Ain't I a Beauty Queen?

Gazing into a Distorted Looking Glass: Masculinity, Femininity, Appearance Ideals, and the Black Body

“…From the Mammies, Jezebels, and breeder women of slavery to the smiling Aunt Jemimas on pancake mix boxes, ubiquitous Black prostitutes, and ever-present welfare mothers of contemporary popular culture, negative stereotypes applied to African-American women have been fundamental to Black women's oppression. (Collins 2000, 5) At the margins of society, Black women have also been historically depicted in contradictory ways -as domineering and nurturing, sexually voracious and asexual, passive and aggressive (Beauboeuf-Lafontant 2007;Bordo 1993aBordo , 1997Collins 2000Collins , 2004Craig 2002;Harris-Lacewell 2001;Hooks 1992Hooks , 2001Jewell 1993;Lakoff and Scherr 1984;Peiss 1998;Riggs 1987Riggs , 1995Rose 2003;Staples 1973Staples , 2006. Furthermore, stereotypical images that were developed during slavery and adapted post-emancipation of the Mammy, Aunt Jemima, Matriarch, Jezebel, and Sapphire still affect how Black women are portrayed in relationship to beauty, femininity, and womanhood today (Jewell 1993).…”

“…Used as a form of social and sexual control of the ethnic Others' body (i.e. Black women's supposed animalistic, hypersexual nature justified rape by White masters), derogatory images of exaggerated African features like curly hair, a broad nose, and large lips reinforced notions of Black inferiority (Collins 2000(Collins , 2004Craig 2002;Gossett 1997;hooks 1992Mercer 1994;Nagel 2003;Peiss 1998;Riggs 1987):…”

‘This big bum thing has taken over the world’: Considering black women’s changing views on body image and the role of celebrity

“…Applying this to a wider social context, Shaw and others (e.g. Berry, 2008;Craig, 2006) argue that there remains great pressure on those from Black and minority ethnic groups to adopt white notions of beauty in order to be socially mobile, and despite western societies presenting an image of diversity and inclusion, racism and segregation very much remain.…”

“…By making Black women visible and by creating cultural spaces 'that validate and celebrate African and Black bodies' (Buchanan, 1993: 48), Blackness and fatness can work to rival the white aesthetic and confront the racism inherent in dominant beauty standards (Collins, 1990;Craig, 2006;Shaw, 2006). One such example is provided by Essence magazine, an American publication established in 1970, which offers an alternative to the stereotypical depictions of Black women and reconstructs them as beautiful.…”

“Combing” Through Representations of Black Girls’ Hair in African American Children’s Literature

“…Our analysis is informed by the theoretical perspectives of scholars of Black feminist thought (Collins, 2000;hooks, 1993) as well as the research of cultural studies experts across various disciplines (e.g., anthropology, Black studies, and sociology) who investigate cultural practices linked to Black hair (Banks, 2000;Byrd and Tharps, 2001;Craig, 2002;Jacobs-Huey, 2006;Rooks, 1996). One of the central tenets of Black feminist thought is the notion that Black women experience multiple, intersecting forms of oppression.…”