Black Female Sexuality

Evelynn M. Hammonds’ article Toward a Genealogy of Black Female Sexuality made think about the modern media represents black female sexuality. What is a normal representation of black female sexuality, and how does our media obscure it?

To begin, I think that most mainstream media misrepresents sexuality incorrectly. First of all, many men are portrayed as the aggressor/initiator in sexual situations, women as damsels or sex-crazed, and homosexuals as either overly masculine or feminine in a stereotypical way. Also, the portrayal of strong “normal” women in mainstream movies, books, and television shows has recently become more prevalent. However, the portrayal of women in mainstream media remains divided between the portrayal of a “normal” woman and a damsel/prostitute/virgin. Few mainstream movies and television shows delve into real life issues of black female sexuality.

I read a book in high school that discussed (and stereotyped, I guess) black female sexuality in the form of a historical novel about Sally Hemings, the alleged mistress of Thomas Jefferson. The novel was a fictional account of Sally Hemings beginning and exploring a relationship with Thomas Jefferson. I remember thinking that Sally Hemings was portrayed in a really positive light and that the book examined all of her choices (and thus, aspects of her sexuality.) I also read a novel, “The Wind Done Gone” by Alice Randall that was a revisionist telling of “Gone With the Wind.” “The Wind Done Gone” explored black female sexuality again, in a very stereotypical sense, but like the book about Sally Hemings, managed to make the character’s choices and sexuality seem fairly sincere.