Double Burden: Black Women and Everyday Racism

Description

Studies of contemporary black women are rare and scattered, and are often extensions of a legacy beginning in the 19th century that characterized black women as domineering matriarchs, prostitutes, or welfare queens, negative characterizations that are perpetuated by both white and non-white social scientists. Based on over 200 interviews, this book departs from these conventions in significant ways, and, using a "collective memory" conceptual framework, shows how black women cope with and interpret lives often limited by racial barriers not of their making. Cover Half Title Title Page Copyright Page Dedication Table of Contents Preface Acknowlegments Chapter 1 The Lives of Black Women: Introduction and Overview Harsh Representations of Black Women Racial Oppression and Stigmatization of Black Women Practicing Gendered Discrimination Racism at Work The "Beauty" of Racism The Racist Past and Its Contemporary Legacies Fighting Back: An Oppositional Culture Voices of Black Women and Men Conclusion Chapter 2 Black Women at Work Racial Discrimination at Work White Manipulation: Using Black Women Consequences of Racism at Work: Black Families Conclusion Chapter 3 Black Beauty in a Whitewashed World Stigmatizing Black Beauty Contradictions and Consequences of Stigmatization Fighting Back Successfully Beauty Standards and Black Men Conclusion Chapter 4 Common Myths and Media Images of Black Women Myths About African American Women: Sexuality and Attractiveness Racial-Sexual Myths and Their Origins Other Media Stigmatization of Black Women Media Stigmatizing of the African American Family Conclusion Chapter 5 Distancing White Women Racial Conflict in Organizations Friction with White Women in Other Settings Major Differences Across the Color Line Supportive White Women Conclusion Chapter 6 Black Families: Goals and Responses The Extended Family in Black America The Many Strengths of Black Families Troubles in Families and Communities Black Women's Hopes and Goals for Their Families Conclusion Chapter 7 Motherhood and Families The Significance of Motherhood A Sense of Control Conclusion Chapter 8 Finale Black Women at Work Concepts of Beauty Media Portrayals of Black Women Black and White Women Black Families Motherhood What We've Learned Notes Index