Culture Case

Due to economic, social, political, and environmental challenges, many African American communities are faced with adversities that are rarely found in other racial communities. Racial segregation continues to exist in many areas of our society, including in the housing, educational, and employment sectors. As a black American woman I have dealt with all of the challenges throughout my life and it has become part of who I am but not all of who I am.

Black women are strong minded, educated, and strong willed, however, African American women tend to be one of the groups that find themselves overlooked and lacking in resources. Yet, despite these obstacles, many of us do manage to obtain upward mobility, form a strong sense of self, and become successful in the eyes of the dominant population. Black women are devoted wives, mothers, educators, attorneys, doctors, authors, airplane pilots and astronauts. However, we cannot escape negative myths surrounding our images, and facts-turned-fiction that impact our status, influence, challenges and future.

In the media one portrayal of black women is that we are over-sexed women on display and in search of loveless encounters with males. Part of this is due to highly criticized nature of the entertainment industry and in particular the Hip-hop portion with scantily dressed, "bootylicious," rump-shaking females on music videos. It promotes another negative portrayal of black women being focused on physical assets alone, such as hair, make-up and tight clothes. Other common negative images of black women in the media are that we are obese, miserable, angry, unattractive, and without a man; who thus hates the world.

I refuse to be placed into any category. As a Black woman, I strive for better health, strive in the best interest of their children, show restraint and respect for others' marriages, raise my standards and levels of expectation in relationships, and vigorously protect the image my children and myself in the eyes of society. I am determined to break down those negative images and stereotypes by setting an example for other black American women, especially for our young black girls.

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