While reading this chapter of Black women and literacy in Feature Films, it was hard for me to truly relate to what she was saying because while watching films I never actually thought of the literacy level of black women that the film director was trying to portray.
Although I have seen the majority of the films referred to by Dowdy, I never thought of how negatively black female literacy was being portrayed. Dowdy explores the roles and views of black women in nine feature films. All of these films are either starring Lynn Whitfield, Angela Bassett, Halle Berry, Alfre Woodard or Whoopi Goldberg. All of the central black characters in the films are all facing a conflict and they don’t show the advancement of black women. The women long after the film is over are viewed as uneducated and worthless to society. Three out of the nine films deal with addictions and although it juices the plot up the storylines portray black women in negative stereotypes. In the movies “Music from the Heart”, “Sarafina”, and “Wit”, the black women have a social status in terms of education. However, their opinions are always trumped by a higher power and they end up stuck in their harsh realities.
Although I have seen the majority of the films referred to by Dowdy, I never thought of how negatively black female literacy was being portrayed. Dowdy explores the roles and views of black women in nine feature films. All of these films are either starring Lynn Whitfield, Angela Bassett, Halle Berry, Alfre Woodard or Whoopi Goldberg. All of the central black characters in the films are all facing a conflict and they don’t show the advancement of black women. The women long after the film is over are viewed as uneducated and worthless to society. Three out of the nine films deal with addictions and although it juices the plot up the storylines portray black women in negative stereotypes. In the movies “Music from the Heart”, “Sarafina”, and “Wit”, the black women have a social status in terms of education. However, their opinions are always trumped by a higher power and they end up stuck in their harsh realities.
It’s very true that a majority of films starring black women must show the black women being put down by some sort of higher power. In an industry where there aren’t many black women represented I think that there need to be more positive roles for black women. This excerpt has taught me a lot because now when I look at films I will not just watch it but I will look at the way the director is trying to portray certain types of people and cultures through the characters. This should encourage other readers to do the same because if they are not aware of certain images purposefully being displayed then stereotypes of genders, or ethnicity, will be formed.
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