The Importance Of African American Women Throughout The Ages

Life for African Americans has never been truly easy, especially during slavery and Reconstruction. In the United States, African Americans have always been placed into situations where they have had to fight for their citizenship and to be equal to whites. Through slavery and Reconstruction, whites would constantly perform several different types of violent acts to belittle and control both black men and women. These acts of violence included verbal harassment, beatings, rapes, and sometimes, even murders. Thus, all of this structured the political, social, and economic citizenship of African Americans.

Black women have come a long way from just being the typical housewife and mother. They have excelled over the years. Now you have female entrepreneurs, astronauts, doctors, professors, etc. Back then, females were not even allowed to work. To try to degrade someone for their gender is discrimination at its best. Because of stereotypes and old myths, Black Women were viewed as lazy, angry, intimidating, unintelligent, etc. It was said that Black Women were only good for making babies and being on welfare.

By 1815, slavery within America was already institutionalised affecting the majority of African Americans; by 1860, there were 3.5 to 4.4 million enslaved African Americans as a result of the Atlantic Slave Trade in comparison to the 488,000–500,000 free African Americans. The Emancipation Proclamation (1863) freed all enslaved African Americans; nonetheless, African Americans were still considered inferior. Especially African American women who were treated significantly worse- sexually exploited, rejected by various southern suffragette groups as well as the National Woman Suffrage Association which opposed the 15th Amendment, enabling African American men to vote, fearing the setback it could cause women in obtaining the vote. Historian Deborah Gray White highlighted the status of being an African American woman stating that being "Black in a white society, slave in a free society, woman in a society ruled by men, female slaves had the least formal power and were perhaps the most vulnerable group of antebellum America." From 1815 to 1917, the lives of white women improved economically, socially and politically. Nevertheless, the improvement of African American women could be questioned. Therefore, this essay will focus on how the lives of African American women from 1815 to 1917 were marked by continuity rather than a period of change and improvement.

Black Woman Studies is an interdisciplinary field of study, that examines gender as a social and cultural construct, the social status and contributions of women, and the relationships between power and gender. Women are held to this standard of being the one to cook, clean, cater to her spouse and care for the children but it should be more than that. When women go above their expectations, they are accused as being wrong and are sometimes told to not pursue their dreams. Women should be held on the same scale as men in society, this method could prevent gender issues.

Black women have to face the effects of being over-sexualized through media. As a result of African American women being over-sexualized and used for only their appearances, they feel obligated to focus on their appearance and sexuality. This is because they are shown through media

Many black women were involved in the woman suffrage movement. From Sojourner Truth, a former slave, to Rosa Parks, these women have been fighting for the rights of women. All women were the same except for one thing, the color of their skin. The color of people skin determined how people view others. Black women had strong support for woman’s suffrage, but sometimes had to deal with discrimination within the suffrage movement itself. Black women scandalous behavior was judged and meant differently from white women. Scandalous had a different racial undertone in our society.

The African American journey has been one of trials and tribulations which they suffered greatly to achieve freedom and success. The battle has led the citizens of this nation to have witnessed the first African American President of the United States. The journey that has brought African Americans to the present situation has seen intermittent successes and numerous setbacks. Perseverance from many generations has brought about a gradual but progressive change. The journey begun in a state of slavery, through the act of slavery racism was seen in

Who is the African - American women ? What value does she hold in the Black community? Is she a simple submissive puppet that has no voice? Is she simply an object used to do work and make babies? Or is she physically, mentally, and emotionally weaker than her opposite sex, which means she can never be called an equal? In society, we are faced with different forms of designations and descriptions that lead to the establishment of a person 's identity. These identities would entail gender inequality, race, ethnicity, economic background, and religion. Identities are used to oppress individuals making it nearly impossible to overcome the obstacles that are insinuated with these traits. Overcoming any of these identities is an epic feat and

To begin discussing stereotypes of African American women, one must understand that the stereotypes white women in America face are much different. While, the stereotypes of women as a whole have been negative and perverse, the majority of these views have been reversed since the beginning of the 20th century. Societal norms of white women have transformed from the days of June Clever to a post-feminist era with equality on the rise. However, this revolution of norms has not occurred at the same rate for African American women. Analyzing the stereotypes of Jezabel, Mammy, and Sapphire the transparent myths of black women persist today.

Although Jacobs could not know that her criticisms of the way women were treated in slavery would transcend into the modern era, it is important to understand them because they have uprooted explanations as to why they exist. The fact that slave women were sexually corrupted and manipulated in a system of power at the beginning of American history set the foundation for these beliefs to stay deeply rooted within many people. Much of society still believes that black women are sexual deviants or lowly members of society that deserve to be

During the 1800s women became more inferior to earlier times. They shifted their roles from a house wife to becoming a more important part of the family life. In the 19th century, America was going through an important change in development and war. Throughout the 19th century, women had one goal, to fight for equal rights under the law and most importantly the right to vote. Women in each ethnic group had different types of “jobs.”

When we think of the word “slavery” we often imagine an African-American in shackles getting moved from a region to another, but, is that the only slavery we can think of? What about the time in 1890’s when married women were not allowed to receive wages that they earned or even inherit property? Marrying back then may as well be handing your identity in hands of your husband. It was an expectation, an obligation. Women didn’t just become the wife, they became salve to their husbands, a property. The role of Women has changed significantly through the years, not only are not women well respected, they have their own unique identity which they have created for themselves.

When Americans look back at the ways in which African American women and Native American women as recently as not much more than a century ago, they might well be shocked at the ways in which their lives were limited by both legal and cultural restrictions. Since then they have made significant progress towards equality, although both groups lag behind other American demographic groups in terms of life expectancy, chronic disease, work opportunities, wages, and political power. While all of these changes have made considerable differences in the lives of these two groups of women, I have decided to focus here on the ways in which their political strength and options have changed since the end of the nineteenth century.

Watching the documentary Out of Our Right Minds, Trauma, Depression and the Black Women which is about the struggles of being a black women in modern times. I found much of their struggles were not limited to black women but in some ways are struggles that all women experience. Numi Deodee explains “they don’t say you’re a strong Asian women or a strong white women…” but as a black woman there is added “pressure to hold it all together.” While I do not know what it is like to be a black women, I do know what it is like to be a woman and I think many of the ideas presented in this video are more representative of women in general rather than only one race.

They are subject to a higher chance of contracting certain diseases, being the victims of economic, educational and emotional disparities more than any other American population as well. Black women are also stereotyped for being loud-mouthed, hypersexualized, cantankerous, having many children, hopelessly single and being stubborn and overly independent in today’s society.