Representation Of Black Women Research Articles

"Our Community Comes First": Investigating Recruitment Ads That Represent and Appeal to Black Women for Online, HIV-Related Research Studies.

Black women are underrepresented in health-related research. Consulting Black women in the creation of recruitment materials may help increase their representation in research studies, but few of these recruitment materials have been evaluated. This manuscript reports on the impact of two ads (one featuring older women and one featuring younger women) created through multiple focus group sessions with Black women. The purpose of the ads were to recruit Black women to participate in an online research study about HIV prevention and pre-exposure prophylaxis, PrEP. Questions about the ads were embedded in the eligibility screener for inclusion in the online parent research study. Respondents were asked which ad they saw, what they liked about it, and what about the ad piqued their interest in the study. In total, 301 Black women completed the eligibility screener for the online study and answered questions pertaining to the two ads. Most participants reported seeing the ad with younger women (260/301, 86.4%). Representation of Black women (n = 70), ad design (n = 64), relevance to Black women and the Black community (n = 60), and comprehensiveness of ad content (n = 38) were the top 4 ad features respondents liked. Relevance to Black women and the Black community (n = 104) as well as ad content (n = 54) (i.e., study purpose, location, duration, images, incentive) were the top two reasons provided about ads that piqued respondent's interest in the online study. Findings showcase how recruitment ads informed by Black women could help increase their interest and participation in research.

The Telenovela and the Representation of Black Women: A Study from the Controlling Images Analytical Category

In Brazil, the telenovela has established itself as one of the most important products of television. Thus, it addresses the differences between social groups and disputes between them. The visibility for these groups that is built from this dynamic becomes a chance to promote their representation, when they see themselves as part of the nation. This study aims to understand the representation of Black women in the scenario of contemporary Brazilian telenovelas, focusing on Amor de Mãe (Dias & Villamarim, 2019–2021). The research consisted of analyzing the protagonists of the first part of this narrative, Camila (Jéssica Ellen) and Vitória (Taís Araújo), based on the analytical category of controlling images (Collins, 1990/2019), which unravels the logic that tries to justify the oppression experienced by these women. The results show that these images can be identified isolated and/or combined in the construction of these characters. At times, the telenovela plot questions these images; at others, it reinforces them.

Gynocentrism in Langston Hughes selected poetic works

Gynocentrism exclusive focuses on women both as theory and practice. Anything can be considered gynocentric when it is concerned exclusively with a female point of view. The works of Langston Hughes, which reflect the intersection of races and genders in the lives of blacks, are studied. His contributions take multiple forms including poetry, short stories, dramas and novels which are about black women's love, nature, romantic dilemmas, mother - daughter relationships, friendship, and silences. The authors analyze how gender in a special way colors female identity in Hughes' works. He expresses interdependence of genders and racial identities in his representations of black women and hence can be dubbed as gender racial. His writings are in a gender racial style, highlighting and intertwining gender and racial identities. Hughes' overcomes gender and racial stereotypes with open discussions on contentious themes. It is concluded that Hughes creates an alternative to repressive social realities by combining challenges with sensual visions.

Bonnets, braids, and big afros: the politics of Black characters’ hair

ABSTRACT The representations of a Black woman character’s hair say something about her. The hair of a Black character is never neutral and nuances of hair are noticed by Black woman audience members. In my research interviewing 103 Black women about the representations of Black women in the shows/films they consumed, 12% of the participants discussed the politics of Black women’s hair as a marker of authentic representation. This article analyzes contemporary representations of hair in shows primarily directed/produced by Black women, arguing that representations of Black women’s hair can be empowering to Black women audience members. Hair styles, rituals, and the bonding over hair in shows and films are important. Even if these on-screen hair moments seem fleeting and unimportant, they are significant in that they affirm and celebrate the beauty, the connection, the love between and among Black women and their experiences. This article weaves interview excerpts into an analysis of Black women characters in contemporary film/series, making the argument that when Black women are behind the camera, Black girl’s/women’s hair represents power and pride through natural/Afrocentric styles and these representations matter to the audience.

Unbinding Gentility: Women Making Music in the Nineteenth-Century South by Candace Bailey

Reviewed by: Unbinding Gentility: Women Making Music in the Nineteenth-Century South by Candace Bailey Julia Nitz Unbinding Gentility: Women Making Music in the Nineteenth-Century South. By Candace Bailey. Music in American Life. (Urbana, Chicago, and Springfield: University of Illinois Press, 2021. Pp. xx, 292. Paper, $30.00, ISBN 978-0-252-08574-1; cloth, $125.00, ISBN 978-0-252-04375-8.) This volume is admirable in its ambition to capture the role southern amateur women played in American musical history, or, as the author puts it, to tell the "history of women in the nineteenth-century U.S. South . . . through the medium of music" (p. 4). Candace Bailey critiques past studies that considered women's musical artifacts and practices "ephemera," a misplaced notion shared by musicologists and cultural historians alike, and she strives to overcome traditional, male-centric narratives "that prejudice composer and title over circulation and performance" (p. 2). Bailey's book "encompasses music's transmission, education, circulation, and repertory in order to understand music's meaning in women's culture of the South" (p. 3). Thus, she recharts southern musical traditions, putting special emphasis on the role of "scientific music" in women's cultural engagement across class and racial boundaries (p. 15). Key to Bailey's study is the location of "women's musical practices in the performance of gentility" (p. 5). She convincingly illustrates how musical practices during this era were intricately tied to social hierarchies and distinctions, showing how different strata of society used music as cultural capital. Tracing these developments from the antebellum period to Reconstruction, she explores the effect of the dissolution of the South's social hierarchy on music making. [End Page 761] The material consulted in this study is extensive, with a focus on music read from notation in over fifteen hundred binder's volumes. Bailey also examines "numerous nineteenth-century magazines and journals, newspapers, letters and diaries, official records, and many similar documents" (p. 2). She uses these materials to assemble ethnographic readings and microhistories that collectively reveal the kaleidoscopic, multifaceted southern music-scape of the mid-nineteenth century. Bailey proceeds chronologically in five sections: Parts 1, 2, and 3 cover the antebellum period, Part 4 explores the Civil War, and Part 5 turns to Reconstruction. Each part is divided into several chapters, and each chapter offers a distinct study. Parts 1, 2, and 3 provide an in-depth exploration of the plethora of antebellum musical performers. It illustrates the ubiquity of music in society and highlights how economic growth in the 1840s and 1850s opened new avenues to gentility for the middle and poorer classes. This broadening of the sphere of gentility is evidenced by a more widespread "literate music practice" than hitherto assumed (p. 15). Part 2 focuses on prominent genres of the period and the accompanying repertory used to signify gentility, including a chapter on operatic tunes. While Parts 1 and 2 mostly provide nuance to existing studies of antebellum women's music, Part 3 reframes repertory history. It deals with the role of a genre known as scientific music in women's musical education and practice. Bailey argues that its pervasiveness was an important marker of social status. Part 4, dealing with the Civil War years, focuses on social changes and how they triggered both retroactive and progressive musical practices. In these chapters especially, Bailey shows the importance of adding music to a reading of the parlor as a space for the construction of gender, class, and ethnicity. Part 5, on women musicians in the Reconstruction era, identifies the rise of women as professional performers and the changes in repertory toward classical music. Bailey convincingly illustrates how women musicians "redefined women's sphere and influence after the war by linking domestic competence and control with a public persona" (pp. 171–72). Bailey reconfigures traditional assumptions about the musical contributions of southern women by exploring the interrelation between music making and gentility in the U.S. South. Her approach is more inclusive than seen in previous studies, charting the musical practices of white women and women of color of all social classes. The representation of Black women in her study remains sketchy by necessity. As...

Decolonising medical knowledge – The case of breast cancer and ethnicity in the UK

National and global efforts have led to significant improvements in breast health and diagnosis, globally (Lukong, 2017). These achievements, however, are not even. Focusing on the case of breast cancer in the UK, we argue that enduring forms of medical racism leave Black women more vulnerable to advanced forms of the disease, explaining higher mortality rates and later-stage diagnosis. In particular, we show how a lack of dedicated policy, inadequate data collection, and a lack of representation conspire to place Black women at additional and unnecessary risk of worse breast cancer outcomes. We thus propose key recommendations to address the ethnic disparities in and make steps to decolonise breast cancer care. These are early screening for at-risk groups, community-led interventions, and more and better representation of Black women and their risks in breast cancer resources.

Black Women and the Pandemic Imagination: Pedagogy as a Rehearsal of Hope During Covid-19

This article discusses Brown’s use of Afrofuturism and critical pedagogy in her creation of the class, Black Women and the Pandemic Imagination (BWPI), which she taught in Spring 2021 at Virginia Commonwealth University. Brown explains her implementation of precarious pedagogy to attend to the affective needs of students struggling under the effect of Covid-19. She discusses how the analytics of Afrofuturism and critical pedagogy provide strategies for combating white supremacy and for promoting social justice. Brown demonstrates how reading theoretical works by black women about cataclysmic moments (i.e., the apocalypse, contagions, pandemics and even the Middle Passage), as well as studying representations of black women during these moments provides an opportunity for students to “rehearse hope.” Brown sees BWPI as a course premised on Black Lives Matter and committed to black futurity – “there are black people in the future.” Through BWPI, she hoped to ignite the radical imagination of her students, thereby empowering them to think about creating a more equitable future.

Hella Bars: The Cultural Inclusion of Black Women’s Rap in Insecure

Abstract The musical supervision of HBO’s insecure sonically maps various representations of Black women’s connections to hip-hop music as a site of autonomy, agency, and authenticity. Importantly, the variety of Black female rappers who are featured in seasons 1–3 of insecure connects nuanced and contemporary representations of Black millennial women’s understanding of Black womanhood, sex, friendship, love, and relationships. I argue that the influence of Issa Rae’s perception and connections to hip-hop and the placement of songs in insecure supports a soundtrack that takes on a hip-hop feminist approach to Black popular culture. I explore contemporary female hip-hop artist as an emerging group of rappers who support nuanced narratives and identities of Black millennial women. Furthermore, this article highlights the connectedness of Black popular culture and hip-hop feminism as an important site of representation for Black women who use hip-hop as a signifier to culture, self-expression, and identity. I recognize the importance of insecure’s soundtrack and usage of Black women in hip-hop to underline the ways hip-hop sits at the intersections of race, sexuality, and gender for Black women’s everyday lives.

Encoded Subjectivities: Interpreting Blackness and Representations of Black Women on inDmix.com

The study of Black digital and Internet cultures is a burgeoning site of inquiry. While prior research on identity and the Internet does well to address racialized experiences online, further exploration into so-called niche or under-the-radar Black digital spaces is necessary for a more comprehensive documentation of early Internet applications, practices, and digitally mediated sociality during the early 20th century. This article centers Black southern Internet culture by examining the website, InDmix.com, a photo-based asynchronous web media platform, and one of the first Internet visual catalogs of southern Black college nightlife of the aughts. Combining scholarly inquiry with first-person storytelling, this article provides historical references to contextualize an aspect of early Black Internet culture while arguing that Black women, in particular, mediate the process of visibility and valuation since they carry conceptions of beauty and Blackness across the platform. Engaging with concepts of architectural Blackness and informational Blackness, this article demonstrates the ways in which southern Black youth culture combined with early Web 2.0 technology practices provides a digital snapshot of college and urban nightlife experiences along the backdrop of socioeconomic and cultural shifts in the Gulf Coast region of the United States. In the spirit of documenting Black digital cultures, this article concludes with a conversation with founder Ikem Onyekwena, the Phi Beta Sigma photographer and tech entrepreneur who founded InDmix.com in 2004.

When being obese is a good thing: voices of Ghanaian participants in a dance reality TV show

ABSTRACT The discussion on (mis)representations of black women's bodies often focuses on their hyper-corporeality and hyper-sexualisation, with little attention paid to the women thus represented and their views. Reality shows are roundly criticised for objectifying women, being unAfrican and offering little to Africans. This paper contests this perspective by drawing on interviews with 19 contestants in a dance reality show in Ghana. We demonstrate that African participants in this show have a much more affirming view of the show. For them, the show offers benefits including celebrity status, training and employment opportunities. These benefits were not lost on family and friends who supported the candidates in various ways. Given the economic conditions in Ghana, this reality show offers obese women an opportunity to turn their condition into an asset and to do so largely with the backing of friends and family.

Blackness and Self-Imaging: Lorraine O’Grady’s Performance as Mademoiselle Bourgeoise Noire

The continued lack of visibility and representation of Black women in studies of historical and contemporary performance art not only forces their work to exist within the margins, but their exclusion also exposes broader questions around the terrain for decolonising performance histories. In order to begin to recover interventionist performances by Black women, this article focuses on the work of African American conceptual artist and theorist Lorraine O’Grady. It recuperates O’Grady’s performance work and expand Black feminist histography for performance art. In the 1980s, O’Grady created Mlle Bourgeoise Noire (1980–83), a series of performative invasions into mainstream art spaces in New York as the persona Mlle Bourgeoise Noire to enable her to become visible in exclusionary spaces. O’Grady’s performances sought to disturb the structures of race, gender and class that excluded her as a Black woman from the mainstream art world. In turn, I argue, her intrusion complicated the already existing and speculative modes of blackness.

Representatividade da mulher negra em folhetos educativos sobre saúde da mulher

ABSTRACT Objective To identify the educational leaflets of the Brazilian Ministry of Health on women's health available in the Virtual Health Library; to classify the representation of women in these leaflets according to ethnicity / race / color; to analyze the representation of black women in these leaflets. Method Documentary, descriptive, exploratory study. Results From 2007 to 2019, 19 educational brochures related to women's health were identified, ten of which had images of women. White women were observed in the ten leaflets (100%) that contained images and illustrations, whereas black women were identified in three (30%) of the 10 leaflets. Two analytical categories emerged from the data analysis: “the underrepresented black woman” and “deconstructing stereotypes: the prominent role of black women”. Conclusion This study shows a low representation of black women in educational leaflets. However, when represented, black women are portrayed positively and equally in relation to women of other racial and ethnic groups.

Communication, culture and performances: Female empowerment and the digital scene of Brazilian black music

In this work we assume that communication and its technologies mediate culture and that, allied to the value interests of the market, they contribute to the operation of meaning among the subjects. In this context we aim to establish a dialogue with studies whose objects are performances of communication in diverse cultures. It is important to highlight the way in which the Brazilian women/artists we have chosen for our reflections – Linn da Quebrada, Ludmilla and Karol Conka – fit into the anti-racist agenda. In dialogue with the perspective presented and focused on the representation of black women in media productions, we are interested in discussing how they perform gender and racial identities. In methodological terms, we conducted a bibliographic research and procedures for collecting empirical data on the YouTube platform. As results, from the communication point of view, we observe that the channels for the circulation of the clips are either the singers’ own or built in partnership, which implies greater autonomy for the transmission of content.

Self-removal of long-acting reversible contraception: A content analysis of YouTube videos

ObjectiveTo explore publicly available information about the self-removal of long-acting reversible contraception (LARC) on a popular video-sharing website. Study designWe conducted a comprehensive keyword search of YouTube videos related to self-removal of LARC—namely intrauterine devices and implants. We analyzed video content to explore demographic characteristics, method and duration of LARC use, and motivations and experiences of self-removal. ResultsOur keyword search identified 58 videos that met the criteria for inclusion, including 48 videos that featured individuals who removed an intrauterine device and 10 who removed an implant. Collectively, videos had over 4 million views. We identified most video creators as white (53%), 31% as Black, and 14% as Latinx. Users were motivated to remove their own device by both preferences and barriers to formal care. Most individuals in our sample (n = 56/58) successfully removed their device and described their experience in positive terms related to the ease of removal. Reasons for LARC discontinuation included negative side effects, fear of potential side effects, and desire for pregnancy. ConclusionThis study builds upon prior research by describing publicly available information about LARC self-removal. The over representation of Black women in our sample may reflect a higher prevalence of LARC self-removal among this population. Positive experiences of self-removal and high levels of viewer engagement with online videos suggest a need for provider counseling on LARC removal at the time of insertion. ImplicationsPrior to LARC insertion, patients should be made aware of any financial requirements for discontinuation. Provider counseling for self-removal at the time of insertion will likely minimize health risks and affirm patient reproductive autonomy.

“Ain’t Got Enough Money to Pay Me Respect”: Blackfishing, Cultural Appropriation, and the Commodification of Blackness

The term blackfishing, which takes a twist on the concept of catfishing, that is, tricking people online into thinking you are someone else, refers to the practice of (mostly) White women pretending to be Black by using makeup, hairstyles, and fashion that originate in Black Culture to gain financial benefits. This article aims to contextualize the concept of blackfishing through a critical literary review that will cover the following elements: cultural appropriation, the commodification of Black culture, the representation of Black women in North America, and the operationalization of blackfishing.

Matters of Life and Love: Some Preliminary Mappings of Womanist Pedagogical Futures

This article takes as its starting point the mattering of Black women’s lives and builds upon connections between cultural representations of Black women and their social devaluation. The goal of this article is to explore the revolutionary possibilities that can emerge when social constructions of Black womanhood that affirm Black women’s agency and full humanity are centered in justice conversations instead of social constructions that emphasize the services that Black women provide. Recognizing the integral link between education and social justice, this conceptual project focuses specifically on Womanist pedagogy, the culturally-derived forms of politicized caring engaged by Black women in their social justice work, and explores ways in which social constructions of Black womanhood associated with Womanist pedagogy are connected to past and present realities as well as future possibilities for understanding the mattering of Black women’s lives.

Black Women in Fanon's Black Skin, White Masks

In this paper, I focus on the representations of Black women in contrast to Black men found within Frantz Fanon’s philosophical work Black Skin, White Masks. I propose that while Fanon’s racial dialectical work is very significant, he often lacks acknowledgment of the multidimensionality of the Black woman’s lived experience specifically. Drawing on the theory of intersectionality, coined by Kimberlé Crenshaw, I argue that Fanon does not recognize the different layers of oppression operating in Black women’s lives to the degree that he fails to include them within his framework of both liberation and resistance from racial oppression.

“It’s a Man Thing, Gina”: Watching Gender inMartin

AbstractIn the almost three decades since the hit situation-comedy Martin (1992–1997) originally aired on Fox, the show has not only enjoyed a vibrant second life through syndication and streaming platforms, but has functioned as a form of television heritage, reflected in fashion, music, games, and memes. Martin has developed a particularly loyal following among black millennials, many of whom were too young to watch the show during its original network television run. In this article, I explore the series’ representations of black women through individual and focus group interviews with 26 black viewers. My interviews reveal that participants have ambivalent relationships with the show. While several cite Martin as their favorite show of all-time, they were disturbed by the show’s troubling depictions of black heterosexual romantic relationships and its reliance on stereotypical representations of black women.

Representation of Minority Groups in Key Pelvic Floor Disorder Trials.

Multicenter randomized clinical trials on pelvic floor disorders (PFDs) support evidence-based care. However, many of these studies include homogenous study populations lacking diversity. Heterogeneous sampling allows for greater generalizability while increasing knowledge regarding specific subgroups. The racial/ethnic makeup of key pelvic floor disorder (PFD) trials has not been examined. This study aimed to investigate racial/ethnic representation in major PFD clinical trials in comparison to racial/ethnic distribution of PFD in the National Health and Nutritional Examination Survey (NHANES). Demographic data were extracted from completed PFD Network (PFDN) and Urinary Incontinence Treatment Network studies, which have resulted in nearly 200 publications. Prevalence of PFD by race/ethnicity was obtained from the NHANES. A representative index (Observed "n" by PFD study/Expected "n" based on the NHANES-reported prevalence) was calculated as a measure of representation. Meta-analyses were performed for each outcome and overall with respect to race/ethnicity. Eighteen PFDN/Urinary Incontinence Treatment Network studies were analyzed. White women comprised 70%-89% of PFD literature; Black women, 6%-16%; Hispanic women, 9%-15%; Asians, 0.5%-6%; and American Indians, 0%-2%. Representation of White women was higher in 13 of 18 PFDN studies compared with the NHANES prevalence data. Representation of Black women was either decreased or not reported in 10 of 18 index studies compared with the NHANES prevalence data. Hispanic women were absent or underrepresented in 7 of 18 PFDN studies compared with the prevalence data. Our examination of PFDN and other landmark trials demonstrates inconsistent reporting of minority subgroups, limiting applicability with respect to minority populations. Our study suggests that PFD research would benefit from targeted sampling of minority groups.

Untangling discrimination in the private sector workplace in South Africa: Paving the way for Black African women progression to managerial positions

Black African women in South Africa are poorly represented at managerial levels in the South African private sector since the advent of democracy. Their exclusion at these occupational levels persists despite the Employment Equity Act 55 of 1998 (EEA) requiring that the private sector must ensure that all occupational levels are equitably represented and reflects the demographics of South Africa. The South African private sector demonstrates its lack of commitment to proliferating black African women into managerial positions by deliberately engaging in race-based recruitment and failing to develop and promote suitably qualified women into managerial positions. As such, the private sector is failing to create upward mobility for black African women to break the glass ceiling. The EEA requires the private sector to apply affirmative action measures in order to achieve equity in the workplace. It is submitted that since 1998, the private sector has been provided with an opportunity to set it own targets in order to achieve equity. However, 22 years later, black African women are still excluded in key managerial positions. However, the EEA does not specifically impose penalties if the private sector fails to achieve the set targets.This approach has failed to increase the representation of black women in managerial positions. However, the EEA does not specifically impose penalties if the private sector fails to achieve the set targets. Whilst this approach seeks to afford the private sector importunity to set its own target, this approach has failed to increase the representation of black women in managerial positions. Employing black African women in managerial levels enhances their skills and increases their prospects to promotions and assuming further leadership roles in the private sector. This paper seeks to show that the progression of black African women requires South Africa to adopt a quota system without flexibility that will result in the private sector being compelled to appoint suitably qualified black African women in managerial levels.