Black Female Matriarch Essay

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Black female matriarch is both a sociological term and a stereotype that is connected with a traditional family model in which the female and male roles are divided and never overlap. This dimension appeared for the first time during the time of slavery when women`s rights were minor. A literary critic, Jessie Parkhurst, writes that a stereotypical black matriarch is usually depicted as an overweight and older woman (Parkhurst, 1938). Apart from that, black women slaves were often raped by slave owners because it was believed to be “an essential dimension of the social relations between slave master and slave” (Davis, 2008). During the time of slavery, rape was considered as an act of violence which was supposed to make women realize how vulnerable they are (Davis, 2008). Black women were told when and with whom they will have children, and, what stems from it, they were devoid of the chance to decide on their own. Importantly, it is often emphasized by researchers that the black women could not take control over their bodies (Collins, 2005). Slave owners held control over them and could …show more content…
As an example, one can mention here a movie Nutty Professor that was created in 1996 (Sewell, 2012). The story presents Prof. Shermann Klump who wants to lose weight quickly. In order to do so, he reconstructs his DNA through a special formula he discovered. His mother Anna is a pure embodiment of the black Mammy`s concept. She takes care of everything around the house, prepares meals and loves spending time with her family. However, the movie vividly presents her need to bring her inner feelings to the surface of the attention. Not only does she want to help her family but she also wants to be heard. Apart from her daily chores like cleaning and washing, she wants to have a chance to articulate her problems, “forcing people to confront the feelings that she once kept bottled up” (Sewell, 2012:
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