The regulation of the Black body Marvina Newton

Overview• Aren’t we post racial now?• Not at all: Racism alive and well. • A look at the media (90s media, media

today and children’s media):• The regulation of the black body (hair, skin

and features)• ‘Better when its white’: Appropriation and

theft of black culture• The explicit racism still ongoing today

• Impact: The slave mentality • What now?

Lets think about race and privilege:• Privilege walk: 10 volunteers to take part

Black people in Leeds

•25,000 (3.4%) Black men and women in Leeds

•Around 3% or 1.5 million of UK residents are Black

•Black culture in Leeds

Anti racism movement & Black Beauty movement

- “I have a dream” (1963)

- Black is Beautiful movement big in the 1970s

- Now also Indian Dark is Beautiful movement in India

Aren’t we post-racial now? - Racism isn’t over. - Still a long way

to go. - Black Beauty

movement was great (but regulation of Black body is still ongoing)

Lets actually think about this

Black in media during the 90s

- Sister Sister

- Moesha

- Proud Family

Black in media during the 90s

- Dark skinnned characters stereotyped

- Fresh Prince of Bel Air

- Sister Sister (light skinned)

Progress? Vogue 2008 cover

Progress? Winnie Harlow

Progress? Nivea 2011 advert

Progress? Twitter 2013 meme

Progress? Dove (Unilever) 2011 advert

Media: Serena Williams

• Compared to wild animal

• Sponsorship compared to Sharipova

Media: Oscars

Media: Cinderalla (the first one)

Media: Disney’s Cinderalla (2015)

Children’s Media: Disney

- 1 Black princess: Tiana

- light skinned & thin framed

- Water melon sweets

- Zero Tiana dolls at Disneyland Paris.

Children’s Media: Dora the Explorer

- Conforms to Latino sterotypeof kids running loose

- Can’t speak English properly

- Her makeover (below)

- Only positive representation is Doc McStuffin

- First her name…..

- The doll version’s hair

- Her skin?

- Mixed race (she has freckles etc)

Children’s Media: Doc McStuffin

Don’t be fooled…. The black body is still regulated• Hair• Skin• Features• Build

Even Advocate of Black is Beauty movement e.g., even India Arie has skin bleached (“Brown skin”)

Hair• Black hair historically

stigmatized

• Huge market in getting natural hair to conform to European standards

• Braids argument with daughter everytime we go to hairdressers

Hair

• Cornrows and dreads originated as Black fashion now co-opted”

• Only acceptable if white

Skin: My own experience

• My dad’s dark skin

• It started with Black soap….

• You get tricked into it

• Skin bleaching = Lifelong market

Skin: Current situation

• 95% of Nigerians skin bleach

• 1 in 10 use Fair and Lovely Skin bleaching

•Health problems (melasma etc)

Skin bleaching: History

• Traced back to slavery

• Colourism still prevalent today (e.g., skin bleaching)

Skin bleaching: Fair and Lovely advert • Video (30 seconds)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KIUQ5hbRHXk

Skin: Light skin is a double edged sword• Light skin women

actresses afraid they’re not Black enough.

• Yet dark skin women actresses worry they lips too full, their skin too dark

“During That’s So Raven I used to tan 4-5 times a week. I was worried I wouldn’t look Black enough”

Black features• Black features devalued

e.g., in school

• Reflects media (e.g.,. Tintin)

• The new Black body

Better when it’s white: MyleyCyrus

Better when its white

• Whiteniciouscream & condemnation of White media

• What about Unilever?

Better when it’s white: Saggy Pants

Better when it’s white: African Fashion

Explicit racism everywhere: Inc. Leeds- In Leeds gay scene.

- Carribean Leeds disassociate from Leeds Africans

- Racism in NHS

- Certain areas my children and I can not go

Slave mentality

Slave mentality

• This applies to women too.

• Slave mentality pits Black people against one another

• We have been taught there isn’t enough room at the table

• It becomes self policing, self regulating and governing.

What now: Angels of Youth

What now: Leeds, you, need to reach out

Resources

• Dark Girls (2011) US film by Oprah exploring colourism

• Creofire blog https://creofire.wordpress.com/tag/skin-lightening/

• Angels of Youth https://www.facebook.com/angelofyouths

• hooks, B. (1992). Black Looks: Race and Representation

• Crenshaw, K. (1989). Mapping the Margins: Intersectionality,. Identity Politics, and Violence Against. Women of Color. Harvard Law Review