The Resiliency of Black Women Despite Their “Unprotected” Status

To first look at the term unprotected as it relates to the Black woman, one must first look at the media.? In a democratic, pro-freedom of speech society like the United States, the news is a measure of how the nation perceives its citizen and is also a reflection of how citizens see themselves.? “Furthermore, media helps citizens make sense of the world around them, especially for depictions of people of different backgrounds.? Media sends readers and listeners hidden messages that suggest a story’s importance within society” (Moody, Dorries, Baldwin, & Blackman, 2009, pg. 3).

???? The media is important because it draws attention to issues and concerns of the nation’s population.? Put more simplistically, the media is the nation’s pulse: it displays the full measure of what is occurring in the United States socially, politically, and spiritually at any given time.? Yet, in its coverage of issues, it is quite biased and divisive, focusing on the triumphs and accomplishments of Whites, while highlighting the tragedies and degradation of people of color.? More specifically, Black women are left unprotected—even in the media—because they are not seen as pretty, young, white damsels in distress (Moody, Dorries, Baldwin, & Blackman, 2009) (Liebler, 2010).

???? In a 2009, researchers analyzed media coverage of missing white women.? Some of the names and cases are famous because of the national headlines their stories made: Laci Peterson, Elizabeth Smart, Chandra Levy, Dru Sjodin, Lori Hacking, Jennifer Wilbanks, and Natalie Holloway.? They then compared them to Black women who were of similar age and situation, but had gone missing at the same time.? What they found was startling.? Along with skin-color, “Physical appearance also plays a role in media coverage of women” (Moody, Dorries, Baldwin, & Blackman, 2009, pg. 6).?

???? This puts women of color—particularly Black women—in a precarious position.? Aesthetic perfection in the United States is based off a Eurocentric perception that white skin is preferrable to dark skin.? “The ideal of female beauty in this country puts a premium on lightness and softness mythically associated with white women and downplays the rich stylistic manners associated with Black women” (West, 1993, pg. 97). ?During a critical time when media is needed to highlight dangers facing them, how are Black women to compete with white women for equity in coverage?? They can’t.

???? Tamika Antoinette Huston, a 24-year-old African American woman, disappeared in May, 2004.? Her boyfriend, Christopher Hampton, killed her.? It would be over a year before her body was discovered in a shallow grave in Duncan, South Carolina.? Her case received no national media coverage (Moody, Dorries, Baldwin, & Blackman, 2009).? In contrast, Lori Hacking, a white woman who was 27 years old, received news exposure right after her disappearance in 2004.? America’s Most Wanted finally reported Huston’s case, but it was in 2005, a year after her disappearance.? While there are other cases used, they all show a similar pattern and a reoccurring theme.? The United States only appears concerned with the personal well-being of its female citizens if they are young, white, and attractive; in other words, if they are damsels in distress.? In the first decade of this century, the biased nature of media coverage was so apparent, that comedian Jon Stewart actually wrote a formula for how much airtime missing white people or Black people receive: “y (minutes of media coverage) = Family Income x (Abductee Cuteness ÷ Skin Color) + Length of Abduction x Media Savvy of Grieving Parents” (Allen, 2017, pa. 10).

???? The same scenario can be said of Latoyia Figuero, a 24-year-old Latina, pregnant with her second child, who disappeared July 15, 2005, from a Philadelphia neighborhood.? Her disappearance, which wasn’t reported in the news until nine days later, was only highlighted because local blogger Richard Blair wrote a highly contemptible piece on the lack of the media’s response, sending it to CNN’s Nancy Grace.? By contrast, 18-year-old Natalie Holloway, a white woman from Birmingham, Alabama, who had gone missing in Aruba on May 30, 2005, was constantly featured on news channels.? “Cable news channels ran the story continuously—indeed, a search of the LexisNexis database reveals 1,880 print and broadcast stories from May 30, the date of Holloway’s disappearance, to Labor Day that same year” (Liebler, 2010, p. 549-550).?

???? Columnist Eugene Robinson chalks the MWWS up more succinctly.? “A damsel must be white. This requirement is nonnegotiable. It helps if her frame is of dimensions that breathless cable television reporters can credibly describe as “petite,” and it also helps if she's the kind of woman who wouldn't really mind being called “petite,” a woman with a good deal of princess in her personality. She must be attractive—also nonnegotiable. Her economic status should be middle class or higher, but an exception can be made in the case of wartime. Put all this together, and you get 24-7 coverage” (Robinson E., 2005, pa. 8). ?If something as seemingly innocent and benign as media coverage leaves Black women so unprotected, it is a surety they are destined to encounter other adverse hardships along the way.

???? Still, why is it imperative to look at the “unprotected” status of Black women?? To quote Jawaharlal Nehru, “You can tell the condition of a nation by looking at the status of its women.” Life begins with the woman.? If a nation does not seek to constantly improve the status of its better halves, how does it expect to achieve?? In the beginning of their life cycles, children are inexplicably tied to their mothers, and rightly so.? Unfortunately, if a mother’s condition is compromised, so is the child’s.? This is not to diminish the responsibility of the man.? Without getting into gender politics, both sides—male AND female—have their own unique parts to play.? Yet, in a patriarchal society wherein males of one tribe seek to dominate another, the first act is usually to neutralize and, or, eliminate the males of the opposing tribe.?

???? After this, without anyone around to physically “guard” them, the women of the dominated tribe are left alone and open to attack by a physically superior force.? If an opposing tribe can control the condition of another tribe’s women, they can therefore dominate and control that tribe.? This has been the machination of man since the beginning of time and has been the reality for many African Americans since their debut to America.? Sojourner Truth is discussed in this book because she is one who perhaps best represents the “unprotected” Black woman. A force of nature, she was the epitome of independence, resiliency, and determination.??

???? Financial stability is a major factor in determining upward social mobility: African Americans of economic means are better able to protect themselves against the adversities of systemic racism and sexism.? Black women have long flexed their economic independence.? Collectively, they have been in the workforce longer than females of any other racial group (Banks, 2019).? Initially, most of this was out of necessity.? While white women essentially didn’t enter the workforce as a group until World War I (Davis T. , 2020), Black women didn’t have such a luxury and entered en masse after the Civil War. Specifically, it has often taken two incomes to make ends meet in Black households.?

???? Currently, though, Black women who work full-time year-around are paid only $.63 of every dollar that white, non-Hispanic men make (The Wage Gap: The Who, How, Why, and What To Do, 2017).? Black women who work full-time, year-around, in Louisiana fair even worse; they make only $.47 for every dollar non-Hispanics, white men make (Black Women and the Wage Gap: Fact Sheet, 2020).? (As a group, women make $.82 for every dollar white, non-Hispanic males make).? Of the three low-wage industries dominated by women—personal care aides, home health aides, and service jobs (food prep and fast food)—African American females make up approximately half (46%) of its workforce (The Wage Gap: The Who, How, Why, and What To Do, 2017).?

???? In contrast, African American women are the breadwinners in 80% of Black households (Banks, 2019) (DuMonthier, Childs, & Milli, 2017).? Such independence, though, has its costs.? Many can’t afford to miss even one day of work. The reason? “Over a third (36 percent) of black women workers lack paid sick leave” (Banks, 2019, pa. 12). ?Additionally, the vast majority of Black households (67%) are headed by women, compared to 42% of Latino households, and 25% of white households (Pfaff, 2018). In 2017, with a median annual income of $36,000, African American women made 21% less money than white women (Banks, 2019). This leads to another subject; economic hardship. The ratio of poverty for Black women compared to white women is 24.6% to 10.8%, respectively (for Black men, it is 18.9%). “Black women experience poverty at higher rates than Black men and women from all other racial/ethnic groups except Native American women” (DuMonthier, Childs, & Milli, 2017, p. XV). ?

???? Additionally, poverty affects African American women in other ways. With not as much access to healthcare, they are three times more likely than white females to die during pregnancy or childbirth (Pfaff, 2018). Black women have the highest obesity rates of any race in the United States; four out of five are obese. Of this, 16% are extremely overweight (Jones-DeWeever & Lewis, The State of Black Women’s Health , 2014). High blood pressure, which can be correlated to obesity, is one the reasons it remains the highest factor of deaths among Black women.? Though this is the case for the rest of the nation as well, “…a new study focused on ‘The Stroke Belt,’ (12 southeastern states with the highest incidents of strokes in nation) found that Black women are more likely to suffer from high blood pressure than Black men, white men, or white women” (Jones-DeWeever & Lewis, The State of Black Women’s Health, 2014, p. 12). HIV, which was disproportionate among Black females, decreased between 2008 — 2010; the new rate of infections fell 20%. However, “In 2010, Black women accounted for 13% of all HIV infections in the U.S. and 64% of all infections among women”(Jones-DeWeever & Lewis, The State of Black Women’s Health, 2014, p. 11). ?

???? African American women have higher assault rates by intimate partners than women of any other race by a margin of 41.2% to 31.5% (DuMonthier, Childs, & Milli, 2017), though historically they have habitually been targets of sexual abuse (to be discussed more in depth later in this chapter).? Approximately 18.8% of Black women in the National Violence Against Women survey reported they had been raped (Tjaden & Thoennes, 2006), and it is estimated that at least 20% of Black women will be sexually assaulted during their lifetimes. Yet Black females who live in poverty are especially susceptible to sexual harassment. In a study of one impoverished apartment building, 42% of the African American female residents reported they had engaged in unwanted sex with a male partner because of intimidation (Kalichman, Belcher, Nachimson, Cherry, & Williams, 1998).? In a different study, 67% of Black women in a low-income community who received government assistance reported they had been sexually assaulted (Honeycutt, Marshall, & Weston, 2001).?

???? The disproportionate number of Black women in poverty also invariably displaces many within the clutches of the legal system. In 2014, Black females were two times more likely than white females to be incarcerated (DuMonthier, Childs, & Milli, 2017).? According to Jones-DeWeever (2014), this might be related to adversities in the educational system. “Black girls receive out of school suspensions at higher rates than all other girls and most boys. In fact, their suspension rate exceeds that of Whites, Latinas, and Asian girls combined. The disproportionate rate of school disciplinary actions may in fact be linked to the recent surge in Black girls’ involvement with the juvenile justice system. Today, Black girls are the fastest growing segment of America’s juvenile justice system” (Jones-DeWeever, The Education of Black Women, 2014, p. 18.).???

???? If a nation is judged by the status of its women, as Nehru says, the question needs to be asked once more. Why has there not been a national outcry for the Black woman?? Does the ideology of BLM only extend to holding police accountable for the deaths of young Black men?? Or does its belief extend to protecting the Black woman and, therefore, ensuring the upward mobility of the Black race?? Apparently, America is rife with contradiction and hypocrisy.? During slavery in the United States, the Africans’ status as chattel stripped away his/her legal and social rights, reducing them to the status of an object. Owners could do whatever they wanted with their property, and they often did. For Black women, perhaps no other aspect of this callousness was demonstrated more so than in the sexual realm.

???? “Sexual violence and exploitation have, to a great extent, shaped Black women’s lives both in the stereotypes through which society defines them, and in their perception of self.? Many of the challenges that Black women face today are rooted in systematic racial trauma.? Indeed, negative stereotypes, microaggressions, identity conflicts and their marginalized status in America—can be traced back to the slave-era.? While it is true that slavery subjected both men and women to hard labor, subjugation, emotional and psychological brutality—similar in degree—the persistent, brutal rape, sexual violence, prostitution and forced breeding of slave women and girls to fuel and sustain a profitable economic system, was an aspect of slavery that was by most account, unique to Black women” (Luckoo, 2018, pp. 21-22).

???? According to Summerville (2004), approximately 58% of Black female slaves, aged 15 – 30, were sexually assaulted by white men during slavery (Sommerville, 2004). Sojourner Truth can be counted among the molested victims, although her sexual assault occurred by the hands of her slaver master and his wife (Painter, 1996). Still, while the situation of Truth’s rape was unusual in that one of her protagonists was of the same sex, the sexual politics of slavery in which she was ensnared was just as confounding and insidious. According to Jeffrey J. Pokorak (2006), “For Black women, control came primarily in the form of the slave system of female dual-usage: slave women were expected to be both efficient laborers and efficient breeders” (2006, p. 38). Dorothy Roberts (2015) goes further by stating, “Black procreation helped to sustain slavery, giving slave masters an economic incentive to govern Black women’s reproductive lives. Slave women’s childbearing replenished the enslaved labor force: Black women bore children who belonged to the slave owner from the moment of their conception” (Roberts, 2015, p. 22).

Works Cited?

Allen, V. (2017, April 29). The Madeleine McCann Syndrome. Retrieved December 3, 2020, from heraldscotland.com: https://perma.cc/59G8-H5EY

Banks, N. (2019, February 19). Black women’s labor market history reveals deep-seated race and gender discrimination. Retrieved October 5, 2020, from Epi.org: https://www.epi.org/blog/black-womens-labor-market-history-reveals-deep-seated-race-and-gender-discrimination/

Davis, T. (2020). Eleanor Roosevelt, The Great Migration, and The Great Depression (Vol. 1). Kansas City, Missouri: Spoken History and Education and Publishing Services.

DuMonthier, A., Childs, C., & Milli, J. (2017, June 7). The Status of Black Women in the United States. Retrieved October 9, 2020, from iwpr.org: https://iwpr.org/iwpr-issues/race-ethnicity-gender-and-economy/the-status-of-black-women-in-the-united-states/

Honeycutt, T. C., Marshall, L. L., & Weston, R. (2001, July 1). Toward ethnically specific models of employment, public assistance and victimization. Violence Against Women, 7(7), 848-850.

Pfaff, L. G. (2018, October 9). The Reality of Being a Black Woman in America. Retrieved October 5, 2020, from https://www.rutgers.edu/news/reality-being-black-woman-america

Jones-DeWeever, A. (2014). The Education of Black Women. Black Women In The United States, 2014 Progress and Challenges 50 Years After the War on Poverty 50 Years After the 1964 Civil Rights Act 60 Years After Brown v. Board of Education (pp. 23-29). National Coalition on Black Civic Participation.

Jones-DeWeever, A., & Lewis, L. T. (2014). The State of Black Women’s Health . Black Women’s Roundtable (pp. 11-22). National Coalition on Black Civic Participation.

Liebler, C. M. (2010, December). The “Missing White Woman Syndrome” and Media Self-Critique, Communication, Culture and Critique. Communication, Culture and Critique, 3(4), 549-565.

Luckoo, P. (2018, June). Deconstructing Negative Stereotypes, Myths And Microaggressions About Black Women: Reconstructing Black Women ’s Narrative, Identity And The Empowering Nature Of Ethnic Identity. Retrieved December 2, 2020, from digitialcommons.nl.edu: https://digitalcommons.nl.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1334&context=diss

Moody, M., Dorries, B., Baldwin, M., & Blackman, H. (2009, January). The Invisible Damsel: Differerences in How National Media Framed Coverage of Missing Black and White Women. Retrieved December 3, 2020, from researchgate.net: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/275464705_The_Invisible_Damsel_Differerences_in_How_National_Media_Framed_Coverage_of_Missing_Black_and_White_Women

Pokorak, J. J. (2006). Rape as a badge of slavery: The legal history of, and remedies for, prosecutorial race-of-victim charging disparities. Nevada Law Journal, 7(1), 1-72.

Roberts, D. (2015). Killing the Black Body: Race, Reproduction, and the Meaning of Liberty. New York, New York Citt, USA: Pantheon Books.

Robinson, E. (2005, June 10). (White) Women We Love. Retrieved December 3, 2020, from washingtonpost.com: https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/06/09/AR2005060901729.html

The Wage Gap: The Who, How, Why, and What To Do. (2017, September 7). Retrieved October 5, 2020, from Nwlc.org: https://nwlc.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/The-Wage-Gap-The-Who-How-Why-and-What-to-Do-2017-2.pdf

Tjaden, P., & Thoennes, N. (2006). Extent, nature, and consequence of rape victimization: Findings from the national Violence Against Women Survey . D.C, Washington: U.S. Department of Justice Programs. Retrieved October 5, 2020, from https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffo;es1/nij/210346.pdf

West, C. (1993). Race Matters. New York, New York, USA: Vintage Books.

Word Bank: Define the following terms?

1.???? Aesthetic

2.???? Disparities

3.???? Eurocentric

4.???? Media

5.???? Patriarchal

6.???? Rape

7.???? Racism

8.???? Sexual

9.???? Socioeconomic

10. Violence

Formative and Talking Points Questions

1.???? Describe the role of the media in shaping public perceptions of Black women in the United States.

2.???? Analyze the disparities in media coverage between missing white women and missing Black women. Provide examples from the text.

3.???? Discuss how the concept of “aesthetic perfection” based on Eurocentric standards affects the media coverage of Black women.

4.???? Evaluate the economic challenges faced by Black women as described in the text, particularly in comparison to other racial groups.

5.???? Examine the impact of economic hardship on Black women’s health and safety. What are some of the specific health issues mentioned in the text?

6.???? Explain the connection between Black women's economic independence and the rate of intimate partner violence as mentioned in the article.

7.???? What historical factors contribute to the current socioeconomic status of Black women, according to the text? Provide at least two examples.

8.???? Discuss the ways in which Black women have been disproportionately affected by the legal system and educational disparities.

9.???? Reflect on the statement by Jawaharlal Nehru regarding the condition of a nation and the status of its women. How does this apply to the situation of Black women in America as outlined in the text?

10. Analyze how the legacy of slavery continues to influence the perception and treatment of Black women in contemporary society.

Word Bank Answers

1.???? Aesthetic: relating to beauty or the appreciation of beauty; concerned with the perception and appreciation of art and design.

2.???? Disparities: inequalities or differences in outcomes, conditions, or opportunities, often seen between different groups, such as racial or socioeconomic groups.

3.???? Eurocentric: viewing the world from a European or Western perspective, often to the exclusion or marginalization of non-European cultures and viewpoints.

4.???? Media: the various means of communication, such as television, radio, newspapers, and the internet, that provide news, entertainment, and information to the public.

5.???? Patriarchal: relating to a system or society where men hold the majority of power and authority, often to the detriment or exclusion of women.

6.???? Rape: the unlawful and non-consensual sexual intercourse or sexual assault, typically involving the use of force, coercion, or the threat of violence.

7.???? Racism: prejudice, discrimination, or antagonism directed against someone of a different race based on the belief that one’s own race is superior.

8.???? Sexual: relating to or involving sex or the sexes, including aspects of behavior, orientation, and physical relationships.

9.???? Socioeconomic: pertaining to or involving both social and economic factors, often used to describe individuals' or groups' status in society based on income, education, and occupation.

10. Violence: the use of physical force or power, whether threatened or actual, against oneself, another person, or a group, which results in or has a high likelihood of resulting in injury, death, psychological harm, or deprivation.

Formative and Talking Points Answers?

1.???? The media plays a crucial role in shaping public perceptions by often portraying Black women negatively or not at all, leading to their underrepresentation and marginalization. The text highlights that media coverage tends to focus on the achievements of white individuals while neglecting or misrepresenting Black women, leaving them unprotected and undervalued in society.

2.???? The text provides several examples of disparities in media coverage, including the cases of Tamika Antoinette Huston and Lori Hacking. Huston, a Black woman, received minimal national coverage compared to Hacking, a white woman whose case was widely reported. This disparity is attributed to racial biases and the preference for covering stories involving young, white women.

3.???? The concept of “aesthetic perfection” in the U.S. is heavily influenced by Eurocentric standards that favor light skin and certain features typically associated with white women. This bias results in less media coverage and public sympathy for Black women, who do not fit this idealized image.

4.???? Black women face significant economic challenges, including lower wages compared to white men and women, higher rates of poverty, and limited access to paid sick leave. These disparities highlight the systemic barriers that prevent Black women from achieving economic stability and upward mobility.

5.???? Economic hardship exacerbates health issues for Black women, including higher rates of obesity, high blood pressure, and maternal mortality. The lack of access to healthcare and the stress associated with economic instability contribute to these adverse health outcomes.

6.???? Economic independence among Black women, while empowering, also makes them vulnerable to intimate partner violence, as financial strain can exacerbate tensions in relationships. The text notes that Black women experience higher rates of intimate partner violence compared to other racial groups.

7.???? Historical factors such as the legacy of slavery and systemic racism have significantly contributed to the socioeconomic status of Black women. The text mentions the dual role of Black women as laborers and breeders during slavery and the continued economic exploitation and marginalization that followed.

8.???? Black women are disproportionately affected by the legal system, with higher rates of incarceration compared to white women. Educational disparities, such as higher suspension rates for Black girls, also contribute to their involvement in the juvenile justice system and later life difficulties.

9.???? Nehru’s statement about the condition of a nation being reflected in the status of its women applies to Black women in America, who are often neglected and face systemic barriers. Their status reveals underlying racial and gender inequalities that persist in American society.

10. The legacy of slavery continues to influence how Black women are perceived and treated today, with enduring stereotypes and systemic discrimination rooted in the historical exploitation of Black women’s bodies and labor. These issues manifest in ongoing disparities in media representation, economic opportunities, and legal treatment.