Women's sexual freedoms have always been linked to the patriarchy. It is known that throughout history women were supposed to be submissive, less educated and made to cater to men sexually. Anything other than that was unacceptable.
Due to the history of colonization the role that women of color played in relation to White men and more specifically White patriarchy has been even more horrific.
Although women globally have rejected this notion of submissiveness and ignorance, there are still many issues that Women of Color face–specifically Black women.
Black women's sexual identities have always been tied to their race. The sexism and oppression that they face as women cannot be divorced from their racial identity. They aren't seen as people, but objects, and this idea creates a negative power dynamic, making it difficult for them to create their own sexual identity.
Saartjie Baartman was a Black woman from South Africa who was apart of the KhoiKhoi Tribe. She was put on display naked, in freak shows in the 19th century because of her physique. She had a large buttocks, and wide hips. Many of the women from the KhoiKhoi tribe exhibited these features. Saartjie was was re-named to Hottentot Venus. (Although these physical characteristics are often associated with Black women this idea is another perpetuated notion that creates a false image a Black woman.) This idea that a Black woman could be put on display as a sexual object instead of a human still permeates our society today.
There are four major stereotypes that Black women are faced with. These stereotypes are perpetuated through the media.
1. The Welfare Mother
A Black woman who has sex with Black men only to breeds more children, in hopes to feed off of the system. This woman has no positive place in white culture.
2. Mammy
She represents nurture and asexuality. She is willing to serve and fulfill the needs of her master and his family domestic needs. She is always described as unattractive, and dark skinned with large and "typical" African features.
3. The Matriarch
Independent Black Woman who only has sex to emasculate and control men. “Independent Black Woman.”
Lastly, and the most notable stereotype of the Black Woman is
the Jezebel.
4. The Jezebel
She is submissive and a sexual deviant. She is made to have sex and to satisfy white men. She is to fulfill his sexual desires.
These strict archetypes of Black female sexuality are mixed and matched with each other to create different types of Black women to be perpetuated throughout the media.
The dangers of these stereotypes is that they get projected on to Black Women in real life. These ideas of how black women define their own sexual freedom is dangerous and hurtful.
Recently, a white cop named Daniel Hotzclaw was charged with 36 charges of rape and found guilty of 13 accounts of sexual assault. This man did not go to suburbia, or target White women.
Hotzclaw targeted Black women and girls ranging in ages from 17-57, all from poverty stricken areas. In prosecuting his case the district attorney said Hotzclaw had a “Who will believe these women, and who will care?" attitude. He specifically chose these Black women. He targeted these women because these were not the kind of victims that the media would have empathy for. These are women who are already stuck in the preset binaries of false sexual identities.
Rarely throughout history has rape ever been associated with Black women because Black women have been seen as "un-rapeable" due to the preset binaries that the media and history has perpetuated.
Freedom of sexual expression doesn't exist for Black women because they are caught in the jezebel dynamic which perpetuates the idea that Black women are deviant sexual creatures and it strips away their innocence and humanity.
If we are to progress as a society we must acknowledge that women are multifaceted people who can define their own sexual freedoms. Women of Color and Black women are not sexual objects but people.
