MEDIA INFLUENCE

Image courtesy of Don Addis

Growing up as female in society is a struggle in itself, but being a female and black is an even harder dilemma in America. Mass Media has a powerful effect on the way we view others and ourselves. I am constantly fed media images of what constitutes "beauty" on a daily basis, but hardly any of those images involve people that look like me. Fair skin and long hair is what society tells me I need to resemble to feel beautiful.

When a representation of me is shown on television, I am often represented as a stereotype. More specifically, as the "Loud, Angry Black Woman" or "The Hassling Baby Mama". These media messages influence society to generalize all black women in a negative way. Currently, stars from popular reality television shows such as "Love and Hip Hop Atlanta" ,The Real Housewives of Atlanta, and "Bad Girls Club" exist as idolized figures for young, black women. These idolized women hold no greater substance than exercising violence, sexuality, and tasteless behavior. Our black girls are subjected to the idea that this behavior is acceptable, because there is a lack of positive African American women displayed in media. In result, brown girls support and exhibit these acts in their everyday lives. The Editor-in-Chief Vanessa K. Bush of Essence Magazine, proclaimed that if media images of black women were more diverse, there would be more of a balance and show "a truer picture of who they are". Bush found it more troubling in the Essence study that women were more likely to find these images "compelling".

"You're not like other black girls, you're classy", a statement meant to exist as a compliment, but has always stood as an insult to me. Translation: "I thought all black girls were loud and ghetto, but you're an acceptable one". I have been placed in a box categorized by race. Within this box lies stereotypes and preconceptions of who I'm known to be because of my skin color.

When we encounter a certain group of people and most of them share the same characteristics, as humans we easily use those characteristics to make sense of that entire group. The frustration of having to prove myself worthy of a chance because I am an African American woman is tiresome, but also proves I am capable of carrying out my duties as a successful, educated human-being to the same extent as people outside of my ethnic group.

My heart smiles when I see First Lady Michelle Obama representing black women in a positive light, eluding poise, intelligence, and class. These are the type of women I grew up around and am familiar with, not the obnoxious women on television I am made out to be.

When you're asked to describe characteristics of a black woman, what will you say?

Race is often used to determine a person's attitude and personality. Unfortunately, It is linked to who we are as people by society and media's influence helps enforce that idea. As individuals we should develop our own opinion about people, eliminating race and stereotypes as a leading factor.