" and "Family Matters," portrayed Black women as successful, and living the American dream. These shows depicted happy families, parents with overnice jobs and homes, but well-nigh chiefly, the families thought logically, were level headed and took a mature arroyo on different situations.

Now, women in television have evolved to dominating the screen as loud mouthed, un-educated, un-married, angry "baby mamas". Unfortunately, our club pay close attention to reality television and in a sense, gloat what these shows represent.

The bottom line is that consumers accept to demand shows that exemplifies more substantial value. Hollywood will go on to air reality television shows because nosotros watch information technology and ratings are loftier. As a consequence of that, officials don't test very often what else we might like, or what else we might picket, according to the Huffington Post.

Lets take a expect at today's reality television shows. VH1'due south Love and Hip Hop portrays Black women in a negative low-cal. The women on Honey and Hip Hop Atlanta possess qualities that aren't becoming of a lady. They are considered "ratchet" in the words of society, but furthermore, they are considered angry, promiscuous and dependent.

What's near agonizing is how loftier the ratings are for these reality Idiot box shows. Consumers find these shows entertaining and compelling, so why would the creators change the way these shows are structured and what airs to the public? The ultimate goal of these shows is for patrons, to require more.

Younger women, ages 18-29, are heavily influenced by these types of behaviors. The images that are portrayed in the media have the ability to shape how young women recollect and it also plays a vital part in teaching us about personal development as a Black woman.

According to Mic.com, American teenagers spend an average of 10 hours and 45 minutes absorbing media in just i day; this includes the amount of time spent watching TV, listening to music, watching movies, reading magazines and using the internet.

And then ask yourself, does this affect young adults?

Black women learn an understanding about their sexuality, race, class and identity through watching other Black women in media.

"Negative imagery of Blackness women appears twice as often equally positive depictions," Essence reported in 2013 to The states Today.

So why are these portrayals so accepted in society today? We all know that television has a significant influence on consumers, but it needs to have a meaning touch on viewers in a sense that makes them evolve in a constructive tactic.

There should be more positive depictions of Black women. Nosotros need our youth and young adults to understand that all black women aren't rambunctious. Television receiver shouldn't focus and then much on the negative aspect of women in society.

So delight, allow me to share this with you. Black women become entrepreneurs six times faster than the national average, co-ordinate to Madamenoire. That statistic alone says a lot virtually black women and what we're capable of. Tin we showcase accomplishment?

Then many black women hold professional positions, thriving in careers and leading exemplifying lives. Our standard of what a Black adult female should be should not be cited by what media professionals desire u.s. to believe. Contrived depictions of African American women shouldn't be the focus, the focus needs to be on the Black contained, educated, intelligent, strong queens that they are.

In entertainment media, Blacks are truly underrepresented. Nosotros need to raise sensation for this issue and lead towards more than positive recognition of Blackness women. All depictions of women in media don't have to be misleading. We can starting time this past supporting our brothers and sisters in their endeavors to represent Black women accordingly in this media world. Nosotros can also edify our youth that social club, television and media doesn't set the standard for Black women. We set the standard for ourselves.

The only way to do that is to be your cocky, because everyone else is taken.