The Strong Black Woman Trope, Explained

[@thetake]

Support The Take on Patreon: www.patreon.com/thetake Subscribe to keep up with our latest videos, and let us know what you want to see next!

[@trinaq]

Please cover the Fat Girl archetype at some point! 😊

[@availanila]

Who's the narrator? She doesn't sound like the two ladies usually on this channel.

[@alicebeaudelaire]

Lolita tropes! !

[@redpinkandwhite102]

Who is the narrator???!! Please give her some credit for all of the hard work she put into this video.

[@trinaq]

@@redpinkandwhite102 According to the credits, her name is Alana Barrett-Adkins. 💕

[@PrincessOfTheYew]

"At worst these depictions risk implying that black women do not need systemic change because they're strong enough to withstand society's abuse...In reality suffering and abuse can frequently lead to trauma, mental illness and other toxic cycles." SPEAK

[@dr.braxygilkeycruises1460]

🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌

[@soniwatts8128]

💯💯💯💯

[@virces6563]

goes for other women as well

[@jquiet6487]

@@virces6563 no

[@FiestyFishFitz]

@@virces6563 Yet. This is a video about the strong black woman trope in media. Be gone or be quiet 🤫

[@hgrandberry6]

"At worst, these depictions risk implying that black women do not need systemic change, because they're strong enough to withstand society's abuse." EXACTLY. Thank you.

[@helpmeImpoor5314]

As if anyone being able to "take" abuse justifies abusing them

[@trinaq]

Precisely, I wish that they'd depict more flawed, realistic and vulnerable black women in mainstream media, and not have them be the "Divine Mentor" towards the typically white protagonist. 👏🏽💚

[@MinkytheMinkY]

Yes.

[@lkeke35]

Heidi G : I also wish that our displays of “strength” wasn’t defined by how well we can endure abuse!

[@AnHeC]

Deer God. Everything is 'problematic'. No matter what you depict. You show a woman as evil? Problem. Good? Problem. Maternal? Problem. Strong? Problem. Sad? Problem. Happy? Problem. Get a life. Or better, see a shrink. You apparently need one.

[@Kevin-rg3yc]

This been a stereotype particularly associated with darker skinned black women. It important when black female writers do great things and bring that stereotype out to put them in diverse personalities and characteristics

[@EstherOanda]

Hear hear

[@sethknarr4879]

it reflects society in its pursuit nature, American predominantly. a person of color who rises above the stereotype they are given, to show they are more than they are worth are encouraged, and hoisted on sholders. yet, if they fail to achieve that, riches grandeur and the such, they are seen, as as failure, even when surpassing that of the racial majority.

[@anayalator_221]

Kevin 5012 facts

[@raaid22]

It's so interesting that you mentioned that. I have a sister who is light skinned (I am a light skinned male) and she had to deal with the feelings of not being black "enough" because.of her skin tone. I have also had to deal with those feelings.

[@Kevin-rg3yc]

Raaid Cotman-El well I’m sorry you and your sister had to deal with that and that’s why there are better shows to showcase the experience as lighter skin mixed race people that not black enough thing comes from the fact of course society pressuring negative stereotypes of black peoples that they have internalized as well as the fact that mixed race people are pushed together with black people when they are they’re own people

[@sheis1111]

"The strong black womans power is only celebrated when it is in service to others" Never when she is saving herself

[@StageInTheSkyCreations]

That's because putting others before yourself is one of the strongest traits of a Christian. The more we get away from that and indulge in the concept of self-love and putting yourself above others, the less we get away from Christian principles, thus, salvation. A self-sacrificing woman will always warrant my respect and devotion. It's the only kind of woman I want raising our children.

[@anyanwuwildseed4023]

This isn't 100%true. Tina Turner saves herself and her career. Living Single, Dream Girls and She's gotta have it have ambitious black woman whose eventual strength and triumph is self served.

[@mcs0519]

👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾

[@designhub360customapparel]

Exactly

[@og-greenmachine8623]

Not powerful A USEFUL IDIOT in service to whites vs The BLACK MAN SHE IS OUR ENEMY! facts

[@mimi1238912]

And this trope is mostly given to darker skinned black women

[@sariahy]

If they want a damsel in distress/a princess, they usuly cast lighter skin ppl - its sad tbh. Do u know they were gonna animate tiana as a lighter person.

[@starlord6433]

Saron Asmerom who tiana???

[@isaacgray2909]

@@starlord6433 From Princess and the Frog

[@quietstorm7684]

@@starlord6433 The Princess and the Frog

[@Kevin-rg3yc]

Saron Asmerom right and when they want the black girl to be complex, multi dimensional and alternative they still have lightskin mixed girls be the faces for that even doe growing up in inner city Brooklyn there were dark skin black girls and women who were both hood and alternative and the lightskin mixed girls were straight hood and Thoting and bopping

[@Lu-56788]

Colourism is a huge factor in this trope. Most of these women are dark skinned

[@LiterallyMimi]

Exactly

[@leese-anngordon4704]

This.. No one admits this

[@bleyetteorelus9262]

Girl speak your truth ✊🏾✊🏾

[@miriamaesthetic5137]

Preach on things ppeople won't address

[@michaellablaise109]

Kodak said he like light skin women cause their easier to break down. That says something

[@a.d.w8385]

This trope has also been used as a sexist attack towards black women who embrace their femininity. The stereorype that we are so strong is used to strip the femininity from those of us who like being feminine women. We are said to be manly, emaculating to our men and undeserving of romantic love without struggle. This trope teaches black women to accept struggle love like no other.

[@Ladybug-no9sc]

Gurlllllll You just said it all. I just broke this down to a caucasian woman that took issue with the video. This trope has completely brainwashed most Men, making it dam near impossible to form Healthy relationships. The minute you don't eat shit and take it, You're a Man.

[@Ladybug-no9sc]

@soul sessions tv Bdhrh No Sweaty, Struggle love as in A relationship where you are habitually treated unfairly and then are expected to stay. MONEY HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH IT LOL. If you unfamiliar with this term, You're probably living this way convinced that crap is normal when it isn't. There is a difference between natural ups and downs in a relationship and someone who is a habitual line crosser.

[@a.d.w8385]

@@Ladybug-no9sc Yes. I realized this as a young girl growing up.

[@OReily08080]

a.d.w. n. It’s sucks, it’s too many insecurities I conjured up just by watching something on screen

[@christmastiger]

The worst part is society's view of everyday feminine black women is more like the jezebel, sexually obsessed and wearing revealing clothing etc. It's rather rare in recent decades to see a feminine black woman in media depicted as a glamorous, demure, graceful beauty that turns every head in the room like you'd see with Grace Kelly or Scarlett Johansson. White women get to play those roles all the time, but black woman are shown as more abrasive, strong in a masculine way, or the sassy best friend. I know it all comes down to the "male gaze" and how white men view white women as these dainty little princesses on a pedestal and black women as jezebels that "give you a good time" or whatever but what the hell? Black women are just as diverse in personality as white women but rarely get to be shown as anything more than the tropes shown in this video. The fact that there are SO many videos on this channel of different tropes that pertain to white women "the weird girl, the cool girl, the tough girl, the mean girl, etc" but only one or two videos about black women tropes proves that.

[@thicckrabs]

Because of these stereotypes people will be like “You don’t act black.”

[@eminempreg]

In highschool I always got told "you talk so white" Just because I'm a fairly shy well annunciated talker. I hate that white is associated with being well spoken and black is associated with being "ghetto"

[@SagRising19]

Very true

[@rain1676]

Big Blue Weeaboo are you into Japanese culture?

[@highlycaffinated4448]

Thank you for saying that.

[@IndigoCosmic]

I get that so much. If I don't snap off on someone or "check" them for something trivial then I am perceived as weak. If I use proper english then I'm told "I talk white". It's like a lose lose situation for black women.

[@no.reply_]

There is this artwork of a little black girl in a tutu holding a shotgun and a picture of Ahmad Arbery, Even little black girls (especially dark-skinned girls) are expected to fight for black men instead of being protected by them

[@hafsaomar981]

**Little Dark skin black girls

[@everafter2611]

There was a black man who shamed a 17 year old black girl for not protecting Geronge and video taping.

[@uchechiblxckgoddess]

I saw it too. I was completely disgusted

[@CinemaDoll137]

@@nevadapolite6517 It needs to be made because it's true.

[@alexmun7391]

Ever After eww, that’s just disgusting. what was she supposed to do? all they would’ve done was do what they did to george. who should’ve helped george? the GROWN ADULTS who could actually take on the officer(s) without being sent to their grave🤦🏾‍♀️

[@myosotismalva]

" The strong black woman is only celebrated when she's serving other" Time to use it for themselves 💕

[@Scorpiotail]

Say it again!!

[@biancadesousa]

miranda on grey’s anatomy

[@taki_02daddou81]

@@greendust6512 i hope you do stay away from black women. Thank you

[@kimberly8695]

@@greendust6512 Thanks. We appreciate you doing us black women a huge solid by staying the F away from us.

[@hartjefferson5461]

@@greendust6512 You sound stupid.

[@HaydenBlakeShow]

We couldn’t even escape this trope with the Princess & the Frog.

[@abcd-nv1nc]

Aleia exactly. I hate/love that movie. Let black little girls have fairytales!

[@marissawilson4644]

I related to the movie so much that it took a while for me to question why our story had to be that way.

[@augustm2771]

@Cherry Muse i can only see it being offensive as having the characters being frogs most of the time. can you explain the more offenses?

[@the_emmasculator]

@@augustm2771 Personally, I found it irriatating that the only black princess was less of a princess and more of a glorified strong, broke, black woman stereotype, complete with a dusty man that she "fixes up." I was waiting for the castles and ballrooms like the other princesses and instead her ending was here's your jobless man and 9-5 restaurant job!! Blech.

[@zizi6538]

@@the_emmasculator ohhhhh I see it now cuz I was like why dose everyone hate princess and the frog but now that u mention that she didn't get her ballrooms and castles like all the other white princess it makes senses now such a shame cuz I loved that movie :(

[@dwaynedaking3585]

My sister died because the nurse, doctors, practically the entire hospital ignored her after her C section surgery, then find out in America black females die from birth complications more because the treatment no one talks about after they give birth is lacking. Everyone keep saying she was so strong, yes black females can be strong but they are only human first and humans can be multi dimensional, its ok if they cry, its ok if they are not strong every day, why do everyone gets to be cuddled and get to be babied, get to be weak and black woman or men always have to be unbreakable, America that does not make sense.

[@nothemba1982]

So sorry your sister had to experience this! Sending you love ❤️

[@devonne13]

So sorry for your loss. It so sad that black women all over the world have to go through these injustices

[@indiascott6429]

so sorry for your loss x

[@nautili5666]

Oh my God. That is so cruel and horrible and disgusting. I'm so sorry for your loss. Poor girl/woman. Sick society.

[@be.9140]

I'm sorry for your lost❤

[@StephaniePerry]

Perfect timing to post this during Mental Health Month. Being a Strong Black Woman is exhausting. Don't praise her, give her help and let her take a nap.

[@merrytunes8697]

Stephanie Perry indeed, tiring

[@kiandraplummer2095]

Love it! Naps are totally underrated

[@chocolaterini17]

Please and thank u. Offer her some tea. I am assuming we are worth a cup of tea

[@niharikaawasthi9238]

I guess they are facing same problem what medical staff and essential workers are facing all over world right now..they need legit, tangible help and hollow words of praise..😅😧

[@guacgirl]

Stimulus checks for black women!!! 😁😁😁 we deserve it 😎😎😎 lol we need a break.

[@saeon4427]

This trope is so dangerous and awful it has basically stripped black women in general of being feminine and innocent ,its most used on dark skin women

[@jonelletate6304]

dear black girl Exactly Sis!

[@kensigregory361]

Exactly. It makes us be seen as masculine.

[@smol_chilli_pepper]

Exactly!

[@Crippycooke]

Yep. Only those who date, work with or have siblings who are black women know the truth. Everyone else is just afraid to get close because they're raised to believe they're aggressive - especially dark-skinned women.

[@crowe3627]

Is it? As a white girl, I am jealous we don't have that stereotype. It is kinda empowering. The closest to that is a bisexual kickass white girl. Still, I can't fully disagree with you, being put in a box is always uncomfortable and wrong. Edit: I got so many reply, everyone is either racist to black or white people or too deep in white shame. I doubt America would ever move on from racism, if everyone is unable to hold a calm, coherent discussion regarding race perspectives. I am not talking about a few of black folks who didn't jump to their guns and actually did a great job explaining their view.

[@inescastellano7960]

I wanna see a black female character that is shy, introvert, and not so strong-tempered, to change the stereotype.

[@alejandrocervantes3624]

Lauren Faust's DC SUPER HERO GIRLS'S BUMBBLEBEE thats EXACTLY her take on the character and she is a super hero! check that out if you like

[@saladcaesar7716]

@@alejandrocervantes3624 Yeah and iridessa from the tinkerbell movies.

[@lolkayleen2757]

salad caesar lol true

[@TXejas19]

I don't know that i wanna see that either, but it wouldn't hurt to have some diversity

[@UntakenNick]

So that feminists can complain about the patriarchy pushing gender stereotypes of women being calm and submissive bla bla bla...

[@Doodlebob108]

my dad always told me that just because you CAN live through something terrible doesn't mean you should have to. even if black women all would be strong enough to withstand society's abuse, doesn't mean they would have to.

[@MeltingOnYourMind]

Amen

[@center8922]

They should go transgender.

[@ezradlionel711]

..then he punched my momma

[@deepthoughts3570]

Black women are not oppressed or abused. Look at what women in dictatorships go through and then find tell me your “abused”

[@schristine159]

We need more soft🌸feminine roles for dark skinned black women.

[@papyrusted]

Your not white

[@schristine159]

g7dmother •}:{• lol someone give her a cookie

[@UntakenNick]

..so that feminists can complain about women being portrayed as soft and feminine..

[@jazzyd4725]

Have you seen the film The photograph? I know it’s not a series but Issa is portrayed as soft and feminine and serves looks in every scene ♥️♥️

[@schristine159]

Samara Worlobah thank you!!!

[@randomcitizen3939]

I'm am quiet, soft spoken, and nurturing. People always assume I am one of these tropes. In general, I am never treated like a lady. I have been told when I showed any emotion to suck it up. I find that a lot of people treat black women like they are men. Because of all this, despite how gentle and loving I am, I never truly felt feminine until recently when I found a man who saw me for who I truly am.

[@blackswan7279]

I felt this

[@blackswan7279]

ULGROTHA imma be honest I can’t really process this so I don’t know if your being condescending or not

[@monkey-bananas2890]

Random citizen, that's great that you found someone who treats you like a human being, and who likes you for who you truly are!

[@sheonnaharris2317]

Could you please explain what you mean by "being treated like a man?" I've also been told to not show my emotions, but I've also seen women of all races get ignored and made fun of if they cry or get super emotional especially in a work environment.

[@carlissiawilkins4432]

@@sheonnaharris2317 being treated as though, because of the color of your skin (especially for darkskinned women) as a black woman, you must be masculine or have masculine traits that correlate with the "strong black woman" trope.

[@_Alimm]

I resent the strong black woman stereotype because it gives us no space to be actual human beings who hurt and feel. Black women have so many positive qualities, I hate that the defining quality we're value by is strength which in codeword is how well we can take pain and anguish. That's just not a compliment to me at all. I rather be known for something beautiful, fun, creative not extremely abusive.

[@lkeke35]

GirlYouAlreadyKnow Preach! My ability to endure pain and anguish is the LEAST Interesting thing about me as a Black Woman!

[@juanmanuelpenaloza9264]

Hi, currently writing a novel that has a black teenager that has this stereotype. She is a side character, and is in short describes as a tomboy with a talent for mechanics. She lives with her father who runs an auto shop, and due to her mother being absent she has to play the role of employee, daughter and housekeeper. I was only half aware of the implications of this stereotype so I tried to balance her out in two ways. 1) I try to hint typical teenage curiosity and insecurity, particularly relationships. More development for the character is planned further down the line, primarily to peel back her layers. 2) Make the other characters within similar circumstances. Ex: the main character, despite being white is living with his uncle due to his parents being dead, has to work for him at his restaurant, and as a result is socially stunted. A supporting character is Hispanic and based on personal experiences, and another is a girl living in a hotel with someone who isn't related, struggling to become an artist. The reason I comment this is because I want to write a story that isn't only entertaining and unique, but also authentic to people's experience. I've tried engaging with people from multiple backgrounds in this pursuit. And likely I wish to further improve. Would you by any chance have any helpful suggestions? Is there a message worth expressing and form to display it? I hope this helps foster further discussion.

[@Shanice_Nisi_sweetieheart9770]

@@juanmanuelpenaloza9264 honestly the best thing I could suggest as a black teenager would be for you to trying to give her more personality traits instead of explaining why she's so strong explain how she feels about acting strong like is she sad that she has to be such a strong girl I would suggest you expand on her emotions so it doesn't come off as if she's just strong and that's the way she is

[@juanmanuelpenaloza9264]

@@Shanice_Nisi_sweetieheart9770 Gotcha. Thank you for your feedback.

[@Serai3]

It's interesting to compare the contrasting meanings of "strength" in women across color lines, isn't it? When the image is of a black woman, it means endurance and stoicism, to the end result of selflessness; whereas if it's a white woman, it means wielding weapons, kicking ass, breaking rules, the very opposite of selflessness. The word itself cannot be depended on.

[@kaylahgoodwin8794]

This stereotype literally kills us in the medical field

[@Zeldarw104]

I know, ask Serena Williams if she hadn't been an advocate for her own health Serena might not be alive today.😑

[@missmoxie9188]

It’s awful

[@youjustgotburned3980]

Really,how so?

[@ForeignFlexTv]

How?

[@relanaallen5513]

This kills us in all fields. Love, medical anything you can think of. This has destroy our image.

[@lisah8438]

The problem with the strong black women trope is that that they portray one form of strength. It is like when we tell men not to feel or get emotional, we tell black women the same thing. Just because a person cries and is vulnerable or soft spoken or not confrontational, it does not mean they aren't strong. It also shows that you have to go through some deep hardship to be strong. That isn't always the case. Plus you can express your femininity to be strong. Now you need to do the token black guy.

[@RandomSkyeRoses]

I'd like to see a vulnerable man or woman who expresses their emotions openly without them coming across as a crybaby

[@dianas7429]

This.

[@lh9591]

I just rewatched “Not Another Teen Movie” and was blown away by how a 20 year old movie, we still have all the same stereotypes, Token Black Friend being one of them.

[@fhernands]

@@RandomSkyeRoses Oddly enough, eu have a few examples in animation like aang from avatar and steven universe.

[@StefCrl]

Not another teen movie is a parody meant to have all the stereotypes though.....

[@Lankston101]

There's not enough balance to counteract this "Strong Black Woman" and "Social Justice Warrior" representation. We need more variety in stories. I want to see black women playing the parts of house wives, career women, manic pixie dream girls, damsel's in distress, quarky geniuses. I'm tired of seeing black women being masculinized and portrayed as these independent women that don't need men, women that have to protect men, have to take care of everyone, embittered, women that don't need support, women that don't need validation, etc. This imbalance in representation is toxic. We're NOT SUPERWOMEN. The average black woman can't match men in strength, agility, and speed. We're women just like any other non-black woman. I'm human first, a woman second, and that other stuff later. Also, I'm so tired of seeing black women being treated like an equal physical threat to men. Further, people are less likely to help us because of this "Strong Black Woman" crap. Apparently, we can handle it. Look at rates at which we're being physically abused and killed. Obviously, we're not super human. Obviously, we can't take it. Resilient, sure. Magic, no. I will say, there are some positive changes in the media that I appreciate, but again, it's not balanced.

[@kaleahcollins4567]

This is exactly why we need more of our own to tell our stories.

[@mississipi1103]

I agree with everything you said ! The only thing is, do you want to be as much objectified as white woman ? People assume that they're weak and dumb with no character They can sexually assault them easily because they're seen as weak. We should stop making tropes because it puts everyone in cases, and start writing women as human with flaws and qualities, sensitivity and strength.

[@mississipi1103]

But maybe people would love to have what I consider as a burden

[@irene5298]

Hey there’s nothing wrong with being equal to men ?? But i get what you mean

[@breeisjustababy]

@@irene5298 There's something wrong with it when BW aren't deemed worthy of protection because of some notion that we're these super human beings that can go through anything. BW are not born with exceptional strength, we live in a society that forces us to be strong.

[@EstherOanda]

She would like a world that doesn't require her to be strong 😭😭

[@trinaq]

Seconded, I love movies, such as "The Color Purple", or "Precious", which portrays black women as vulnerable and fragile, but through the obstacles that they face, they are able to earn their happy endings, in spite of their horrible, traumatic pasts. 😁💜

[@merrytunes8697]

Amen!

[@ihsin9176]

Exactly！

[@ControlledChaos9]

Whew!!! What a world that would be!

[@TheSuperNats]

That really hit hard

[@a.h.2667]

Outside of Black Panther, I noticed the black female superheroes are portrayed by light skinned or mixed race actresses, even if they are based on comic book characters who are dark skinned. Black male characters can be portrayed as any complexion. The most appropriate opportunity to have a strong black woman in a movie or TV series and she's automatically light skinned...

[@knockofftasty9693]

That’s so true AMANDLA STEINBERG is every dark skin every and it’s so damn annoying

[@SwisherGutsLLC]

@Lizania Rodriguez go to the fiery Latina trope video

[@soggysocks5085]

All the woman you guys are naming are mixed...

[@notwwwansik]

Why are you so obsessed with shades?

[@tiredoftheworld4834]

@@notwwwansikin the black community you are told you’re less valuable when you’re a darker skinned woman

[@Silent.St.j]

"She deserves a world that doesn't require her to be so strong all the time" "She Deserves A World That Doesn't Require Her To Be So Strong All The Time" (One more time for the people in the back) ✊🏾" SHE DESERVES A WORLD THAT DOESN'T REQUIRE HER TO BE SO STRONG ALL THE TIME" ✊🏾

[@daria4484]

Good things must be said three times

[@dreamyanon5151]

Lajla Jean Amen.

[@trinaq]

Amen, sister, let Black Women be flawed and vulnerable, and not just be a sounding board for the (usually) white protagonist. 👩🏾💜🙌🏾

[@aniekanakai]

Well said

[@mxchic05]

Lajla Jean 👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾💯

[@kristalcampbell3650]

Two: medical issues I can attest to black women getting inferior care due to these stereotypes in both of my pregnancies I had significant issues. With my first son I expressed concerns about breastfeeding (my son literally ripped the flesh off of my nipple) I was told "black women have tougher skin I've never had an issue with a black woman feeding" I was then encouraged to continue feeding and expressing despite bright blood red bottles. Finally another lactation consultant had my son checked for a tongue tie. My second pregnancy was much worse I had sever hip pain that was continually dismissed it turned out my son's skull was against my hip bone and he got stuck during my C section and would up with an indent in his skull. He also ended up with a host of other issues but is doing well now. When he was in NICU i was still recovering from my csection, haemolysis, and blood transfusions; rather than be wheeled to go see my baby I had to walk to the children's Hospital with no assistance from nursing staff to feed him at all hours day and night. On my walks I could see other women being wheeled over but when I asked I was told they were too busy and I'd have to go myself.

[@INAN2222]

❤️

[@annielytical2448]

this is disgusting... id be lying if I said I was surprised. I have endometriosis, a condition that I've complained of symptoms for since my periods started at age 10 yet I was told the all consuming paid is normal. the ovulation pain is normal, the inability to move for days is normal, throwing up for the entirety of my period is normal. the accompanying other issues are normal and I would be fine. now, as a 26 year old, nearly 27 is when a black female doctor has finally started taking me seriously and has prescribed me medication to help with the pain. Another instance: I complained of severe knee pain to my doctor that started suddenly and without my hurting myself. went to the doctors 3 times over the course of 3 months and was told nothing was there and I should take ibuprofen and I'll be fine (he did not even check). finally saw my new black female Doctor, she made me lie down and checked the movement of my knee and she could see the swelling I had said was there and after an xray - I was told my right knee had become badly inflamed due to a repetitive strain injury. my work place has yet to take my pain seriously though. one step at a time right. I'm sorry you had to endure that, stay strong ♡

[@user-hq6gt6wr9k]

I'm so sorry you had to go through this! I pray for all black women that this narrative changes, and quickly! Our lives literally depend on it

[@karminyates3261]

I had a similar circumstances that led to my son being disabled.

[@eleannatzeraki4151]

That's just awful!

[@Xtheearthchildx]

That’s why I love Issa Rae. I can relate to her awkward characters more than Tyler Perry’s struggle baby mama drama characters lol Edit: whew almost 3k of us agree lol

[@Demifan39]

Yesss this🙌🏾

[@YungDubee88]

Right!! Same here.

[@lkeke35]

Yes, I love that silly little woman. She is so refreshingly awkward and deeply funny!

[@vicstone8817]

She is very relatable indeed

[@KnowledgeSeeker78491]

I can't relate to any of them

[@thadboy3267]

As a white writer, I just wanted to say this video really gave me a lot to think about regarding how I write my black female characters. Also wanted to thank all of the black women in the comments section for their insightful threads. I don’t want to be a disruptive presence by responding to anyone in particular, but I found this video and comment section to be really enlightening! Even though I’m white, I really hope that this insight will help me to do black women justice in my work and give them the nuanced, complex stories they deserve!

[@ev6564]

Great! Thanks for taking in the info in the comments well and reflecting upon it. And hopefully you won't be discouraged even if it gets hard to write, so I wish you the best of luck!

[@PopLife-hb3ks]

Thank you for being respectful in your comment. Yes, please take what you’ve learned to make productive and positive change. The world really needs it.

[@isabelreyes2407]

Thank you!!

[@baldr6894]

I’m currently writing and I’m doing the exact same thing! I’m glad this video exists, and many others, to help me flesh out my characters and write better.

[@t.martin51]

@@prospus468 I don't know about apologizing for whiteness, but when someone clarifies that they are white, it is saying "I am aware that I am not central to this experience and therefore my opinions do not override the people who are". It's not apologizing for whiteness. Also, this isn't America. You are on the internet. FYI, that's worldwide.

[@mojojojoppg9790]

I find this trope absolutely disgusting it shows black women as inhuman strong men who can take on everyone’s problems. Black women, just like everybody else, are allowed to be tired and take mental and physical breaks. Doing it all, ALL THE DAMN TIME runs you ragged and should not be praised. I’m tired of seeing black women fighting and scratching just to get by, let us be human.

[@trinaq]

Exactly, you've really hit the nail on the head here!🔨👏🏽Let Black Women be vulnerable and flawed, but hopeful in the face of adversity, like Precious or Celie from "The Colour Purple". Nobody has all the answers, and it makes them more human and relatable. 💖

[@stillfangirlingtoday1468]

As a white woman, I always feel incredibly inspired by black women characters, or strong women in general. But this video made me see how these archetypes can also be sadly toxic. I will still forever be inspired, but will think twice before consuming narratives like this with a simple mind.

[@Bellajenny1-d4l]

@@Chris-rg6nm I think when it was created it was used to showcase an aspect if black women that was never showcased or appreciated but as it was used by other people, the different dimensions of the trope (like to toll having to uphold this persona can take) were ignored and made the women one dimensional rather than an aspect of a whole person

[@wasitjustadream2345]

I don't see this characters masculine, i just see one type of women, and that is very wrong, i agree with you on what you said, it has to give black women the same variety of characters as they do with white women

[@goddessnoir290]

For God's sake let us be human!

[@sakhilepadi3501]

The reality is that these stereotypes are also perpetuated by real people in our lives, not just in the media. Parents, teachers, peers etc. We are always expected to be super strong and nurturing it's instilled in us since childhood. An Indian male friend told me that I am behaving like a "western" woman when I mentioned that I have no desire to get married or have children. I'm from South Africa and have lived/worked in a few other countries. The problem with being an African black woman is that you are not expected to be assertive, you are mammy. When you do speak up for yourself, eloquently and assertively, they can't understand how you think that you are an EQUAL! They either gaslight you or call you crazy behind your back. This was a good video!

[@politereminder6284]

YES! some people, when you act like their equal be like, " HOW DARE YOU! 😡" 😂

[@awkwardletter9533]

My manager (along w/ a slew of teachers) love to throw that “girlfriend” at the end of the sentence to address me like....I’m not even sassy like that. I don’t even use the term “girlfriend”! Wtf?

[@cristinarivera5707]

awkwardletter95 😂😂😂 I’m laughing at this because you bring up a great point. I’m Latina and was born and raised in the Chicago inner city so I speak with a certain dialect (didn’t notice it until I lived in Southern California for 4 years). My former roommate who was a lily blonde white girl from the suburbs would speak normally with everyone else but would start her sentences with “Girl,...” when she would talk to me. I was like🤔

[@komal146]

Haha. I hear the same stuff etveb as a light skinned Indian girl. I guess anyone "non Caucasian" is thought of as natural mommy.

[@everberry51]

I'm sorry you get gaslit left and right. That can get really exhausting. At the end of the day, your choices are valid--it's your life! Let ignorant bigots do and say whatever they want--they're not worth your energy or thoughts.

[@ComfortablyPlump]

I went into this video with a healthy amount of skepticism, thinking you guys wouldn't have the range to examine the real damage that this trope has done. But you surprised me by giving a voice to someone that can speak to this topic better than the usual people at The Take can. I really appreciate that. Too many black women have internalized this trope and see themselves as masculinized superheroes, especially dark skinned black women. But at the end of the day, black women are just women. And that's not an insult.

[@buttertoast8613]

Ikr me too 😔 my hear was beating fast when i saw the video i thought they were gonna praise these stereotypes and not go into depth about it but I was so happily wrong they tackled the situation better than I could imagine 💖

[@makisov]

Writers literally pick one personality traits and discard all other emotional range for black female chatacters. Black women: Sensitive, strong, sweet, sensual, complex, angry, graceful, happy, tearful, empowered, healthy, and dynamic. We are everything every other women is. But no matter how an individual behaves, it still reflects on all of us. It isn't fair. We just want to be who we are and feel what we feel

[@ezradlionel711]

If there's one black actress in a movie, she can't encapsulate the full spectrum of personalities without becoming a trope, and portrayed realistically would seem to promulgate one stereotype over another. Movies in general are formulaic and need events/circumstances/issues to push the plot, obstacles for protagonists to overcome. Who is going to watch Rambo balking at the thought of taking down an army, or a black woman who crawls into herself when her problems get to her? These are portrayals of people larger than life and movies always reflect the environment in which they're created, I get the point, but these are some of the worst examples I've ever seen of stereotypes being perpetuated.

[@tamaralevi6076]

As a black woman, I got emotional about 1 min into this. People act like black women can burn the candle at both ends for decades and we'll be fine. We're not.

[@okimawilcox1550]

We really aren’t

[@blackking2291]

The traits are unattractive and masculine...

[@anonymousnation5235]

I'm a semi-brown South Asian girl and I cried my eyes out at this. I hope everyone facing bad behavior because of their color get more respect and the attention they deserve. ❤

[@niloticnya]

as a dark skinned black girl this trope really affects us in a negative way. because of it we are dehumanized and masculinized. we aren’t allowed to be sensitive and feminine. people think we are strong and don’t need a man, but most black women want to find love but we’re seen as people who don’t. hopefully there will be more positive forms of representation for black women because we really are put at the bottom.

[@lilil9752]

Women who are not black (like me) often mistake this portrayal as positive since they look badass and cool but we were too biased to see this negative traits. You deserved better and i hope more people learn (specialy writers) the trope can be dehumanizing

[@walkz007]

@@Chris-rg6nm 😐😐😐 wrong

[@niloticnya]

Chris black women are allowed to refer to themselves as whatever they want, and if they want to be independent they can do so. there’s an issue with the way white writers put us in these boxes that only give us negative stereotypes. what we need are more diverse roles in the media.

[@niloticnya]

Chris the thing is that most black women arent like that to begin with. these writers created this character first and because it was one of the first representations of us we see, some feel like that’s what their identity was meant to be. but most of the black women i know are just everyday women. we aren’t just a character written for us. many people just assume we are and we get treated like that. from the day we are born the world is against us. i had self love and embraced my african culture and heritage. but people in america told me that i had to change who i was to be more accepted. as a child to now i’ve been told to lighten my skin, loosen my hair, treated like i was stupid, and nobody wanted me romantically. it was a role forced upon me by others. we go through a lot and in a way we are strong, but i had to realize that i didn’t have to accept those perceptions of me. i deserve to be loved and uplifted and girly, and so does every other black girl.

[@Peecamarke]

@@Chris-rg6nm also, if they're ONLY seeing Black women that way then they have a really skewed perspective of the world around them or they're basing it off the toxic stereotype already perpetuated by white writers who wrote shows they watched growing up and absorbed it into their material

[@Vasilia4]

*I'm so tired of it. Why can't we ever be nerdy, quiet, shy, quirky, valued for our beauty, or - god forbid - a damsel in distress?*

[@iffythelondongirl7644]

Exactly

[@Des_.]

It made me at one point fear having a black daughter. I want her see herself as feminine or cute. Of course I wont push femininity onto her but I think black girls need to know they can be just as valuable as the white girl and just as feminine as the Asian girl. She can be pretty, kind, smart and not have to give one away to survive.

[@irrelevance3859]

Exactly. Does it hurt to have darkskin black women portrayed like this?

[@ev6564]

Exactly! And as a nerdy, quiet, and shy black girl it would be really nice to shy that represented. I plan on writing my own stories with feminine or nerdy or quiet black girls especially darker skinned black girls, but a lot more is needed than anything I alone could do.

[@KingLeno]

@@ev6564 they generally don't make movies based on shy people. But the women in Hidden Figures checked all those boxes. There's a nerdy more quiet character in Black Panther.

[@officialnezquick]

I don’t think people understand that we want black women to be in other roles that don’t just present them as strong and sassy I want black villains, black manic pixie dream girls, black mean girls, black housewives, black rom com leads, literally I want a black women in every trope they can be in we are just as 3 dimensional as other women and I am tired of us just being viewed in our current tropes!! It’s 2020 people Edit: this is ESPECIALLY important for dark skinned women the black women who are casted in the roles I mentioned above they are almost always light skinned and I am tired of it LET DARK SKINNED WOMEN BE SOFT they feel and experience just as much as us light skinned women do and they need to be represented just as much if not more

[@squidwardtentacles7144]

It had to be said. I hope this happens soon. And I live to see it.

[@bumblebee_0112]

This is the one...👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽 idk why it's so hard for ppl to understand this!

[@blackreign351]

@@bumblebee_0112 it’s hard to understand cause a majority of women praise and are about this identity. BW who talk about not needing men, they can do it all etc etc etc. you can walk out side right now and find a BW who will be about this. Shidd sad af

[@LadyPinkster]

@KStar yes!

[@missmissy8015]

I'd love to see more pampered black housewives

[@idoreyen01]

So glad they got a black woman to narrate this

[@emmaclarke2885]

Me too but I hope she narrates more videos and not just on topics related to race. And I hope black women actually wrote this video and were involved with the research

[@KingLeno]

I bet she didn't write it though. This should have been deeper than what it was. And I feel like it just stereotyped nearly every black women on TV as a stereotype. But also, looking at a selection of their other videos, this appears to be a "video bait" channel where they generate tons of content.

[@youssefboudaya5939]

her name plz ?

[@quirkofchance924]

@@KingLeno But they put real effort and time into their videos, you can tell a lot of research goes into them

[@Altdisneystudio]

Because they are talking about a “strong” black women🙄

[@mbanerjee5889]

Neal Brennan said this on his podcast recently: "White women want to be princesses, black woman want to be queens." I think it goes along the idea that "she deserves a world that doesn't require her to be so strong all the time." Princesses get to be protected, carefree, and feminine; while queens have to be protective, responsible, and assertive.

[@Melcatsite]

I never thought of that, it kind of reminds me of how Tiana is portrayed, even though she is a Disney princess she actually has the qualities that are attributed with being a queen.

[@bouncyshak]

@@Melcatsite And she struggles the entire time. Theme song is "Almost There". Hate that f'in movie.

[@sadtitties222]

@@Melcatsite I have such a huge love/hate (well more of disappointment than "hate") relationship with this film. I adore Tiana and certain side characters that help drive the story, but this film still leaves me confused and conflicted all at once. It also doesn't help that she is the only Black woman/princess in the Disney line-up, and yet they still keep on churning out more white princesses/main leads with each new movie that they make (Moana and Coco being the exceptions/Big Hero 6 also counts considering the main cast has POC in the main roles). I still care deeply for this film, but I will not deny my critical side and act as if this movie has no problems. :/

[@majeedmamah7457]

Don't black women call themselves queens. Isn't that what they want?

[@Speaking841]

@@majeedmamah7457 It's an effort to reclaim black women's experience as never being considered as worthy of protection. Black women have come to collectively identify with being "strong" and "independent" because they have no choice but to be.

[@blaqueathena]

"We deserve a world that doesn't require her to be so strong all the time" A WORD.

[@alexish8183]

I'm disappointed that colorism was not included in this conversation.

[@WeCaredALot]

@panmensizar It matters, goofball.

And obesity, and hair scarfs

[@PopLife-hb3ks]

Baby steps, I guess.😒

[@manovrsb]

black people cant defeat colorism, in fact we depend on it

[@pamgray9870]

manovrsb You mean *YOU* depend on it? lmao speak for yourself💀

[@LA-tz8zr]

I'm glad you showed Bonnie from The Vampire Diaries. That girl would go missing (literally missing) multiple times, and sometimes for months, and her "best friends" wouldn't think twice until they needed her to help them with their own problems.

[@LA-tz8zr]

@Weeby&Geeky Yep. That "team" worked really well saving everyone BUT Bonnie. And what happened to Enzo was honestly insult to injury. Literally showing how strong Bonnie was to stop the hellfire at the cost of her lover and then having to go through life alone. All that strength and throughout the series she had loss after loss (which she handled better than the MC) and suffered major episodes of depression and had very low self-esteem. But she pulled through and received little more than a pat on the back from her "friends".

[@signalfire15]

@Weeby&Geeky I shipped Bamon too. Julie Plec is a racist though. We were all fooling ourselves to believe she would have ever put her dream boy with a black woman.

[@LA-tz8zr]

Weeby&Geeky I LOVED Bonnie and Enzo as a couple. They were arguably the healthiest couple on that show. I hated Bonnie with Jeremy. He was immature, cheated on her with a ghost, and basically gave up on her when she was stuck in the prison world with a murderer, even though she brought Jeremy back to life. TWICE. AND sacrificed herself the second time. Like, honestly, I couldn’t stand that boy. I couldn’t get into Bonnie and Damon because they were never meant to be together on the show. Damon was always going to be with Elena. ENZO on the other hand was PERFECTION when he and Bonnie got together. Before that NEITHER of them had a person in their corner. They were both very loyal to one another and at the drop of a hat they were willing to do what it took to protect the other. At the end of the day, every one of Bonnie’s friends had someone they prioritized OVER her (Damon was one of the only ones who did something selfless and decent by not hurting her to get Elena back), though she often put her life in jeopardy for them, and usually at the cost of her loved ones, her safety, and her emotional health.

[@AvgJane19]

They did Bonnie so fucking dirty, that shit still boils my fucking blood

[@LA-tz8zr]

AvgJane19 girl I’m about to write a thesis on this shit. I just CANNOT cope with that ending for my girl.

[@TheLeah2344]

I really cannot stand the strong black women stereotype. This affects black women in the worst way. I can’t tell you how many times people tried to use me like a mule and treated me like garbage because I’m suppose to be a “ strong black woman “ and should be able to take it. A lot of men also expect you to take on traditional roles as well as take on the role of a man like your superwoman. You also are called angry, aggressive, ghetto, masculine, etc for trying to express yourself. This also affects us in school and the work place as well not just relationships. This is how the WORLD perceives us. We need to see more positive representation of FEMININE BEAUTIFUL BLACK WOMEN who are HUMAN BEINGS WITH FEELINGS and aren’t expected to carry the world on their shoulders like a MULE.

[@papyrusted]

Keep crying

[@rkms5606]

worse is when Black women do this to each other

[@xoseanaxo5538]

Rev. Robin Kay Monk Self yup!!!!

[@JT-ct2bn]

@g7dmother •}:{• you'd enjoy being called "emotional" and "overreacting", and then "hysterical" if you dare to get angry because nobody takes you seriously or even listens to what you are saying.

[@anissa2361]

@@papyrusted Begone troll! If you don't like us why are you on this video?

[@mitsiejc1077]

This is EXACTLY why I'm writing books with various Black girl leads. The gist of this video is that Black women are individuals and women like any other. We need variety in media because there is no singular way to represent us, and media shapes people's views of us. There are strong Black women. There are weak Black women. There are girly Black women, ditzy, clever, naive, goofy, shy, sexual, chaste, and *all kinds* of Black women. We are diverse women with different personalities and interests and deserve the same kind of judgement of individuality rather than group that white women are afforded.

[@OReily08080]

Exactly

[@ms.voicer3214]

We need this!

[@lemonlime2288]

Love this and stand by this! I will be in line to buy your books!

[@alyssasibanda1776]

I’m with you on this! Rooting for this!

[@irrelevance3859]

Yes thank you. I love seeing black artists, authors, animators etc who break the stereotype

[@NWednesdayQuansah]

I've seen firsthand how being "strong black women" has damaged my mother, my grandmother, and my aunts. I thought I had to be a "strong black woman" and it was destroying me. It's long past time for this stereotype to die.

[@tiffmonique7154]

To the non black women arguing with black women about how they're portrayed in the media.....STOP and LISTEN! This is the problem! When ever black women come forward and say our perspective on our experiences here comes someone who has no idea what it's like to be us telling us what they THINK! We are well aware of our stories, how we are depicted and how it makes US feel! How can you possibly come here and argue with us about that? If we say the Strong Black Woman trope lessens our femininity then guess what it's true! If we say there is a lack of diverse depiction of black women in the media because of this trope then guess what it's true. Stop telling us that we're wrong for feeling this way or seeing things this way because you have no idea what it's like to be us. The audacity, entitlement, arrogance, and amount of privilege it takes to step to someone who experiences you will never understand, and tell them that THEY are wrong for their views about this is abusive! This is exactly why things are the way they are. Did the video not highlight for you why this trope is problematic? Where you not paying attention? You're gaslighting us and people wonder why we get angry. Unbelievable!

[@jazthespaz837]

You are clearly not familiar with this channel to know that the voice analyzing in this video ISN'T the two portrayed in the intro. I have no idea what race this voice belongs to but it's likely that it is a black woman because the voice doesn't belong to either of the two standard narrators. Next, your passion is NOT misplaced, but you have no enemies here. Take a breath. No one is arguing with you and your opinions are valid. Okay? Okay. Lastly, I think some of the points in this video are very insightful. Hopefully you can see what I'm talking about from a logical perspective.

[@Evarya]

@@jazthespaz837 i don't think Tiffany was speaking against the video at all. just to comments of white people who are, yet again, brushing off the discussions black people bring to the table

[@jazthespaz837]

@@Evarya If that is that case, then I apologize to the original commenter. I jumped the gun.

[@UntakenNick]

Ikr? How dare people with the wrong skin color express themselves!

[@angelicajohnson3760]

IAmAgainst youre literally such a loser lol you tried

[@ladygrinningsoul284]

"Oh honey child, please don't send me away." Oh god, that was hard to watch.

[@Lafemmefutile]

For real, that’s the top of cringiest stuff I have ever seen.

[@chocolatethunda0177]

That was the original 'Imitation of Life' movie. I couldn't finish the movie. It was very unbearable because of that character.

[@MissEricaFlowers]

The book was even worse!

[@tyrant-den884]

@@MissEricaFlowers one of the biggest retroactive cringes I ever had was remembering how when all the moms in my 4th grade class all said "Gone With The Wind" was their favorite book.

[@tracyw5743]

I almost stopped watching after I saw that.

[@Whatsinaname_]

So who ready to see The Take explain the white savior trope? 🙋🏽‍♀️

[@Percival917]

YES. This. Besides the fact that it's just a feel-good trope which does not match the reality of the situation, we also need ideas on how to have characters help their beloved friends with darker skin tones in their times of need, WITHOUT coming across as this trope.

[@myfeelshurt]

Seth meyers did a fake movie trailer on that

[@claredawson9420]

YES

[@lillustpotion]

*cough* HOLLYWOOD *cough* It was such a visually beautiful TV show but the 'white saviour' aspect was jarring me.

[@EASJR1991]

Percival917 I think I’ve seen some movies that could have been about the white savior trope, but I think they sort of manage to do something different and come across as less problematic. There was the Disney Channel movie called got a kick it up which is about a white teacher who starts working at a mostly Latino high school, and starts coaching the dance team which other schools would call the cheerleading team. And I feel like they somewhat avoid many of the white savior troves by portraying the teacher as having baggage from her past and by giving the students more autonomy and showing them doing stuff on their own when they feel unsupported by the teacher. Oh, and she doesn’t just decide to be the coach. She only becomes the coach because the students know she has a background in dance and they ask her to be the coach. So I think that’s one way to avoid the white savior Trove. Although it is subjective. And then I remember seeing the movie Australia starring Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman. Nicole Kidman’s character tries to literally save someone, specifically a half aboriginal/half white younger boy who is in danger of being taken away from his family. But that ultimately does not work out. I think this shows how the issues that aboriginal Australians phase is a huge issue, and it can’t be solved by a single white person who wants to do the right thing. Another movie might have showed her character rescuing the young boy from his fate and present it as a feel good sort of being wild glossing over the fact that the issue is more severe than just one person being put in danger of being removed from their family.

[@packnetadaija]

I wonder why it is considered "hot and spicy" when Latina women are being angry, but if it's a black woman it's a fearful angry black woman trope? I just don't get it

[@rosejames5172]

Racism

[@JackDenn]

Racism for sure. They treat us like we’re not sensitive or feminine. It makes me sick.

[@Jasmine-mw5ku]

Because Latina women are considered to be more feminine-looking and so they get sexualized.

[@DrBitchcraft.]

racism~ and fetishising latinas.

[@Ignasimp]

@@rosejames5172 oh yes, everything is racism. You live in a bubble.

[@julialisowiec1254]

I would argue that this can be very toxic. Our media are showing black woman (especially drak skinned) as independent and very masculine. White society tried to take away black woman's femininity since slavery times. The diversity of the characters played by black woman is very needed right now.

[@Peecamarke]

Agreed! Its even toxic for masculine behavior if that's considered masculinity

[@jennkady925]

It was honestly more white women policing black women’s femininity once they realized their men were attracted to us. That’s why they had laws to cover black women’s afros.

[@julialisowiec1254]

J Doree you are absolutely right - and we still enforce those policies today

[@unsolicited_advise1581]

We do need more diversity. I hope the 'strong, black woman' also gets the rewrite she deserves and is allowed to actually benefit from these traits. As a dark-skinned girl who has a more masculine aura and is fiercely independent I am often attacked for not muling (usually by people who have/ would never do anything similar for me) choosing to use my traits in a more self serving manner. I also feel attacked for celebrating my more feminine side.

[@ComfortablyPlump]

I appreciate that a black woman is narrating this video, that's cool as hell! Where my fellow black girl cinephiles at? ✋🏽

[@TheMorganVEVO]

Comfortably Plump RIGHT HERE!!!

[@kensigregory361]

Heyy!

[@withniejules2244]

Right here! 🙋🏿‍♀️🙋🏿‍♀️🙋🏿‍♀️💁🏿‍♀️💁🏿‍♀️💁🏿‍♀️❤❤🧡🧡💜💜🖤🖤

[@CheriseMonetFilmmaking]

Checking in sis ¡

[@CreativeKennedy]

Right here

[@lizw6952]

what about the much more frequently done “sassy black woman” trope ......

[@isaacgray2909]

@Nia M Looking up on wikipedia, it classified "sassy" under the sapphire category. I'm guessing the sassy black woman is downplayed version of the angry black woman (Disney channel's ones comes to my mind).

[@V4Vonnie]

They mention this in their sidekick/best friend video I believe.

[@rashidahwilliams768]

Would love to see an analysis of this trope by The Take

[@uchechiblxckgoddess]

Doesn't that tie into the sapphire category too? Correct me if I'm wrong

[@jerkin2200]

Be honest only blk women can play that role

[@fynlilmama]

I am the nerdy, shy, antisocial black woman. I wasn't accepted in the black community because I wasn't "black" enough. I developed a persona of the stereotypical loud, sassy black woman around others just to be accepted and it was mentally exhausting. I'll just be me.

[@jorami4838]

I had to do the same thing in middle school....

[@nin4life97]

Same, I'm learning to unpack.

[@JackDenn]

Same. I love anime and manga. I love basketball and science. People tell me I’m “different”. I don’t think people know how much black people love all of those things, especially anime.

[@Jasmine-mw5ku]

So is the black community perpetuating this stereotype as well?

[@v.a.993]

yep...just be you.

[@FM-ne5rq]

That part about how the worth of black women is often ascribed to our behavioral characteristics and not an innate respect of human value...i felt that. Didn't really think about it in that way particularly and I'm grateful to Ms Harris Perry for putting it into words. I definitely feel like once I am suddenly not agreeable or assert myself or express a grievance, I'm often ostracized or met with indignation or suddenly demonized even. It's hard to be a black woman. It's hard to have, navigate and express emotions as a black woman. We should be seen as intrinsically of value.

[@ThatGirlWithAVoice]

Agreed!!

[@MsZephyra]

I love how you expressed this. Making a note of this for myself, if you don't mind. :)

[@FM-ne5rq]

@@MsZephyra Go for it! Glad I could help

[@biancadesousa]

The minute Miranda Bailey (Grey’s anatomy) stopped taking care of everyone else and putting all her focus on the other characters and got her own personality and flaws and troubles people instantly started hating on her. I definitely think there’s a deeper meaning than that because the fans are more than happy to accept all the other women’s flaws

[@aneshalove226]

The darker she is the stronger movie makes her.. when they want feminine black women they go for 1 that looks like zendaya or or 1 that you have to ask "is she black?" Basically a black woman closer to whiteness than the average black woman (the majority of black women in America dont look like zendaya they look more like lil kim before surgery) Edit: if I had this much subscribers as likes I'd be happy😂 thankkkkss y'all

[@saeon4427]

Preach

[@shelisadaniel6718]

I actually saw something on Facebook book the other day that made me wonder this happened. Someone made a post about the rise of the southern bell. What was said in the post makes me wonder if some of the things attributed to the southern belle didn't bleed over into black culture (after all, colorism did) because the southern belle basically drew her power from the fact that she was white. I wonder if subconsciously American culture hasn't just assumed that the lighter one's skin the more you have to be protected, cottled, etc. It's a stupid concept but the appears to be what happened.

[@aneshalove226]

@@shelisadaniel6718 it's not just Americans.. it bleeds over internationally granted jamaicans are protected by their men regardless of color but the lighter the skin the more dainty she's expected to be.. and you're expected to be STRONGer when you're darker..

[@shelisadaniel6718]

@@aneshalove226 Yeah I thought about that after I wrote it. It's just a theory for now, one I would obviously need to research more as it just came off the top of my brain. In the Facebook post I watched, it only talked about the southern belle in the American South. I do realize that this is a thing in a lot of countries, usually anyplace that white people wound up colonizing. Do you suppose there's a reason why? (Sarcasm, of course. )

[@chasebarber10]

I just hope that when ever things like this are brought up that we don't undermine lighter skins and/or mixed girls black identity as well. The enemy and the wrong is the misuse and terrible real prejudices and purpose the white directors and casting and Hollywood truly are trying to portray which is force us to believe that lighter is still the only beautiful. Just bc we get to "pass" doesn't mean we are ok or do not struggle with our black identity or self-love. Especially people who are of mixed cultured. Do not undermine them or try to strip them of their black identity or assume things of how they identify themselves.

[@defiantlypinki1107]

As much as I love having a black princess, Princess Tiana had the same strong black women ideology. I couldn’t get over how lazy Prince Naveen was, though 🤦🏾‍♀️.

[@nenep1872]

Well when your pampered all your life and then your parents cut you off and no nothing else thats what you turn into🤦🏾‍♀️🤦🏾‍♀️🤦🏾‍♀️🤦🏾‍♀️ but completely agreed about Tiana and they had her a frog for most the movie, no other disney princess besides Jasmine was turned into an animal and that was on the Aladdin series....

[@iammar1159]

Prince Naveen is not black or is he? I always thought he was a dark skinned Indian/South Asian.

[@muffinmonster2634]

Partially the reason why the little mermaid is my fav disney princess movie :) ariel's so gullible, adventurous, curious and dreamlike but tiana just reinforces that godforsaken stereotype onto us like pls

[@muffinmonster2634]

It's always about struggle love

[@muffinmonster2634]

AND how tiana was just the black character there to give her friend charlotte some advice.. always putting others' needs before her own ugh

[@kurtbertrand1333]

Often times people see the strong black women as superhuman that they can endure all but we must remember that she is human and she is flawed like everyone she has weakness. She deserves to be taken care of as well.

[@octoberwitch7968]

How are we so fetishized and and yet so undesired

[@bovine_joni]

Can't win 😭

[@KiaRoane]

Julie Bc we are black and women. That’s how.

[@gregmatic2861]

submission

[@myristicina.]

America

[@eprahs1]

They only want us in the dark.

[@azirec1678]

Showing a black woman that loves her family and partner but cares about her own needs too is more valuable. Showing a black woman laughing, crying or acting goofy is more valuable. Your skin colour and culture don't define your personality as much as the media wishes you to believe. Humans are far more complex

[@marlak4203]

Yes. Humans are and i am sure some/many black actors just want to be seen on screen as simply a "person" that did this role good and it not be something more and deeper than that.

[@trippy9320]

“Don’t make this about race” is the number one phrase racist people say, they don’t want to face their biases.

[@hidof9598]

Exactly Like the people who were kiling Asians during this pandemic

[@Jasmine-mw5ku]

That really depends on the situation. As someone who's been watching on the sideline of these debates where comments like “Don’t make this about race” happen, I think it depends on the context and subject. Certain times race is called into the topic without relevance. And other times race is indeed a major factor and should be talked about. So I think just because someone says “Don’t make this about race” doesn't mean they are a racist. It depends on what's being talked about.

[@samiranasser6713]

@@Jasmine-mw5ku exactly. where I live, we have a very famous reality show (Big Brother), and almost half of the cast was black. While in the beginning it sounded great to have some representation on the media, by the end of the first month we had the biggest rejection, from all reality shows. A black woman, a rapper, was eliminated with 99,17% of the votes. One week before her, another black man was eliminated from the show with 98,76% of the votes. They were tremendously cruel to other participants, expelled another black man (who quit the show) from the table were they were going to have lunch, humiliated him when they were on live, made fun of the accent of a woman who comes from the northeast of the country and many other awful things. If you look, you'll see that most of the rejected are black, and if you don't know the context, you will assume it is because of race, but if you watched the show, you'll see it wasn't.

[@Phos67]

Sounds racist to me.

[@hadbetterdays8118]

Yes I absolutely hate how they then turn it around to we're being racist because we call it out

[@jonelletate6304]

I loved this video. I am not a fan of the term "Strong Black Woman" it dehumanizes us, absolves us of pain and vulnerability and chips away at our femininity. It almost makes it ok for us to endure trauma.

[@saeon4427]

Exactly

[@samiam9925]

Growing up as a dark skinned Nigerian girl in America, I always felt that I was treated as masculine and unattractive, unlike how my white female contemporaries were treated. I realize this trope feeds into how I was treated. I grew up in an era where the "pretty" black girls were those like Megan Good, Beyonce or Halle Berry, those who had lighter skin than I did.

[@grazielaalmeida8438]

There are drawbacks and perk side in it. Being treated as an unattractive woman all the time is bad, but it allow men to look at you with another perspective, and to know you better before try other things. Being looked upon as a sexy and fragile body all the time sucks.

[@justjackiie]

Graziela Almeida yes but there’s a difference between assumptions having something “suck” and being marginalized, oppressed and traumatized. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not trying to erase the hardships on either side, but we can’t act like they’re exactly the same. The long-standing effects are NOT the same.

[@user-hq6gt6wr9k]

@@justjackiie Preach!

[@camillefaith2005]

I'm what you would consider as brown or light skin, and I always make it a point to uplift my darker skin sisters whenever I can. I lowkey wish I was dark skin though. You guys have the prettiest skin and features.

[@melk6049]

@soul sessions tv Bdhrh I believe it's a newer term but its existence has been w us since the 60s show Julia..w Dianne Carroll...the first tv show w a bw as a lead that was a professional ( RN). Shes safe brown...a beautiful woman and she landed on the 80s nighttime soap Dynasty...if she were darker neither of these roles would have been given to her. She's safe brown...

[@zipblockarchives900]

This is why we need more black people in the writing rooms, behind the camera etc. Black stereotypes are still a big problem in media despite the push for me "diversity" in the past few years. As a black man I want to see more bubbly black women, perky, animated; excited etc. Also we need a video on the black secondary character or the black character trope in a mostly white cast.

[@saeon4427]

Not just more black people more non colorist black people

[@Sasha-vb3mh]

Except many male black writers continue to push these negative/damaging tropes and stereotypes against dark skinned black women. But thank you for attempting to change that

[@Peecamarke]

@@saeon4427 what's a non colorist black person? Or i guess, what's a colorist black person mean?

[@AP-pm9qy]

@@Peecamarke Someone who favours light-skinned black people

[@saeon4427]

@@Peecamarke a black person who isn't prejudiced against dark skin

[@josephinewinter]

I hate "resilience". It's a way of saying "these people don't need our help or our pity or guilt, because they're just miraculously elastically strong".

[@cecily5614]

As a black woman, I've always hated this damn trope.

[@khalmasonart]

Then what you want black women to be portrayed as? If each character leads to a stereotype, then we might as well not have black women in film.

[@saeon4427]

@@khalmasonart stfu and stop gaslighting

[@KingLeno]

@@saeon4427 no, he has a valid point. There is a Strong black woman stereotype but this video doesn't do much to explain it. If you listed all the adjectives the video gives for this trope, its EVERY adjective. What do Precious and Kerry Washington on scandal have in common? What do Ola Mae (Ghost) and Ms. Cellie have in common? What do Tina Turner and the women from Hidden figures have in common? And don't say they had to endure racism, because that's all black people. And don't say they had to deal with sexism, that's all women.

[@leahalexander6847]

@@KingLeno why do we have to endure something we didn't create?

[@Riley-vh3fh]

@@khalmasonart Variety isn't that hard to reach. We want to also have nerdy girls, the girl next door, the girl in the corner in solitude, the girl who suffers because of mental struggles. Black women are strong, we know this. We've been strong and that has been shown. But that's not all we are. That's not all black people in general are. We want normal characters that don't have to be heroes or complete suffering outcasts to be noticed. Give us normal roles with normal yet important meanings like others, because we aren't bullet proof. We crack, and we aren't always strong. We want to be treated like people, given the chance and opportunity to be weak because we do break down. We aren't always strong black soldiers.

[@diedrebanks9544]

The KZbinr Chrissie is largely responsible for bringing this to light let’s all support her channel. They put dark skinned black women in these roles more than anything and it puts us in harms way while hurting our image. I’m glad black women are waking up to the truth.

[@Frwill126]

Diedre Banks I was just thinking about sending this video to her!

[@morivice6835]

No

[@karamello24]

Chrissy is homophobic and transphobic

[@Xoxoxoxoxc]

Chrissie is amazing

[@chocolaterini17]

YUP!!!

[@Piface2099]

Maybe they could start by making a movie featuring a black woman that's not just about "being a black woman"

[@thirdeyeopen2606]

Bingo!

[@true4585]

Good start.

[@irrelevance3859]

Exactly exactly. Which just want a good old normal film or show with a black women as a lead or supporting character is that too much to as for? No 'black struggle/gang/dysfunction' films

[@TiffanyIma]

The Photograph did this well.

[@PopLife-hb3ks]

That’s what I loved about the TV shows Scandal and Insecure.

[@ceceoxo2129]

This trope ruined my life lol. Men of other races don’t take me seriously, they want me to twerk or give myself to them easily. I always get asked to work or stay long hours. If I don’t I get seen as lazy. People want to argue with me all the time when I’m being nice and reasonable because they want me to be the angry black woman. I get told I don’t act black or I get called an “Oreo” Because I dress modest and enjoy sims and anime. I don’t fit into their box they want me to so I make them uncomfortable.

[@rosejames5172]

That's racism dear.

[@hidof9598]

I feel for you We must change this

[@Galaxylion_omega]

I love sims and anime

[@alrune8]

​@@rosejames5172 ...and also because way too many of your black sisters actually enjoy embodying these stereotypes and are impossible to interact with. It's a two way street, honey, not everything is always somebody else's fault.

[@cool_alienempire6884]

Same. I'm a black chick who loves scifi. So high school was all about not being "black" or some such nonsense.

[@popkultureguru1596]

The things i LOVED about Scandal and How To Get Away Murder was that they allow black women in LEAD ROLES to be flawed, hyprocrites, morally ambiguous, selfish, sexual and vunerable...a true 3 Dimentional Character. They weren’t excepted to be perfect, and they werent praised, awarded and or given social capital baised on their proxmity or wht they can do for their white male and or female counterparts! I loved this video keep up the good work 😍👏🏾

[@basicradical3581]

'My Sister The Serial Killer' by Oyinkan Braithwaite is a great novel on morally grey black women, you should check it out

[@rouskeycarpel1436]

Pop Kulture Guru I haven’t watched scandal but the problem with the Annalise Keating and Olivia Pope characters is that there isn’t an equal portrayal of good black women in leadership roles.If the only black female characters in positions of power are hypocrites,unwholesome,and sexually deviant it plays on another myth that black women are these immoral,deceitful,power hungry people only fit to have sexual relationships with,not raise a family with.Dark skinned aunt Viv was an example of a career oriented,tough black women who was also a good family women.

[@popkultureguru1596]

g7dmother •}:{• idk about yalll but we like complete 3 Dimention characters over here. Black Women dont have to be “perfect and tradionally feminine” to be valueable all the time. That’s a very sexism and misogynistic view. Black Women have ever right to be both good and evil, happy and sad, heros and villians. Just like white men and white women and black men. Many of yalll are not trying truley to break down racism & patriacry. Yall just want promixy to whitewomanhood. Which idk why cause yeah white woman have priveldge, but those same white women still beat, raped, abused, and everything else under the sun just like black women the only difference is their white male counterparts as a collective take care of them fincially and promote them globally. Which in my opinion is not a good trade off.... yeah you get global promotion but it’s under the condion that you remain “tradionally feminine”. And the moment you step out of line, your treated like the rest of the whore and hoes across the street!

[@thelandisgreen7499]

Thank you for saying this. You’re very wise

[@lyn1.6]

The strong black woman is often depicted as practically a-sexual or dating the single, left over man that no one else is attracted to. One example is Abbie Mills of Sleepy Hollow. She is an attractive woman, yet no man except for her ex seemed to be attracted to her, nor is she attracted to any one. Contrast that with Ichabod Crane, who seemed to attract just about every woman that he came across. Another example is Bonnie Bennett who had only 2 relationships over the multiple seasons of the show. The first relationship was with her friend's little brother and the second was with a man who had been rejected that same friend's boyfriend's mother. Every other guy that she was attracted to was used her, tricked her or was murdered.

[@Lafemmefutile]

Ugh, you triggered me with that Sleepy Hollow thing. That whole show was the trope on display. Ichabod running after his wife, the vulnerable and sweet damsel in distress while the black female sidekick was just masculinized to death. I’m sure the writers would have been tired at some point of that circus and have them hook up but the original set up was so comically one-dimensional, I’m not surprised it got canceled.

[@ebonspace]

See other examples of this: Lt. Uhura (Star Trek) and Lisa Turtle (Saved By The Bell).

[@janellejulianajoy]

I rarely use this word, but, PREACH! As someone who watched both shows, it's nice to see others who understand. And you forgot the disgusting writer who actually tried to pair Bonnie up with the son of the man her biological mother married and practically raised after she ghosted on Bonnie.

[@pinkforever3844]

Rewatch the first season. Tom Mison(Ichabod Crane) during an interview stated "he's clearly in love with her" when asked about Ichabod and Abbie, so he portrayed it that way. Also, Abbie Mills was originally written for a white woman to play, which would explain why there's a budding romance during the first season. I don't doubt the showrunners script sabotage/ship baiting in later seasons were purely motivated by race.

[@kaylalovell98765]

@@ebonspace lisa turtle was actually a pretty groundbreaking character. Before her, it was pretty unusual to see the pretty popular fashionista girl being black. And they made it clear she was one of the most sought after girl in school

[@sariahy]

The thing is black women especially my dark-skinned sisters have internalised these limiting stereotypes as we have been placed in positions because( ik I'm gonna be attacked but so be it that) our men simply don't protect us like we do and are willing to berate us with colouristic remarks - what other races of men subject their women with such treatment, so we adopting the strong blk women to counter this. We are perceived as masculine by accepting this stereotype through acting as the provider.

[@MarjorieStewartBaxter]

PREACH

[@SuaNam08]

Exactly. What is called in popular culture “femininity” was cultivated over generations of women and girls being protected and provided for.

[@user-hq6gt6wr9k]

@@SuaNam08 I couldn't have said it better myself.

[@romelloskuggz170]

Protect you...how? From what? No women in my family have been assaulted or even disrespected on any level. Not on my watch. I’m 6’ 2”, 220 for a reason. I protect & provide for my family. My wife is the happiest, most chill woman on the planet. It doesn’t hurt that she’s beautiful & carries herself as a lady. She had a protective father in her life so she knows the natural order. I come from good stock myself; my mother & father, grandparents, etc instilled strong values & principles. I’m tired of this bullshit narrative. Most of the brothers in my circle are hard working family men..& definitely not punks!! Maybe y’all looking in the wrong places...

[@nonalolagirl]

I think this and also that we HAD to be the head of households as men went to wars, took more submissive roles in relationships, and then were disproportionately placed in jail or simply abandoned us. We have to constantly be strong for ourselves and our families because no one. And I mean no one is going to help us. Not even our doctors 😓

[@momoiida5505]

I'm tired of being strong.

[@Moomsta420]

Same tbh

[@ineedhoez]

I feel you. I said that shit the other day. It is exhausting. I want a man that will pick me up so I can I fall apart. Real talk. I date white guys now. The emotional dependency that black men have is too much. They go from their mothers to their girlfriends, to their wives. They get their self esteem from a woman's attention. They thrive on women stroking their egos. It's one more thing that I have to deal with. I find that white guys don't always exhibit that same dysfunction. Not that they don't have it at all, but I think it's like 90% of black guys and like 50% of white guys. I need a protector. I need someone to look out for me and take care of me.

[@mcs0519]

@@ineedhoez 👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾

[@97indianuk]

ineedhoez it’s important to find someone who you can be both strong and weak with.

[@MahouShoujo-Studios]

@@ineedhoez You know why? Mothers. Their mothers. Their mothers took care of them and nurtured them so they expect their wives to the same thing without complaining or needing for themselves. My mom's advice was to just get a nice, white man, lol. She was joking because she had been frustrated with my father, but the more I look at it, black men mostly go after white women because white women fetishize black men, I don't fetishize white people, but why not do the same?

[@kindred239]

Thank you for seeing our plight as black women, BECAUSE IM TIRED of being strong. We want to be soft and feminine and just live. Its so nice to be seen and heard.

[@saladcaesar7716]

Yep. We can be strong in your own way and still be feminine. Strengh is not just being bullet proof.

[@UntakenNick]

But women don't need men and can do anything a man can! Accepting a woman as soft and feminine reenforces gender stereotypes that put women as more feminine than men, eww! Gender is a social construct, there's no such a thing as men or women, everybody is the same, everybody is alone and everybody must be strong! Thanks feminism for teaching us that femininity is a social construct imposed by the patriarchy to oppress women and must be erradicated from the female psyche forever! Oh, no, I said female as in one of two genders! I'm going to hell!

[@the1dbumblebee317]

@@UntakenNick Don't listen to this fool. It starts like this and the next thing you know, men are taking away our right to vote. Feminism isn't an umbrella for other minority movements. The biological and social concept of gender is a topic that should be associated with the lgbt community. Secondly, the majority of feminist scholars have never tried to insuniate that men and women are exactlty the same, but that all individuals of both genders posses traits that are characteristic of both femininity and masculinity, and that that is okay, because nobody is a monolith. "The Strong Black Woman" trope isn't dangerous because it potrays black women that act in characteristiclly masculine ways. It's dangerous because it has become the ONLY way black women are potrayed in media, which is harmful because it places an expectation on black women to be superhumanly resiliant and strong at all times, an impossible feat to accomplish for anyone, male or female. We need more variety, because black women are a varied group of people. If other demographics of people are allowed to be represented in diverse ways in media, black women should have that luxury too. So please, with all due respect, shut the fuck up, and stop pushing anti-feminist rhetoric.

[@pixiebomb28]

when black women so rightfully deserve to be angry, to be livid. This video just made me want to cry for how prevalent all of this still is

[@lisamoon2919]

Y’all do realize that most of the time this trope just masculinizes black women especially dark skinned one

[@Crippycooke]

*All of the time Look at the new James Bond trailer. Lashana Lynch is one of the sexiest women on the planet when dressed up, but you take away the hair and clothing and she's deliberately drawing male comparisons with her physique.

[@Kevin-rg3yc]

Crippy Cooke exactly but when it was the new Charlie angles movie with Kristen Stewart they made sure the black girl in the angels trio be a light skin biracial Britain who emphasis on her liberated feminity and smart knowledge on technology smh

[@Crippycooke]

@@Kevin-rg3yc Sounds familiar. The darker the skin, the angrier and tougher they're portrayed.

[@jascrandom9855]

How exactly does this trope masculinizes black women?

[@Crippycooke]

@@jascrandom9855 Because they're always portrayed with masculine characteristics. Anger, strength, muscles and a stoic attitude.

[@savannahkrystall2698]

As a white writer, I’m quite aware of this trope and I’m trying to make sure the largest black character in my book is empowered in a different way. She’s sensible, sure, but sweet and feminine, interested in flowers and botany.

[@squidwardtentacles7144]

Awwwww that sounds awesome and quite frankly the most realistic depiction I've ever heard. It's like we're black before we're women/ girls. Thank you for acknowledging that. It means alot. 😢❤

[@pleasenotaviola1920]

What is the name of your book?

[@EveofPyrite]

Thank you

[@notwwwansik]

Femininity is a stereotype

[@oxch0ngxo]

No shade, didn’t know there was a black woman on the “the take” staff til this video. But it’s good though.

[@oxch0ngxo]

Ryan Stewart then it is so! 💀 I heard her voice and was like hold on...

[@artheaux666]

I was about to say the same exact thing. Not sure how to feel about it tbh

[@trinaq]

Ditto, I'm glad that they got a woman of colour to narrate this video, since Susannah and Debra, the women mostly behind this channel, are white, and she might understand the topic a little bit more, plus she helps to disprove stereotypes commonly associated with this archetype. 👩🏾💙

[@nahelcharif621]

@@trinaq she has narrated other videos

[@HelloHello-tm7uc]

I am hoping too that she doesn't just narrative videos that take on POC discussions/portrayals/films-- I would love to hear more of her! Let her do videos that aren't just about race

[@jasmineskyy4964]

Bonnie was absolutely abused in The Vampire Diaries. I’m not mothering anyone who isn’t my child or boyfriend.

[@Dude-dx5ns]

They used her as a servant. It got to a time I hated seeing her because she's so unrealistic. How could someone be that self sacrificing and masochistic? Giving her life freely so her friends can live??? And when they found out, being more upset that they now knew she was dead and not even caring that her own dreams were all trashed??

[@shysoul2450]

Same here sis. 💁🏾‍♀️

[@misssjustice3791]

I couldn't stand how her character was treated in that show. She was basically a teenage Mammy!

[@irrelevance3859]

Exactly. I hated how she was portrayed. Awful. She did EVERYTHING for everyone, and had nothing for herself. She was never given any value or care despite doing the same for others. The other characters got to abuse her. Really plays into the strong black woman stereotype again

[@arabellerose6242]

Tou shouldn’t mother your boyfriend either

[@rachelsanchis]

I'm obsessed with Chewing Gum, very glad you included it, the writing and characters are incredible. However, it's important to note that the show, written and starred by Michaela Coel who is amazingly smart and funny, was cancelled after season 2 because SHE WAS SEXUALLY ASSAULTED DURING THE WRITING OF THE SHOW AND THE PRODUCERS DID NOTHING.

[@Ladybug-no9sc]

Omfg 😯😯😯

[@Nohandle1125]

Whhhhhaaat!!!!! I had NO idea!!!! Tell me more.

[@NYCITY3]

I am shocked!!! i just finished watching "i may destroy you" is this based on her experience??

[@hani6364]

@@NYCITY3 Yes it is, and she's amazing in that too!!

[@christina4012]

What??? I was wondering why it was cancelled. What happens to her?

[@netizensarrest4241]

It’s important to note that this trope is made for media targeted for and to attract wider non-Black audiences. TV Shows like Living Single (the original Friends - yes I said it) and Girlfriends subverted this trope and showed varieties of Black women years before mainstream media caught up because it of its target audience.

[@ezradlionel711]

Exactly. You have one black person in a movie, they have to be larger than life. This trope does exist but most of these were the dumbest examples. Felt like white, cursory apologetic nonsense all through. Anyone who went through the experiences depicted in these movies have to be stronger than most people. No one wants to watch some feeble protagonist.

[@notromeosjuliet4837]

This has been pretty eye opening. I never realized how dehumanizing this trope really was because how is a human being supposed to live up to all this? Nobody is able to be badass at a god-tier level all the time, even the strongest people deserve to take some time out to breathe and just be. I really like seeing strong black women on screen but please treat them the way you treat the other characters too, let them be human and imperfect and that way they would become even more compelling. By the way all the ladies in this video were gorgeous (inside and out) and Lupita Nyong'o is one of the most beautiful people alive. Great video :) With so many talented black actresses we need way more black leading ladies in movies.

[@notromeosjuliet4837]

@ULGROTHA Yes, you're right. I'm a girl though😅

[@UntakenNick]

Do you realize your own username contradicts what you just said?

[@the1dbumblebee317]

@@UntakenNick it doesn't though. Women don't belong to men. How does that contradict the fact that people should be allowed to express vularibility?

[@Lidiroyal]

IAmAgainst no her user name says not Romeo’s Juliet. Which means she’s not going to be a damsel, which means she’s a woman.... lmao. You’re just arguing to argue. Troll.

[@ennvee1989]

Chrissie said it first!

[@saeon4427]

Exactly

Said what?

[@bruhclay6025]

?

[@DefineMorena]

That's the truth 🙌🏽

[@irrelevance3859]

Yess! She's been saying this. I'm glad it's being acknowledged

[@charliepeppers1165]

I held my breath before clicking on this video and thought: "Are they gonna use a Black woman to narrate her own experience?" And ya'll delivered. Kudos for being mindful.

[@lily-hazy8823]

I'm a disability activist and I always find it interesting the different parallels one can observe when looking at the plights of different minority groups. The strong black women trope is similar to the supercrip trope in the disability/impairment/chronic illness community, and it's similar to the smart asian stereotypes - it paints all three as someone to aspire to be, and by doing that, it becomes acceptable for society to punish those not working hard enough to achieve that nearly impossible standard. And that standard is reinforced everytime we praise disabled people online, sharing videos of them being able to graduate college while ignoring the greater problem of fixing the incredibly ableist educational system that made it so damn hard to achieve that. And it's reinforced every time we publically praise a woman of color who has to suppress aspects of her identity while working far more than her white counterparts to get where she is, while we ignore the problem of fixing obstacles that made it so damn hard to get there. And it's reinforced every time we expect an entire race to be more intelligent than their white counterparts, blaming them when they fail to live up to it, and dismissing their intelligence they worked so hard to achieve as nothing more than an aspect ingrained into the DNA of that race. MINORITY GROUPS DON'T WANT YOUR PRAISE. WE WANT YOU TO FIGHT SO WE DON'T HAVE TO WORK SO DAMN HARD TO ACHIEVE THAT PRAISE.

[@Lucian_Media]

Co-sign every word. Dismantling the systems that oppress should always be emphasised in advocating for change regardless of the inequality in focus.

[@squidwardtentacles7144]

PREACH GIRL! PREACH!👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾

[@thesellingsocialworker4773]

Super necessary perspective- thanks 🙏🏾

[@JoyChristos]

Vampire Diaries did this to Bonnie sooo bad! Her entire life & After life was consumed with fixing white characters problems to the detriment of herself 😩

[@saeon4427]

I agree to this l

[@sammyr6911]

TheeBoujeeGypsy In True Blood’s Tara Thornton would be the stereotype of “the angry black woman”. Even though I enjoyed the dry humor she brought she is sort of a stereotype, even if it is warranted in order to ensure her own survival and of her friends and loved ones

[@tahsina.c]

She had moments of vulnerabilty and nuance, but idk what happened to that show

[@JoyChristos]

hannah eve Yes! They were all “servants of nature” as if it justified the show not allowing them to act in their own best interest. Always serving others, like slaves

[@egithii20]

Spoiler for anyone reading the books or is at least interested. In the books, Bonnie ends up with Damien Salvatore. But of course she doesn't in the show. Which the writer was not happy about the direction they were going and she stopped contributing to the overall series at some point. I don't know why they ended up making her end up alone at the end. I don't know why in some shows, the poc always ends up alone. Not that there is anything wrong with being single, but it just gives the idea that poc are not deserving of love.

[@ayooandy]

how come only dark skin women are strong...like why can we never be in distressed and be saved??

[@gypsywoman9140]

Maybe you need to write the story and start a new trend. Doesn't matter if you're a writer or actor or not. Apparently if you frame it as fanfiction and post it on the right site, it could be turned into a bestseller then a movie like Twilight and 50 Shades. Both started off as fanfic. Its not guaranteed, but who's to say your black damsel in distress getting rescued by Denzel or whoever fanfic won't be the next, and superior to, Twilight or 50 Shades? It could happen. It shouldn't be hard to outwrite those two. I have faith in you 💖

[@Riley-vh3fh]

Weak shouldn't mean weakness because everyone is weak in their own respects. Black women need help and saving too. I see what this trope is trying to do, and a lot of people love seeing a strong black empowered woman, but when that's all we are, them something needs to change, and variety needs to be added. Life isn't all about strength. It's also about being human and being human means pain and weakness.

[@v.a.993]

They made that movie already...it was called The Bodyguard.

[@poohcanplay123]

@@v.a.993 one isn’t enough

[@DrBitchcraft.]

Hannah Gross in Haunting of Bly Manor anyone??? Adored her character so much it broke my heart.

[@TheFlutterflies]

“One of the greatest regrets in life is being what others would want you to be, rather than being yourself.”

[@iriemonmon]

To my fellow black women, you're beautiful and you matter. We deserve to be our true selves, no matter what society says. I know this is a simple statement, but always remember this. We matter, our experiences matter, and we deserve to be heard. All of us!

[@deepthoughts3570]

No ones telling you to act any certain way. But if you act sassy & rude in public, ppl will call you sassy and rude that’s how life is. Deal with it

[@angelas831]

Yes I hate being called strong and now I know why. People assume that you don’t need help or assurance because you’re strong.

[@kenster8270]

Thank you for mentioning the Angry Black Woman! I remember an interview with Michelle Obama describing how she had to walk on eggshells trying to dispel this label, caught in a catch 22.

[@beansontoast1759]

especially dark skinned black women never have the option to be selfish or to do something for themselves. they always have to be doing it for someone else.

[@alext3480]

this and i have stopped

[@silkyslim2111]

It’s used as an excuse to try and use me and dump excess burdens on me. When I resist and express desire to be treated as a human - then I’m the “angry black woman”.

[@i8jellydonut]

Gay men often adopt aspects of black female culture

[@maina.wambui]

True. It's easy to draw parallels.

[@suleimygarcia135]

I guess because the “ghetto Black girl” is like a parody, and easy to copy.

[@tiffmonique7154]

@@suleimygarcia135 It's not easy to copy or parody. People who copy this are corny and seen as such.

[@wonderwoman5663]

@@suleimygarcia135 she's also very real, just like the ghetto white girl

[@AP-pm9qy]

Black female here, in what way is this done? I've never noticed it.

[@sheree2985]

I love how you included Bonnie from TVD. Her role was definitely as the strong, sacrificing black friend who puts the needs of her white friends above her own, even to to the point of angering her ancestors.

[@irrelevance3859]

Agreed. The whole show as well. What 8 seasons? She was just beat on and beat on constantly and used by her white counterparts. Her character deserved so much better. And I didn't realise this till now but this is again another form of the strong black woman stereotype. She was just expected to serve for all the other white characters

[@aldenwashington3285]

They would always act like Elena would do the same for her and I haven’t watched the show in a awhile but I don’t think she would have. From what I remember, if it came down to it Elena would have sacrificed Bonnie for Damon or Stephan or her brother in a heartbeat.

[@Em-kg7qn]

This is a very interesting video. As someone who grew up in a mainly white country, my introduction to black people were American films. I always thought it was so weird that black women all seemed to have the same personality. I remember looking at actresses that were so pretty and feminine, who I would expect to be the leading actress but were never given a softer side, always angry, always snarky, never weak, always acting like the queen mom not the daydreamer princess. The same happened with Latinas of course who were always fiery and passionate which made most people expect the same from me, me being half Colombian in a country that though all Colombians should be like a Shakira videoclip, while I was an introverted bookworm. I thank the internet for opening my eyes to other representations. Specifically English and French productions, either TV or films. It's there where I got to see people of other races playing diverse roles, were they were everyday people, either nerdy, stupid, mean, kind, fashionable etc. Just like white actors. It's there were I suddenly realised that something wasn't clicking with me all these years in American films. I always felt pressure to portray my Latin side as people expected me to which makes me realize that it must be so, so, so much more overwhelming and stressful for black women...

[@squidwardtentacles7144]

Do you mind referencing those films to me plz? I'm a young black girl and I'm tired of not seeing good representation of black girls in American media. It's super annoying and sends the message that all of us act like that when that's simply not true. The library is my haven and I've never gotten into a physical fight in my life. I'm usual that kid in the corner at parties waiting for my friends to be done so we can go. (I don't go to parties that was just an example).

[@fatumaa6927]

@@squidwardtentacles7144 Chewing gum, insecure, some girls,

[@drumptruck6268]

"instead of putting pressure on individual women of colour to rise above a system pitted against them, we should be asking why that system is still allowed to still exist"

[@superafrikanmedialabs8237]

@soul sessions tv Bdhrh Do you hate black men? I am curious

[@chococookies4]

@@superafrikanmedialabs8237 This has nothing nothing do with hating black men. Black men need to be men for once.

[@imtiredoftheseniggas6618]

Anthony Dark King that’s your concern in all this ? And if she said yes then what ?

[@superafrikanmedialabs8237]

@@imtiredoftheseniggas6618 No, it's not my only concern and if she said yes that tells me all I need to know!!!

[@solene9193]

This episode explains why I've always HATED watching movies with a black female character in the presence of white people. I'm mixed black and white but as I've been raised in a mostly white environment, so I've always been the "black girl". So I know that they will project all those tropes on me, even unconsciously, which is really exhausting because I don't want to be SKKRRRRONG, i.e less feminine.

[@Starfire10982]

Imagine how tired we dark skinned black girls are.

[@user-ot2nh8qb7d]

The main problem with the character of the strong black woman is she is usually a character in someone else's story. She always has to be strong for others whilst sacrificing herself. Not once does she get to be strong for herself, vulnerable, or layered/multidimensional. She is always expected to be perfect or perfectly strong. That becomes an unfair and almost impossible standard to uphold when transferred to real life. That same expectations and standard is not extended to other women or people for that matter, which becomes inexorably exhausting.