Misrepresentation and Stereotypes Hurt Black Women

• Childs, Erica Chito. “Looking Behind the Stereotypes of the ‘Angry Black Woman’: An Exploration of Black Women’s Responses to Interracial Relationships.” Gender & Society, vol. 19
  • This article highlights how internalized racism, sexism, and Eurocentric beauty standards devalue black women, as more black men seek interracial relationships. It also explains how misogynoir contributes to the “angry black women stereotype”, painting black women as undesirable by all races of people.

• Sekayi, Dia. “Aesthetic Resistance to Commercial Influences: The Impact of the Eurocentric Beauty Standard on Black College Women.” The Journal of Negro Education
  • This article surveys college black women and their views on beauty. The research indicates that standards of beauty for black women are heavily influenced by commercial means, which usually correlates with Eurocentric beauty standards. As a result, the lack of commercial representation of black women leaves these women with a poor sense of self. 

• Donnella, Leah. “Is Beauty In The Eyes Of The Colonizer?” NPR
  • This article (as well as the podcast) further discusses the eurocentrism of beauty standards. They also provide some history on the celebration of whiteness in the Western world and the creation of the “All-American beauty”. They also provide a socioeconomic perspective on beauty standards; they are costly and unattainable for people of a lower economic status. 

• Hit it and Quit It”: Responses to Black Girls’ Victimization in School – A. Defeminization. Race, Racism and the Law
  • This section of this article highlights how masculinization of black women made it socially acceptable to be violent towards them. The association of black women with masculine traits made it seem that black women do not need to be protected against violence, sexual assault and harassment because they should be able to protect themselves (like men). This article also features a study on how black women are perceived by the public. These results determined that black women were perceived as more masculine than their white counterpart, thus deemed less attractive. 

• Serena Williams and the trope of the ‘angry black woman’ BBC News,
  • This article provides more history on the “angry black woman” trope as well as highlighting modern examples of these racist and sexist tropes being used today. Using Serena Williams as an example, the author explains how black women are not allowed to have a voice, and if they do, they are seen as loud, threatening and aggressive. The author also explains how perpetuating these tropes are damaging to young black children.