Beware the Jezebel

Throughout the history of media, Black women have been represented by a multitude of archetypes. From the infamous lustful Jezebel, to the subordinate slave role of Mammies, the angry black woman, the nice girl, the magical negro, just to name a few. Black women have found themselves to be the fixation of the white worlds lens. This began to change when Black directors began taking control of the stories of Black people including Black women. However there are still issues with the portrayal of Black women. The negative stereotypes of these archetypes, while have provided exposure for black talent, have also caused damage. When these stereotypes are mass produced, whether by Black directors or white directors, it becomes the staple image of how the world outside of media.

Being responsible content creators, it is important and our duty that we make sure we are being responsible story tellers and, if we choose to portray a small fact of the Black woman’s identity. We must be conscious that we allow the audience to understand that Black women can be presented in a numerous amount of ways. The black girl nerd, the popular black girl, the warrior, the wizard, the underdog, and many more. These lens

are explored by other races and genders and just recently Black women have been able to participate in the diversity of media. Hopefully this trend will continue and Black women will be in seen in a range of stories and roles