Semester Project/Revision_#2 - M. Settles

Black Women In Television

For my semester project I will focus on black women in TV, spanning from Julia to Scandal. I will produce a short video/montage discussing influential black women in television and why there are so few today. In my project I will show clips from past popular TV shows with black women as lead actress and compare them to black women of today in television. The overall objective of my project is to inform people how the industry often times over look black actress to depict positive roles, and are often type casts as angry black women, servants or portrayed in a negative role.

Diane Carroll as "Julia"

Television is a stable in every American household today and as an African American female I’m repeatedly offended at how black women are portrayed on television. Even in 2014, the industry is still dominated by white men and women and minority actors/actresses are still misrepresented. African Americans are major contributors to the media industry and we should be given the same respect to see other people on TV that looks like us especially black female actresses. I strongly believe more attention should be drawn to this issue. It’s an issue that is definitely being ignored, and deserves much need attention. When black actresses are casted in powerful leading roles, somehow she is still depicted in a negative role. The same way black writers and producers are criticized for breaking the mold and depicting black actors/actresses in unrealistic roles according to white society, they must also be scrutinized for how the black audience will perceive the roles black actors/actresses are given. 

  

Phylicia Rashad as "Claire Huxtable" - The Cosby Show

With the constant visual obsession of entertainment, television has a major influence on viewers. Television has different effects on different people, as we all know certain television shows does not affect everyone the same. Television has a much greater impact now on society than previously. Our young black teens are huge users of media outlets, moviegoers and TV watchers. And with all the negative images they see over the internet, violence in their everyday community, seeing more positive role models on the small screen will give them the aspiration that they can be so much more than their current environment or situation. Especially for young black girls they need someone to encourage them to be more than just a baby mama, video girl, gold-digger, stay at home mom or a secretary. As a little girl I can recall wanting to be Wonder Woman when I was growing up, we all want to connect and relate to our favorite actor/actress on TV. Still, a lot of little girls fantasize about be certain people on TV, and when all you have to imitate is negative; it can effect how we present ourselves to the rest of the world. TV has had a major influence on the black community changing our culture, thoughts, talk, style, attitudes, and beliefs, and how we view others, TV has changed all of us in one-way or another. TV has been one of the main contributing factors responsible for us as a society; TV has also helped teach some of us the valuable lessons of real life.

Kerry Washington-Scandal, Chandra Wilson-Grey's Anatomy, Viola Davis-How To Get Away With Murder

Thanks to those who paved the way and with the sudden increase of more African American writers and producers, hopefully we will see a change with more black female actors in TV. It is very important to have black women in uplifting leading roles, because how we are viewed on TV is how society and ourselves view us. I feel, since we don’t live in a world of only successful white woman, than we should be able to turn on the TV and see successful black women on the tube as well.

Bibliography

1. Reel to real:race, sex, and class at the movies/Bell Hooks. New York, NY:Routledge, 1996

2. Black women in television:an illustrated history and bibliography/George Hill, Lorraine Raglin, Chas Floyd Johnson. New York:Garland Pub.,1990

3. Dates, Jannette L. "Black Women Decisionmakers In Entertaiment Television. "Journal of Popular Film & Television 33.2 (2005): 68-79

4. Ott, Gary. "From Clair Huxtable to June Cleaver, remember to say "thanks'." Midland Reporter-Telegram (TX) 9 May 2004, Local & State.