Historically, black women were victims of domestic violence and sexual abuse and were powerless as they could not help themselves from the situation. Institutional rape of black women has been influential not because it symbolizes black oppression but as a spectacle of lynching. Therefore rape and the threat of rape have influenced the development of a culture of dissemblance among black people. According to black urban history and labor history, black women faced more economic discrimination and had fewer employment opportunities to provide an adequate income source (Collins, 2021). At that time, most black women were either unskilled or semi-skilled, limiting them from getting factory jobs which denied them chances to be growing career women, and they remained as slaves surviving to meet their basic needs.
The media has also negatively tarnished the image of black women. There have been showcases of finger-pointing, confrontational, and loudmouthed single-parenting women of color who have been severally portrayed as manipulative Jezebels, objected to, and oversexed. For instance, the reality TV show named The Real Housewives of Atlanta and the former Flavor of Love are examples of many TV series that depict how women of color are viewed by society. TV shows often promote distorted images of black women (Collins, 2021). The stereotypes start even in elementary school, where young black girls are quickly attributed with traits that they tend to label as abnormal and different from white middle- and upper-class girls. Black women suffer from being misrecognized, brought by the structural constraints of white racism and the frequent violence of black sexism.
Black women are perceived to be economically disadvantaged and have low incomes, which is not usually the case. As a result, black women are more likely to be victims of police brutality than white women, causing the rate of police brutality and misconduct among black women to rapidly increase. The rate of vulnerability and police misconduct, marginalization, gross misrepresentation in the media, and violence have also increased (Crawley, 2006). After explaining their injustices, women of color were also given minimal attention, but the attention was not adequate enough to yield fair justice administration. The justice system is a figure of law and justice in America and should by no means engage in the traumatizing and unfair treatment of black women. The justice and police system should protect women of color from the harsh treatment of the community so that even white people will value people of color as their fellow human beings.
Today, black women are ambitious and open to what they want in workplaces, unlike white women. However, black women are less likely to find mentors who will help them get promoted in their jobs, and this discomforts Black women. The lack of mentoring results from intentional ignorance and exclusion when leaders intentionally exclude Black women from teams and mentees on essential company projects (Hine, 1997). Nevertheless, such ways limit and prevent Black women from moving up the ladder, realizing their abilities, and securing leadership roles. Eventually, Black women are left struggling to advance and access their professions due to underrepresentation. In solidarity with their women of color, white women should encourage and support them in their careers and family life. Suppose White women try fighting for black women’s rights and dignity. In that case, rape cases never occur because they have taken an important initiative in teaching other members of the white community the importance and value of a woman in society.
Most of the racial issues are related to Black women and Asian American and Latina women. Asian American women experience gendered and racialized forms of sexual harassment, which leads to their isolation and exclusion from leadership opportunities. On the other hand, Latinas feel like colleagues may interact with them based on the stereotypes that they are illegally in the country or unintelligent (Crawley, 2006). The cases of rape should draw the attention of government authorities irrespective of the race being affected. The act risks women’s lives in many ways. For instance, when a woman is raped, they risk getting unplanned pregnancies, and black women, being economically deprived, cannot afford to raise unplanned kids in a society that segregates them in all the essential social activities. On the other hand, women risk acquiring sexually transmitted diseases that can lead to their death due to inadequate funds to pay for their medication. Therefore, the government of the United States should feel obligated to protect women from racial prejudice, such as rape, which risks their lives and undermines their dignity as human beings.
In conclusion, over time, women have been termed as powerless and vulnerable in the eyes of society. Even if they are being raped and mistreated, they yield to their tormentors’ traumatizing actions, and even their screens are not seen as alarming by the rescuers. Black women are hardworking and need to be empowered and not discriminated against because their skills and knowledge could improve their living standards and contribute to the United States’ economic growth. It is time that the United States government takes action to eliminate stereotypes about black women and play a bigger role in leading to their acceptance in society and create heavy punishments for those found infringing black women of color’s rights to freedom and security in the country.
References
Collins, P. (2021). Black feminist thought, thirtieth anniversary edition: Knowledge, consciousness, and the politics of empowerment. Routledge.
Crawley, R. (2006). Diversity and the marginalisation of Black women’s issues. Policy Futures in Education, 4(2), 172-184. https://doi.org/10.2304/pfie.2006.4.2.172
Hine, D. C. (1997). Hine sight: Black women and the re-construction of American history. Indiana University Press.
write