The Effects of Stereotypes of African American Females

For the final project and presentation of Comparative Ethics 101 fall semester of 2009, I choose to analyze racism in stereotypes of African American females and their effects on their personal lives, work force, and family settings. Supposedly, the United States is in a post racial state, but with my examination of African American female racism, I believe otherwise. With detail analysis I found otherwise; our free equality nation has managed to mask racism into stereotypes that affect the African American female day to day life.
There are emotional and physical problems that come about from the pop culture representation. Stereotypes include: “Jezebel,” Sapphire,” and deviant. The “Jezebel” stereotype depicts females as being a sex symbol and their main motive is to attract men for material things using their lust. In society, the “Jezebel” stereotype is frowned upon and is considered to be immoral and sinful. The “Sapphire” stereotype describes African American females as being strong and independent. It is often described in movies as being the women who demeans and emasculates her husband. Her hands are glued to her hips with an attitude of disgust with everything. This representation in pop culture is considered to be the most commonly noted. Finally, the ‘Deviant” stereotype portrays African American females as being unattractive and unworthy of social norms. African American females are thought of as being typically obese and with the ‘Deviant’ representation; it is acceptable to be fat because no one considers African American female’s appearance to be valuable in a relationship. In the workforce, African American females are thought of as being bitchy, dominating, intimidating, an out caste, and manipulative. These representations have an effect on the individual, in that; African American females have turned to certain measures to ensure their success in the workforce without the influence of pop culture representation. These measure include straightening their hair, whitening their skin, changing their speech and vocabulary. In the family environment, African American females are thought of as being dominating and emasculating to their husband. Representations in the family also extend to the children for being the child of a “Babies Daddy.” Sometimes, the stereotypes cause families to divide which puts pressure on the relational side between mother and child, father and child, and sibling relationships. Throughout time, there has been ill treatment to African American females. Slavery was the first appearance of racism toward African American females and now, is masked by representations from pop culture. As a supposed post racial state, racism has been manipulated to appear differently.
When looking at reviews on African American female, this review of Michelle Obama caught my eye. The review, “Michelle Obama Endures Public Scrutiny,” by Diane Roberts, breaks down Michelle Obama and shows how pop culture stereotypes are misleading. Michelle Obama is an African American female, whom in recent times, has faced racism in stereotypes. She has been thought of to be a confident almost, egocentric woman. Which by the media would depict that her of having a stereotypical ‘Sapphire’ stereotype. That saying, she would be dominating, fierce, and controlling. She has also been scrutinized as being the stereotypical “Strong Black Women.”
In Roberts’ review, she describes Obama’s stereotyping pop culture, “She's an Angry Black Woman. Now, we're not talking reality here; we're talking national neuroses. Americans are never happier than when a public figure seems to fit a scarcely-rational, mostly inarticulate, but long-harbored stereotype.”
Roberts also goes into the effects of Michelle Obama’s appearance and how it plays a role in society. Obama has been greatly noticed for her great taste in fashion. She wears designer clothes and presents herself with class, but society has turned her taste into a stereotype. Pop culture, in my opinion, would stereotype her into the ‘Jezebel’ stereotype. She is a sex symbol for her husband campaign. Powers discussed this in her view in her review of Michelle Obama, “She's Angela Davis without the 'fro; she's Anita Hill with a better dress sense; she's Aretha." Diane Roberts is a great example of what the human race should view African American females, as equal and just people. They should not have to be subject to racism through what society represents them as. The review, "Michelle Obama Endures Public Scrutiny,' written by Diane Roberts, was a great eye opener.
The review, "Michelle Obama Endures Public Scrutiny," by Diane Roberts, is a great piece of writing that portrays the African American female as a beautiful, confident, educated women. She is neither a sex symbol, plays men for material things, nor is she dominating in her personal relationships. I also found Diane Roberts to be a well noted author herself. She is a professor of English in Florida and spent her education at Oxford University. I believe this review to be well thought out and based on facts. I recommend this review to anyone who is interested in furthering their interest in the effects of stereotypes of African American females.



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