RARE BLACK FEMALE NUDITY
An online writer, Tish, the Scorpion said, "For whatever reason black female nudity is very scarce in Hollywood. There's just not alot of black nudity in movies (at least not since the Blaxploitation era). Even in low budget indie/b-movies they are rare, and i don't know why. But then again black female roles in media is kinda rare to begin with, so maybe i answered my own question. A part of me can't help but believe that the marginalization is a combination of social taboo among black women, and the standard of beauty being blond hair and blue eyes in the western world. But i digress.
Here's a list of those rare occasion where a black actress has a nude scene."
What spilled from underneath her initial text were short biographies, and pictures of 91 Black actresses. My response was thus:
This tribute (that is what it is) honors the presence of social advise Black children have heard from their parents and elders for decades about value and excellence. There were quite a few maxims we were told coming up.
"You can't do as whites do."
"You have to be twice as good as the dumbest white man, and better than the best..."
That second maxim often led to heated discussions about being passed over for jobs, or promotions. Whites have always found ways to distort, discredit and find fault in the intent and achievements of Blacks, and in the character of Blacks, irregardless of their status, dignity, etc. The standards of excellence impressed upon Blacks by Whites are shored up with the eventuality of being debased because of your dignity, your commitment to excellence, your achievement. In the arena of social justice it is a known saying that two things are guaranteed: you may lose your life, or your name, or both may happen.
Black women at the highest levels of their fields are not ignorant of the weight of white judgement. Look at the recent put down of Beyonce. Forced to defend her integrity against a 'still wet behind the ears' white singer just getting into the field Beyonce has mastered, at every level, with the highest quality Beyonce Knowles had to put on a 21st century 'Black Face', and smile while doing her 'jig'. I was shattered and enraged at the shared humiliation.
Most 'Black White People' didn't get it. No white commentary, as far as I know, ever came out to acknowledge the affront. It all goes back to the knowing, the understanding of the social structure in the United States. Black professionals are held to a higher standard and lower expectations at the same time. It isn't that professional Black actress won't do nude scenes. It is that they won't because the standards are stacked not in their favor. Dignity and a good name are more precious than the attention nudity brings. Look what happened to Vanessa Williams. White women can send out sex tapes, or pose nude. The will receive accolades, and their commercial value goes up. Black women are held at lower levels of expectations while the expectation is of higher standards in their fields. It is a trick or a trap depending on who is looking at this. What it is is reality in America. - Gregory E. Woods
An online writer, Tish, the Scorpion said, "For whatever reason black female nudity is very scarce in Hollywood. There's just not alot of black nudity in movies (at least not since the Blaxploitation era). Even in low budget indie/b-movies they are rare, and i don't know why. But then again black female roles in media is kinda rare to begin with, so maybe i answered my own question. A part of me can't help but believe that the marginalization is a combination of social taboo among black women, and the standard of beauty being blond hair and blue eyes in the western world. But i digress.
Here's a list of those rare occasion where a black actress has a nude scene."
 |
| Cynda Williams, actress in The Dorothoy Dandridge Story |
What spilled from underneath her initial text were short biographies, and pictures of 91 Black actresses. My response was thus:
This tribute (that is what it is) honors the presence of social advise Black children have heard from their parents and elders for decades about value and excellence. There were quite a few maxims we were told coming up.
"You can't do as whites do."
"You have to be twice as good as the dumbest white man, and better than the best..."
That second maxim often led to heated discussions about being passed over for jobs, or promotions. Whites have always found ways to distort, discredit and find fault in the intent and achievements of Blacks, and in the character of Blacks, irregardless of their status, dignity, etc. The standards of excellence impressed upon Blacks by Whites are shored up with the eventuality of being debased because of your dignity, your commitment to excellence, your achievement. In the arena of social justice it is a known saying that two things are guaranteed: you may lose your life, or your name, or both may happen.
Black women at the highest levels of their fields are not ignorant of the weight of white judgement. Look at the recent put down of Beyonce. Forced to defend her integrity against a 'still wet behind the ears' white singer just getting into the field Beyonce has mastered, at every level, with the highest quality Beyonce Knowles had to put on a 21st century 'Black Face', and smile while doing her 'jig'. I was shattered and enraged at the shared humiliation.
Most 'Black White People' didn't get it. No white commentary, as far as I know, ever came out to acknowledge the affront. It all goes back to the knowing, the understanding of the social structure in the United States. Black professionals are held to a higher standard and lower expectations at the same time. It isn't that professional Black actress won't do nude scenes. It is that they won't because the standards are stacked not in their favor. Dignity and a good name are more precious than the attention nudity brings. Look what happened to Vanessa Williams. White women can send out sex tapes, or pose nude. The will receive accolades, and their commercial value goes up. Black women are held at lower levels of expectations while the expectation is of higher standards in their fields. It is a trick or a trap depending on who is looking at this. What it is is reality in America. - Gregory E. Woods
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