Reel Women In Film

Black women have always struggled with literacy. From slavery, black women have been faced with the option to gain an education or take the maternal role in society. Reading the different synopsis of each movie in, Reel Women: Black Women and Literacy in Feature Films I noticed that in majority of the movies, Black women were portrayed as illiterate. Each were faced the lack the advancement of education that others gained since emancipation. (Dowdy 177) Although, many had the opportunity to gain literacy, the results did not benefit them all because the lack of support and opportunities for Black woman during the 1900s. Even still today, Black women are constantly battling between education and social status due to the double negation we face in society as being Black and a women.
I remember reading Color Purpleby Alice Walker in high school, and despising her for writing in a vernacular of a ignorant Black woman. It bothered me, that a publishing company would publish such ignorance,because not all black women were plagued by illiteracy. The true meaning of the story,that against adversities, Black women always rose above them. It was not until the end of the book that I realized how her choice to write in that vernacular, had an overall effect on the novel. She was expressing the Black women in the early 1900s, which contrasted with the literate Black woman today. Black women have come a long way since emancipation, although it has been a struggle.
Oprah Winfrey and Whoopi Goldberg are two influential black women that are respected throughout society. Each have reached respectable social statuses due to their work toward literacy for blacks. They work in not only film, but literature depict that against the odds, Black women can succeed.

Our Stereotypical Roles in Hollywood

After reading the article Black Women and Literacy in Feature Films, I was able to learn a lot from Dowdy’s position. In the reading Dowdy explains to us how mainstream media and Hollywood are depicted by stereotypes of Black women. She says that in films the women are usually dark skinned and they have the traits or cultural symbols that viewers identify as being black. These symbols make it easy for viewers to see the typical stereotypes. Black women are always portrayed as a mammy, sapphire or jezebel. They are also portrayed as nurses or cooks for white people.
I agree with Dowdy’s position on the stereotypical black roles of movies in Hollywood. There are rarely, if any movies that portray black women as positive, successful, independent women. Instead, we are seen as being poor, addicted to drugs, promiscuous, and ignorant. Although it is true that some black women are drug addicts or poor; it is not inclusively just black women. There are women and men of other races that have these same characteristics. The fact that the only people cast for these roles are black women, this leads the rest of the world to believe that all black women act one particular way or have the same negative characteristics. In the end, other people around the world or left to think that the phrase black women has a negative connotation; because they don’t have any other examples.
Dowdy goes on to explain the plots of nine different movies over a 16 year period. ( 1985-2001) After reading the summaries of the movies, I was able to see that they were very similar. Although the leading role was a black female, they all shared a common flaw. They all were illiterate. (Except a schoolteacher). Since the women did not have a degree or even a diploma, they were portrayed as being dependent. The movies made the black women seem as if they couldn’t succeed or accomplish anything without the help of another white woman. In my opinion, it is vital for black people to get more involved in the media, so that we can monitor what is being put out to represent all of us. It is up to the actors and actresses to turn down the stereotypical rules and demand a positive and influential role.

Jerrika leslie

"It is not the color of the skin that makes the man, but it is the principles

I read the last section of this reading, and the following quote stuck out most to me: "It is not the color of the skin that makes the man, but it is the principles that form their souls..." Basically, Stewart is stating that we as African Americans have to find ourselves. We have to search ourselves to figure out what makes up our souls. After finding these principles, we will realize that our souls have an equal value to other races. Once we realize that we are of equal value, we will demand our rights. She also says that we can not wait for someone else to do for us, what we can do for ourselves. Stewart gives us a call to action. She wants us to realize that we have be responsible for ourselves. We have to become interested in ourselves before we can expect anyone else to have an interest in us. This statement is similar to what I have been told throughout my entire life. My parents always taught me to be responsible for my actions and to respect myself. I was always told that in order for people to respect you, you have to respect yourself first. I was also told that I am old enough to figure myself out and know how I am. This is similar to what Stewart was saying about Blacks doing for themselves and finding themselves; because no one else cared to do so. Stewart also uses religion in this section. She states that when we become interested in ourselves and walk in God's way and ordinances, He will raise us up and befriend us. She calls for us not to just sit around and hope or wait for someone to better us. It is up to us to do something, to change our circumstances. Stewart says that to do this we have to have a compassionate heart, a principled soul, and an active mind while living by God's word.
J.L

Taking Our INHERTIENCE Back

Numbers 27:5-7. 5: So Moses brought their case before the lord. 6: and the Lord said to him, 7:"What Zelophehad's daughters are saying is right. You must certainly give them property as an inheritance among their father's relatives and turn their father's inheritance over to them". After God spoke it it was given. Zelophehad's daughters got their inheritance. This bible verse is the first thing I thought about after reading Coming to voice: Maria W. Stewart, a Case in point. Maria was married three years before her husband passed away. He left her one-third of his estate. Her husband's white colleagues were determined to take all of it. Maria battled for two years before being told she would receive nothing. Maria W. Stewart was a black, literate, intelligent woman. Her desire was to speak in anyway possible about the injustice that black literate women faced. In the era that Maria was in was after the Civil War. Times where blacks were finding the need to educate their race while expressing the feelings. Maria took everything that she had faced and wrote about it. “Religion and the Pure Principles of Morality: The Sure Foundation on Which We Must Build.” Was her first published essay by the Liberator. From then on out Stewart spent three years as a public figure. Stewart although it may have seemed like her life was rough she was blessed. One unlike slaves she could read, write, and express her experiences and her race experiences. And although whites had stole her inheritance and put her down she received something better. “In December 1879, Stewart died in this hospital, but not before she had submitted and won a claim to receive a pension as the widow of war veteran, based on federal legislation passed in 1878 permitting such claims.” This proves that what God has for you no man can take it away. Also when God says it it must come to pass. Slavery took three hundred and some years to come to pass but it did. Just like Maria W. Stewart everything she went thru shaped her to use the talents God gave her to encourage a race that needed uplifting. God gave each Spelmanite the charge to use everything wehave learn and experienced to take back our race and inheritance.

I am the Awaken Daughter

This reading made my appreciate my roots and my title as a young african american woman. The author taught us to not be ashamed of our past, but taught us the true significance of literacy to a young black woman. I have two strikes against me as society might say: I am Black, and I am a Female, but after reading Going Against the Grain I realized that these two traits should encourage me to work even harder than I would if I was a white male.
I feel empowered to use literacy as a weapon not as a hinderance against me. In the text, the author speaks about how literacy was used against the black woman as a way to put us down. These women realized that the one weapon they used against us could also be used against them. So these women educated themselves with information about racism and sexism. Spelman College is a prime example of the tradition and legacy passed on from the black female before us. This illustrious college teaches us to be free-thinking women of the future. Since we are preparing to become that, we can never forget our past and the people of the past who would whole-heartedly agree with the statement of becoming free-thinking.
In conclusion, I would like to say thank you to the black females of the past present and future who are strong advocates for literacy and free-thinking for women all over.

When There Is A Will, Some Black Knows How To Read It.

Theres a saying that goes, "when there is a will there is a way". The portion of the article that i read focused on blacks gaining literacy through different outlets. During the 1800s and early 1900s, blacks began gaining literacy through their superiors. Becuase blacks were looked down upon, whites did not feel the need to hide anything from them such as books, the Bible, or legal documents. Ignorance made it possible for blacks to learn because white did not think they were capable of learning. While others believed that literacy would allow Blacks to revolt and rebel against their superiors and take over.
Little to their knowledge, blacks began teaching each other how to read and write. Soon, schools began opening which allowed blacks to learn. Though there was much persecution for this, blacks never gave up the write to learn. The necessity to learn became the true outlet from oppression because of the opportunities it allowed for black women and men. Public, Sabbatical, and Private schools began opening which focused primarily on the literacy and trade. Literate Blacks began to open doors for other blacks through teaching schools, missionary, and seminaries. These schools allowed blacks to gain literacy in different ways that once were not possible. Literacy allowed newly freed blacks the chances to better themselves, allowing many of them to further there education if allowed. Spelman seminary, Salem Normal School, and Miner Teachers College were a few of the early schools that empowered blacks that are still decades later working to advance blacks in the world through literacy.