Framing Black women: The utility of knowledge

Abstract

This article reviews the literature on the socially constructed knowledge or myths about Black women by placing it within a cultural context. I identify three domains of research within this field. The first is the cultural production of socially constructed mythologies of Black women throughout various historical epochs, which includes an analysis of books, journals, scientific/medical documents, images, and other cultural products. I focus on two primary categories of stereotypes found in the literature: 1.) the myth of pathology and primitiveness and 2.) the myth of antithetical womanhood. The second is the utility of cultural knowledge-which is to control and regulate culture and to justify and establish particular types of norms, preferences, laws, policies, and practices within society.Lastly, I will discuss the resistance culture of Black women, which developed in response to stereotypical perceptions created about them.

An integrated theoretical framework to explain interpersonal moralistic conflict

“…As noted in the Ghanian case, societies establish justification systems such as religious sanctions, laws, and informal norms of social control that are invoked by those with social advantages to define and respond to perceived offences. Similarly, within micro‐systems of human interactions such as a family, school clique, workplace setting, military unit or training camp, some members have more disciplinary power to define behaviours as unacceptable and to punish those who offend the larger group's sensibilities (Slatton, 2018). The top rung of the status ladder means having a privileged position to define others’ behaviours as inappropriate and to punish or even dehumanize those who do not measure up to normative expectations.…”

Black Women's experiences of sexual assault and disclosure: Insights from the margins

“…This dichotomy calcified White fears of newly freed Black men and allowed Whites to justify and legitimize their terrorization of Black communities and lynching of Black men, all in the name of protecting of White women's “chastity” (Crenshaw, ; Freedman, ). In deep contrast to the chastity frame, Black women were defined by influential whites as animalistic, licentious, and hypersexed (Settles et al, ; Slatton, , ). These characterizations framed rape as something that simply could not happen to Black women (Settles et al, ).…”

Black Femininity and Stand Your Ground: Controlling Images and the Elusive Defense of Self-Defense

“…to White women (Collins, 2004;Slatton, 2017). As such, to be feminine or beautiful ultimately means being as close to White as possible (hooks, 1992).…”

“…The ideal woman, then, has never included Black femininity (Collins, 2004;Slatton, 2014). Black womanhood has become, through cultural production, antithetical womanhood (Collins, 1991;Slatton, 2017). Negative cultural images of Black women have long served to maintain the political economy of domination that creates an interlocking system of race, gender, and class oppression for Black females (Collins, 1991).…”

“…While stereotypes abound, the two most relevant to self-defense protection are the "Sapphire" or angry Black woman who is a domineering, tough, and fearless and the "failed Mammy," a bad mother, who is controlling, lazy, and dangerously fertile (Collins, 1991(Collins, , 2004Johnson, 2003;Slatton, 2017). The Sapphire is the origin of the modern angry Black woman stereotype and it is this set of assumptions that most clearly condemn Black women as incapable of the vulnerability necessary to invoke SYG protections.…”