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Stereotypes Of African American Women In Media

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Stereotypes of African American Women in Media The media is a powerful force of American pop culture that it affects what people see. It leaves an enduring impression in the minds of children, teens, and adults by setting the tone for the values, morals, and images seen on television. According to article, The Media as an Agent of Gender Development, 2017, gender-related images presented in the media might influence children’s views of boys, girls, men, and women by what they see (397). The media has negatively affected African Americans by forcing stereotypes that have been deeply rooted ever since the age of slavery, African Americans have been treated as second-class citizens and stereotyped as stupid, lazy, irresponsible, cowardly, submissive, …show more content…

The stereotype was solidified from television show “Amos ‘n’ Andy”. She is a headstrong, bossy woman who channels her frustrations toward the African American man in her life by putting him down and nagging him. The Sapphire caricature is a control mechanism that is executed to punish African American women for violating the societal norms of being passive, submissive, non-threatening, and unseen. Today’s media illustrates the Sapphire as the "Angry Black Woman” which stems from the belief that African American women are expressive but opinionated, harsh, and have bad attitudes (Yarbrough & Bennett, 2000). This stereotype is probably the most popular classification of African American women today. It is said that our last First Lady of the US, Michelle Obama is classified as a modern day Sapphire, an angry black woman., because she is political and an independent thinker (Etzi, 2014). Because of her strong presence the public and media sometimes criticize her as being her husbands “puppet master” and controlling him. Many women battle against the Sapphire stereotype but Michelle defeated this ignorant and negative stereotype of African American women everywhere because she is a strong, independent, educated woman. She is not a feminine mystique, the 1960s society’s view of a woman as just a mother and wife (Schafer, 2017). She is also a highly inspirational woman among her African American culture because she stands up for what she believes

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