arts & entertainment
Sister Citizen: Shame, Stereotypes, and Black Women
By kam williams
Special To The Skanner
news
“T
Citizen. According to the
author, this society has his-
torically exerted consider-
able pressure on black
females to fit into one of a
handful of stereotypes, pri-
marily, the Mammy, the
Matriarch or the Jezebel.
The selfless Mammy’s
behavior is marked by a
slavish devotion to white
folks’ domestic concerns,
often at the expense of those
of her own family’s needs.
By contrast, the relatively-
hedonistic Jezebel is a sexu-
ally-insatiable temptress. And the Matriarch
is generally thought of as an emasculating
figure who denigrates black men, ala the
characters Sapphire and Aunt Esther on the
television shows Amos and Andy and
Sanford and Son, respectively.
Professor Perry points out how the propa-
his book is con-
cerned
with
understanding
the emotional realities of
black women’s lives in
order to answer a politi-
cal, not a personal, ques-
tion: What does it mean to
be a black woman and an
American citizen?
…The particular histo-
ries of slavery, Jim Crow,
urban segregation, racism, and patri-
archy that are woven into the fabric of
American politics have created a specif-
ic citizenship imperative for African-
American women—a role and image to
which they are expected to conform.
We can call this image the strong
black woman… The
strong black woman myth
is a misrecognition of
African-American
Caldwell’s, Hennessey, Goetsch
women. But it creates
& McGee Funeral Home
specific expectations for
their behavior. ”
Von D. Bailey
— Excerpted from the
Funeral Director
Introduction (pgs. 20-21)
What is it like to be a
black woman in America?
That is the basic question
explored by Professor
Melissa Harris-Perry in her
fascinating new book, Sister
gation of these harmful myths has served
the mainstream culture well. For instance,
the Mammy suggests that it is almost sec-
ond nature for black females to feel a mater-
nal instinct towards Caucasian babies.
As for the source of the Jezebel, black
women had no control over their own bod-
ies during slavery given that they were
being auctioned off and bred to maximize
profits. Nonetheless, it was in the interest of
plantation owners to propagate the lie that
sisters were sluts inclined to mate indis-
criminately.
Sadly, that notion has persisted to this day,
which is why so many African-American
women’s rape allegations aren’t taken seri-
ously, like that of the NYC hotel maid who
recently leveled just such a claim against a
well-connected guest from France. Despite
the existence of DNA evidence, the charges
were dropped, thereby leaving the accuser
shamed by the insinuation that the contact
must have been consensual.
The author might argue that the stigma of
the black female as loose played a role in
the case’s disposition without even a trial.
For as she points out here ever so succinct-
ly, ”White men’s right of access to black
women’s bodies was an assumption sup-
ported both by their history as legal proper-
ty and by the myth of their sexual promis-
cuity,” and “Emancipation did not end the
social and political usefulness of this stereo-
type.”
A feminist manifesto endeavoring to free
sisters forever from the cruel and very lim-
iting ways in which they continue to be
pigeonholed.
20 NE 14th Avenue
Portland, OR 97232
503-232-4111
Fax 503-231-1586
von.bailey@sci-us.com
We honor the many
accomplishments of African
Americans.
It is our primary goal as a
labor union to better the
lives of all people working
in the building trades
through advocacy, civil
demonstration, and the
long-held belief that work-
ers deserve a "family wage" - fair pay for an honest day's work.
A family wage, and the benefits that go with it, not only strength-
ens families, but also allows our communities to become
stronger, more cohesive, and more responsive to their citizens'
needs.
Our family wage agenda reflects our commitment to people
working in the building trades, and to workers everywhere. In this
small way, we are doing our part to help people achieve the
American Dream. This dream that workers can hold dear regard-
less of race, color, national origin, gender, creed, or religious
beliefs.
The Pacific Northwest Regional Council of Carpenters
Representing more than 5.000 construction workers in Oregon State.
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September 21, 2011 The Portland Skanner Page 5