Description
Book SynopsisExemplary Representations of African American Women on Television: Queen Sugar On Screen and Behind the Scenes argues that the Oprah Winfrey Network’s program Queen Sugar is a significant contribution to mainstream media that creates a space for deeper conversations concerning Black/African American women’s social roles, social class, and social change. Ollie Jefferson provides a unique analysis of the television drama by using the exemplary representations conceptual framework, which is designed to define exemplars represented as characters that illustrate the complex humanity of Black lives—in this case, multidimensional female characters. Jefferson highlights the best practices used by female African American producers Oprah Winfrey and Ava DuVernay, using Queen Sugar as a case study that broadens understanding of the media industry’s need for culturally sensitive and conscious inclusion of people of color behind the scenes—as media owners, creators, writers, directors, and producers—to put an end to the persistent and pervasive misrepresentations of African American women on camera. Scholars of television studies, media studies, women’s studies, and race studies will find this book particularly useful.
Table of ContentsAcknowledgments
Preface
Introduction and Overview: Transforming the Storylines Above-the-Lines
Chapter 1: Mass Media Myths and Misrepresentations
Chapter 2: Television Typecasts
Chapter 3: Media Exclusion to Inclusion
Chapter 4: Multimedia Mogul Trending New Ground
Chapter 5: Changing the Channel: Mainstream Media Messages
Chapter 6: Inclusive Crew Commentary on Countering Narratives
Chapter 7: Complex Characters Countering Stereotypes
Chapter 8: Cultural Context in Community
Chapter 9: The Businesswoman On-Screen
Chapter 10: The Activist Woman On-Screen
Chapter 11: The Seasoned Woman On-Screen
Chapter 12: The Reformed Woman On-Screen
Chapter 13: The Sisterhood Series for Social Change
Conclusion: Exemplary Images, Inclusion & Impact
Definition of Key Terms
References
About the Author
