Le Vrai Moi

Servant of the Most High God, Jesus Christ. La beauté est dans les yeux du spectateur ♥

[love-finds-me]

The misrepresentation and over-sexualization images of black women in the media is a racial injustice issue that needs to addressed today. So my group decided to get other opinions about this issue, especially young black women. We came up with a survey (shown above) and had young women fill it out. Most of the young women described themselves with the adjectives like, academic, gentle, sensitive, easygoing, loving, honest, creative, reflective or trustworthy. Then they circled how they would describe women shown in the media; some words were promiscuous, loud, hostile, wild, dominant, or violent. The three questions at the bottom of the page allowed the females to express their opinions or views on the misrepresentation and over-sexualization of black women in the media. Most of the answers the young black women had put down on the surveys, were about their body comparison to the females who’s bodies are showcased in the media. Other answers touched on personal issues the women had with the stereotypes of the music industry. 

Not only did we get young black women to explain to us how they felt, about the representation of black women in the media, we used social media to create and start the movement. The movement of branding our hashtag and making it none to people was a success. The hashtag #BlackBeautyBeyondTheBooty made its mark on twitter! It was and still is great! People from all different kinds of races spoke positivity about the hashtag and the movement. Most of the tweets showcased around black women being beautiful, and not having their beauty be classified by their “ big” assets. 

In order for this idea to branch out more, my group needs to start with a conversation. I think reaching out to the young people, through organizations on this campus is a great way to create awareness of the misrepresentation and over-sexualization images of black women in the media. Or another idea can consist of creating a seminar dedicated to this racial injustice issue at a local church. With the help of the church we can gather up young and old people to talk about topic and their experience with it (if any). 

The seminar would start off with the question regarding the misrepresentation and over-sexualization, whether is it acceptable in their eyes. Then it would lead into whether or not if they’ve had any experience with looking like a certain stereotype, or have they ever been in that place where they’d ever compare themselves, or others to what they see in the media. It would be nice if the seminar included photos that compared what society views as beautiful, verses photos of women who were the total opposite, but still beautiful. 

All the steps have one common factor, conversation. Conversation about this topic will spark dialog and thought process. Since racial injustice issue is just so mainstream in society now, it will lead to critical conversation. One conversation will lead to others, which will only spread more awareness of this enticing topic. 

[love-finds-me]

This video is significant because shows how because of the Jezebel spirit from long ago, has formed this hyper sexualization of “beautiful” Black females in the media. 

[love-finds-me]

“A new campaign called ‘Rewind&Reframe’(1) is launched today (11 November) which sees young women denouncing sexism and racism in many contemporary music videos and calling on the music industry and the Government to address it.”(rewind reframe.org) Rewind&Reframe is a UK based campaign, that is a positive movement about the misogyny of women in music videos. This campaign started recently in 2013 and it speaks about the seduction and over sexualization of young females in the media, especially in the music industry. This campaign goes hand in hand with our racial justice issue; misinterpretation and over-sexualization images off Black females in the media. The reason being, is because Rewind&Reframe organization is all for the feelings of young black women viewing these “video-vixens” or women with enlarged assets and “coca cola” body types in the music videos. This campaign not only thinks about what the music industry women are doing, to the confidence of young black women and their own bodies, but how will this view of beauty will shape the future. Rewind&Reframe’s movement is to spark conversation about the different ways the depiction of females in the music industry are creating this certain stereotype of black women.

http://www.rewindreframe.org  

[love-finds-me]

Blog post 5 must provide a short (200-300 words) review of a scholarly article related to your topic. Each group member must include a unique and relevant scholarly article and image with his or her post. Include hash tag #scholarly.

This article, The Essence of Res(ex)pectability: Black Women’s Negotiation of Black Femininity in Rap Music and Music Video  by Shanara Reid-Brinkley, discusses the depiction of Black Females in rap music videos. It elaborates on how the sexism portrayed by the black women in the videos led to campaigns about the issue. The fascination of the over-sexualization of black women in music videos, came from the videos of a certain rap artist named Nelly. His rap videos showed most black women “acting” as prostitutes and being seductive (example: picture shown above). Many protests created by Spelman College, looked at the different views of black femininity.

 Reid-Brinkley not only wrote about the #BlackBeautyBeyondTheBooty movement in a way, but explained about organizations that spoke about black class and dignity. She also discussed on the matter of being a “black queen”, and not having to follow society’s view of beauty, (big assets, small waist, etc.) but being yourself. Our injustice issue is about how black women are displayed as seductive or as “jezebels” in music videos. This scholarly article supports our issue and also gives incite that people are actually taking matters into their own hands and are doing something about it.

http://search.proquest.com/pqrl/docview/196904857/F715D22F41A34A2CPQ/1?accountid=14541 

[love-finds-me]

10 Horrifying Facts About the Sexual Exploitation of Enslaved Black Women written by Taylor Gordon is a article that analyzes the over-sexualization of African American females bodies in the media. In the article, the last fact stated by the author explained the reasoning behind why black female bodies were being shown as sexual desires in media, mainly through music. The author pointed out that the sexual violation of black women in the past has influenced a certain stereotype shown in the media today. Gordon referred to the word “jezebel” and according to Marilyn Yarbrough with Crystal Bennett’s book, Cassandra and the "Sistahs": the Peculiar Treatment of African American Women in the Myth of Women as Liars Journal of Gender, Race and Justice, the definition of that word is “the promiscuous female with an insatiable sexual appetite." Gordon indicates that the jezebel stereotypes shown in mainstream media by artists’ such as Nicki Minaj, are from the sexual exploitation of enslaved black women. It paved a way for black women to be shown seductively through media and made that “idea” a social norm within today’s society. Now, due to the acceptance of those stereotypes (perception of black women), it creates a major social injustice issue.

http://atlantablackstar.com/2014/11/05/10-horrifying-facts-about-the-sexual-exploitation-of-enslaved-black-women-you-may-not-know/5/  

[love-finds-me]

The purpose of the #BBBTB hashtag is to bring awareness to the depiction of African American females bodies displayed in the media. Their assets are shown and used for entertainment; also the females are viewed as seductive and over sexualized through how they are portrayed. The reason why my group picked the hashtag #BBBTB is because the way how African American female assets are “advertised” through media, it causes an emotional disturbance of the young African American females. They look at the media and see the big butts, small waists, or the big breasted women and yearn for those assets, so they can receive the amount of attention the “video vixens” are getting. It also leads the young Black women to idolize these women on the media and to hate their own bodies or try to change their bodies if it doesn't appear to be that “coca cola shape” body that everyone loves. The over-sexualized woman shown on the media not only has an affect on young Black women but it creates a social norm for African American females. It creates the norm of Black women having big butts and big breasts who are “ghetto” or has multiple partners and/or is not well educated. We hope to being awareness to this matter and help young Black women love themselves and how their bodies are naturally. We also hope to stop this society’s over-sexualized view of Black women through media. My group decided on having seminars in local churches to educate young Black women on this matter because the young are the future and they can change the world.

[love-finds-me]

[love-finds-me]

#BlackBeautyBeyondTheBooty

The #BlackBeautyBeyondTheBooty hashtag was created to facilitate and make an awareness of how African American females are portrayed sexually through the media particularly through music. My group chose the hashtag as a part of our racial injustice issue because, it screams social acceptance of African American women; who don’t have the components that sum up society’s view of beauty. Being black and beautiful doesn’t have to be defined by how big someone’s assets are or if she has a “coca cola bottle” shape. In music videos, often in rap or r&b, African American women are depicted as seductive and are either dancing, “twerking”, or doing something to show off their assets. This hashtag gives meaning to black beauty without the pressures of having a big butt, breast, or a small waist. We decided on the butt being the one factor that would be present in the hashtag because of its high value in society’s image of beauty. This hashtag will create different perspectives revolving around the word booty. Due to the fascination of African American women buttocks in the media, many will draw near to that word and tie it in with their own aspect of  “black beauty”. The hashtag might be interpreted as a way to change the representation of African American women beauty standards and to uplift young black women. 

[monicastylemuse]

New video http://youtu.be/8gA6R5MxZaM get the look. All shot by my brother Juan Veloz - @jveloz Follow me Monicastylemuse

[love-finds-me]

My group and I decided to focus on how African American female bodies are over-sexualized through the media. We chose this topic to be a major racial injustice problem for this society because the view of the common African American woman body (enhanced body parts, such as breast and buttocks), shown on the media is mostly portrayed as a sexual display for an audience to desire after. This racial justice issue is similar to how the media saw Saartjie Baartman, who was taken from Cape Town, South Africa to Europe during the 19th century only to be featured in an European exhibit for her, “unnatural and amusing” assets. The Europeans used Baartman as their sexual entertainment by presenting her as an object through media, and in front of spectators only to be mocked for her enhanced body parts. Forwarding to this day and age, African American female bodies are STILL being shown over-sexually through the media. We are represented as “video vixens” or “sexy” models only to please an audience. This over-sexualization of African American women bodies surfacing the media often also blocks and puts into question the emotional effect of young African American women. 

[themelaninmemoirs]

Our group has decided to focus on the racial injustice that is the over-sexualization of African American women’s bodies in the media. As black women, this topic holds great weight in our lives as we navigate a popular culture that largely regards us as mere bodies to be critiqued and lusted after. Having scarce representation in the media that most of us absorb from childhood and beyond can be a negative experience in and of itself for young black girls in the midst of identity formation, but for a large fraction of that very limited representation to regard us as targets of sexualization can be absolutely toxic. This issue can be considered one of racial injustice due to its perpetuated historical roots, and how the messages of the black woman being a spectacle for sexual consumption have transformed into a modernized concept. As a population, black women have been repeatedly targeted as a caricature of stereotyped sexuality—an example being the frequent depictions of them as gold diggers, jezebels, and “baby mamas” in films and music. Such pervasive messages often seep into the collective consciousness of the many people who consume mass media, thus making way for the systematic exploitation of black women, which overshadows the truly multi-dimensional reality of what it actually means—or can—mean to be an African American woman.

[auverly]

[blogsbynev]

Dresses | Jumpsuits | $9.90 fashion items 

[breath-of-l1fe]

Praise Dance Is…WORSHIP IN MOTION!!!

[the-worship-project]

How He Loves - original print from The Worship Project.

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[african-fashion-design-blog]

Iconic Invanity by Nancy Nwadire - Spring/Summer 2013 - “ Luxury Sweet Candy" is an exuberant display of luxury fabrics, infinite detail, creative embellishment and sophisticated bead work typical of the contemporary yet wearable glamour the brand attributes to the wardrobe of the discerning woman.

[mitten-soup]

[angolaworld19]