Description
Book SynopsisBlack Women Shattering Stereotypes: A Streaming Revolution focuses on the work, voices, and perspectives of Black women in popular film and television. Kay Siebler argues that within the past five years, in response to the digital age and the number of racist stereotypes being purported in dominant culture, Black women creators are making entertainment media that fights back against these racist and sexist narratives and celebrates the realities of being Black and being a woman in today’s world. When Black women are behind the camera, writing, directing, and producing, Siebler finds, the representations of Black women change dramatically in empowering and important ways. Focusing on films and series produced since 2015 that are made by, for, and about Black women, Siebler analyzes the portrayals of Black women and their culture in Bessie, Self Made, Hidden Figures, Harriet, Insecure, Being Mary Jane, Twenties, and Chewing Gum, among others. Siebler intertwines these analyses with in-depth interviews with over one hundred Black women throughout the book, offering a variety of perspectives across the broad spectrum of demographics that are—and are not—being represented in mainstream media.
Table of ContentsIntroduction: Black Women Shattering Stereotypes in Film/TV
Chapter 1: Natural Hair, the Marker of Black Female Resistance and Empowerment
Chapter 2: TeamLightSkin v. TeamDarkSkin
Chapter 3: All the Single Ladies: Sex and the Single Woman
Chapter 4: Black Women are Not Always Womanist: The Politics of Empowerment
Chapter 5: “I’m Talking to You”: Breaking the Fourth Wall
Chapter 6: Funny Women: Laughing With, Not Laughing At
Chapter 7: History Lessons: We are Strong, Independent Women
Conclusion: A Reason for Hope
Appendix I: Quoted Participant Demographics
Acknowledgements
References
About the Author and Artist
