User:Nyxtingale/Stereotypes of African Americans

Article Draft

HEADER 1: MANDINGO

Original

The Mandingo is a stereotype of a sexually voracious black man with a huge penis, invented by White slave owners to promote the notion that Black people were not civilized but "animalistic" by nature.[19] It has since been used to justify turning interracial lust into a lopsided affair. The term mandingo is of 20th century origin; a corrupted word for the Mandinka peoples of West Africa, spanning from Mali, Guinea, Senegal, the Gambia, Côte d'Ivoire (or Ivory Coast), Ghana and Guinea-Bissau with minorities located in Sierra Leone and Liberia.[20]

[19] Yang, George; Ryser, Tracey Ann (2008). "Whiting up and Blacking Out: White Privilege, Race, and White Chicks". African American Review. 42 (3/4): 731–746. ISSN 1062-4783. JSTOR 40301264.

[20] Van Deburg, William L. (1984). Slavery and Race in American Popular Culture. Madison: University of Wisconsin Press. p. 149. ISBN 978-0-299-09630-4.

Revised

The Mandingo is a stereotype of a sexually insatiable black man with a large penis, invented by white slave owners to advance the idea that Black people were not civilized but rather "animalistic" by nature. The supposedly inherent physical strength, agility, and breeding abilities of Black men were lauded by white enslavers and auctioneers in order to promote the slaves they sold. Since then, the Mandingo stereotype has been used to socially and legally justify spinning instances of interracial affairs between Black men and white women into tales of uncontrollable and largely one-sided lust. This stereotype has also sometimes been conflated with the 'Black brute' or 'Black buck' stereotype, painting the picture of an 'untameable' Black man with voracious and violent sexual urges.

Book cover for Kyle Onstott's 'Mandingo'.

The term 'Mandingo' is a corrupted word for the Mandinka peoples of West Africa, presently populating Mali, Guinea, and the Gambia. One of the earliest usages found dates back to the 20th century with the publication of Mandingo, a 1957 historical erotica. The novel was part of a larger series which presented, in graphic and erotic detail, various instances of interracial lust, promiscuity, nymphomania, and other sexual acts on a fictional slave-breeding plantation. In conjunction with the film Birth of a Nation (1915), white American media formed the stereotype of the Black man as an untamed beast who aimed to enact violence and revenge against the white man through the sexual domination of the white woman.

HEADER 2: SAPPHIRE

Original

See also: Angry black woman

The Sapphire stereotype is a domineering black female who consumes men and usurps their role, characterized as a strong, masculine workhorse who labored with black men in the fields or an aggressive woman, whose overbearing drove away her children and partners.[21] Her assertive demeanor is similar to the Mammy but without maternal compassion and understanding. The Sapphire stereotype portrays black American women as rude, loud, malicious, stubborn, and overbearing.[22]

[21] Jerald, Morgan C.; Ward, L. Monique; Moss, Lolita; Thomas, Khia; Fletcher, Kyla D. (September 2017). "Subordinates, Sex Objects, or Sapphires? Investigating Contributions of Media Use to Black Students' Femininity Ideologies and Stereotypes About Black Women". Journal of Black Psychology. 43 (6): 608–635. doi:10.1177/0095798416665967. S2CID 151814376.

[22] "The Sapphire Caricature - Anti-black Imagery - Jim Crow Museum".

Revised

The Sapphire stereotype defines Black women as argumentative, overbearing, and emasculating in their relationships with men, particularly Black men. She is usually shown to be controlling and nagging, and her role is often to demean and belittle the Black man for his flaws. This portrayal of a verbally and physically abusive woman for Black women goes against common norms of traditional femininity, which require women to be submissive and non-threatening. During the era of slavery, white slave owners inflated the image of an enslaved Black woman raising her voice at her male counterparts, which was often necessary in day-to-day work. This was used to contrast the loud and "uncivilized" Black woman against the white woman, who was considered more respectable, quiet, and morally behaved.

The popularization of the Sapphire stereotype dates back to the successful 1928-1960 radio show Amos 'n' Andy, which was written and voiced by white actors. The Black female character Sapphire Stevens was the wife of George "Kingfish" Stevens, a Black man depicted as lazy and ignorant. These traits were often a trigger for Sapphire's extreme rage and violence. Sapphire was positioned as overly confrontational and emasculating of her husband, and the show's popularity turned her character into a stock caricature and stereotype.

This stereotype has also developed into the trope of the 'Angry Black Woman', overall portraying Black American women as rude, loud, malicious, stubborn, and overbearing in all situations, not only in their relationships.

HEADER 3: JEZEBEL

Original

The Jezebel is a stereotype of a sexually voracious, promiscuous black woman, and was the counterimage of the demure Victorian lady.[23] The idea stemmed from Europeans' first encounter with seminude women in tropical Africa. The African practice of polygamy was attributed to uncontrolled lust, and tribal dances were construed as pagan orgies, in contrast to European Christian chastity.

The supposed indiscriminate sexual appetite of black women slaves was used to justify their enslavers' efforts to breed them with other slaves, as well as rape by white men, including as a legal defense.[24] Black women could not be found to be rape victims in court cases because they were said by whites to always desire sex.[25] The Jezebel stereotype contrasts with the Mammy stereotype, providing two broad categories for pigeonholing by whites.[26]

[23] Anderson, Joel R.; Holland, Elise; Heldreth, Courtney; Johnson, Scott P. (December 2018). "Revisiting the Jezebel Stereotype: The Impact of Target Race on Sexual Objectification". Psychology of Women Quarterly. 42 (4): 461–476. doi:10.1177/0361684318791543. S2CID 150132290.

[24] Leath, Seanna; Jones, Martinque; Jerald, Morgan C.; Perkins, Tiani R. (2022-04-01). "An investigation of Jezebel stereotype awareness, gendered racial identity and sexual beliefs and behaviours among Black adult women". Culture, Health & Sexuality. 24 (4): 517–532. doi:10.1080/13691058.2020.1863471. PMID 33512297. S2CID 231765353.

[25] WASHINGTON, PATRICIA A. (November 2001). "Disclosure Patterns of Black Female Sexual Assault Survivors". Violence Against Women. 7 (11): 1254–1283. doi:10.1177/10778010122183856. S2CID 73037618.

[26] Donovan, Roxanne A. (September 2011). "Tough or Tender: (Dis)Similarities in White College Students' Perceptions of Black and White Women". Psychology of Women Quarterly. 35 (3): 458–468. doi:10.1177/0361684311406874. S2CID 144051318.

Revised

The Jezebel is a stereotype of a hypersexual, seductive, and sexually voracious Black woman. Her value in society or the relative media is based almost purely on her sexuality and her body.

The roots of the Jezebel stereotype emerged during the era of chattel slavery in the United States. White slave owners exercised control over enslaved Black women's sexuality and fertility, as their worth on the auction block was determined by their childbearing ability, ie. their ability to produce more slaves. The sexual objectification of Black women redefined their bodies as "sites of wild, unrestrained sexuality", insatiably eager to engage in sexual activity and become pregnant. In reality, enslaved Black women were reduced to little more than breeding stock, frequently coerced and sexually assaulted by white men.

Post-emancipation, the sexualization of Black women has remained rampant in Western society. Modern-day Jezebels are pervasive in popular music culture; Black women more often appear in music videos with provocative clothing and hypersexual behaviour compared to other races, including white women. The Jezebel stereotype has also contributed to the adultification and sexualization of Black adolescent girls.