The Hypersexualization of Black Women’s Bodies in the Media and its Consequences
trigger warning: mentions of sexual assault
As a Black woman, my social media timelines are flooded with images and videos of other black women doing their hair, showing their outfits of the day, or simply living their daily life. While most of the photos I see on social media from black women are empowering, that is not true of the overall portrayals of black women in the media. In the mainstream media, black women’s bodies are almost always hypersexualized.
Social media, music videos, and music are some of the most effective ways that the hypersexualization of black women is presented to the public.
Social Media
Think about the famous black women on your social media feed right now. Without a doubt, there is a specific type of black woman that is popularized on our social media platforms. Black women with bodies that align within societal standards (either surgically enhanced or natural) are the ones that are seen as the most beautiful and the most worthy of attention. Images of black women considered beautiful mainly contain black women being naked or close to it, while white women can be regarded as beautiful fully-clothed. It is an unfortunate truth that society only rewards black women that show the beauty of their bodies.
Music Videos
The current music video culture often involves black women wearing close to nothing and provocatively dancing for the camera. The next time you watch a music video for a male rapper, ask yourself the following questions: Do black women have any speaking roles in the video? Have I seen any of their faces more than once? Is their primary role in the video to show their body? Is their primary role in the video to be a prop? When you answer yes to all of these questions, the hypersexualization of black women’s bodies should no longer be questioned.
Music
Music, mainly hip hop and rap, is a significant contributor to the hypersexualization of black women. Tuning in to any hip-hop/rap radio station will reveal that the current artists believe that black women’s worth is in their body and ability to do sexual acts. Songs like “Throat Baby’’ and “WAP” are a few examples of the most popular songs out right now that perpetuate these ideals. While songs that proudly express one’s sexuality have their place in the industry, it becomes a problem when that is the dominant conversation surrounding black women in music.
What are the implications?
The hypersexualization of Black women’s bodies in the media has been established, but what are the implications? Simply put, it dramatically harms all black women. With the roots of the hypersexualization of black women being planted in slavery and coming to fruition in its current-day perpetuation through the media, black women are seen as sexual objects, and it affects young black women as well. A study done by the Georgetown Law Center reveals how the hypersexualization of black women significantly affects young black girls. With 325 adults surveyed, the data reports that adults view Black girls as more knowledgeable about sex than white girls. This means that adults do not see young black girls as the children that they truly are. Their innocence is stripped from them, and they are automatically seen within a sexual realm based on their skin color.
What are the consequences of these thoughts?
The National Center on Violence Against Women in the Black Community reports that 1 in 4 black women will be sexually assaulted before 18. According to the U.S. Department of Justice, 1 in every five black women are survivors of rape. Compared to the sexual assault rates of white women and women of color, black women surpass them significantly. It is hard to imagine that there is no correlation between the hypersexualization of black women and their high sexual assault rates. The hypersexualization of black women in the media has real-life, life-altering consequences that affect people that look like you and me daily.
What can you and I do to help?
Support a black woman. Listen to her. Treat her as a human being — correct your peers who say derogatory things about black women. Expose your friends who are abusers. Have conversations about this topic with your friends and family. It is not much that one can do at a systemic level, but reading and absorbing it is a start. The hypersexualization of black women dates back to the beginning of slavery, and it is still perpetuated by the media, outsiders, and even members of our community. Support black women in any way that you can. We may be strong, but we need help like every other marginalized to overcome the barriers that white supremacy set before us. Although it is difficult, together, we can overcome it all.
Sources
https://ujimacommunity.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/Ujima-Womens-Violence-Stats-v7.4-1.pdf
