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juanpablo_85 's review for:
Sister Citizen: Shame, Stereotypes, and Black Women in America
by Melissa V. Harris-Perry
Damned if they do, damned if they don't. That's what comes to mind understanding how the images that are portrayed of black women in society affect them & how they are scrutinized.
The book begins with Hurricane Katrina & it's aftermath & how black people, especially black women, were portrayed in the media & their response to the disaster. It is clearly demonstrated how in that situation, as it has been throughout history, black women have had to struggle with simply being recognized & being treated as human. The many stereotypes, negative & positive, that affect how black women are viewed are dissected throughout the remainder of the text. A very central theme to understanding all of these is shame & how it is used socially to either provoke certain behaviors, get certain responses, or used to portray inaccurate & damaging images that are used all to often to dehumanize black women. The idea of existing as & being fully seen as human is another important thing to take away from this book & how black women are not afforded that because of the various damaging images & stereotypes in society. All of this affects their health & their outlets, the latter of which they aren't afforded many, if any at all. Be it the stereotyped images of Jezebel, Sapphire, the Strong Black Woman or the concept of god in the black community, they all have far reaching effects on how black women function in society.
There is much to gained from reading this book, for everyone. I can not speak on how it impacts women, but for men, who want to understand, in addition to going to the source & talking to & LISTENING to the women in their lives, reading books like this are a huge help in my opinion. It will help one understand the negativity that surrounds them & how, despite the best of intentions with some positive stereotypes, they become a hindrance as well & help one adjust their behavior & thoughts accordingly.
I couldn't put it down. Phenomenal read!
The book begins with Hurricane Katrina & it's aftermath & how black people, especially black women, were portrayed in the media & their response to the disaster. It is clearly demonstrated how in that situation, as it has been throughout history, black women have had to struggle with simply being recognized & being treated as human. The many stereotypes, negative & positive, that affect how black women are viewed are dissected throughout the remainder of the text. A very central theme to understanding all of these is shame & how it is used socially to either provoke certain behaviors, get certain responses, or used to portray inaccurate & damaging images that are used all to often to dehumanize black women. The idea of existing as & being fully seen as human is another important thing to take away from this book & how black women are not afforded that because of the various damaging images & stereotypes in society. All of this affects their health & their outlets, the latter of which they aren't afforded many, if any at all. Be it the stereotyped images of Jezebel, Sapphire, the Strong Black Woman or the concept of god in the black community, they all have far reaching effects on how black women function in society.
There is much to gained from reading this book, for everyone. I can not speak on how it impacts women, but for men, who want to understand, in addition to going to the source & talking to & LISTENING to the women in their lives, reading books like this are a huge help in my opinion. It will help one understand the negativity that surrounds them & how, despite the best of intentions with some positive stereotypes, they become a hindrance as well & help one adjust their behavior & thoughts accordingly.
I couldn't put it down. Phenomenal read!