Combatting the Myths

Girlfriends looks at the lives, loves, and losses of four different women, Toni (Jones), Maya (Brooks), Lynn (White), and Joan (Ross).

It became the longest-running live-action sitcom on network television at the time, as well as one of the highest-rated scripted shows on television among African American adults and women 18-34, including its spin-off The Game.

Researcher Thoughts - I adore the portrayal of Black women on this show. It combats the myths of non femininity portrayed through the media (Mammy and Sapphire).  Although it does feed into some stereotypes of overbearing Black girlfriends and wives (Joan), it still shows that Black women are educated, intelligent and can be young mothers (Maya) who raise their children in two parent house-holds. Girlfriends changed the conversation about who Black women are as The Cosby's change the conversation about the Black family.

Related Reading - Jezebel Stereotype

The New Face of Leadership

As the world becomes smaller through technology, social networks, and globalization, organizations are evolving in the same direction. Organizations must work differently to keep pace with the changing markets. Inevitably so, organizational members are more diversified. A once undiversified organization is now filled with four generations of workers under one roof (Appendix C, Workplace Generations) and as of 2009, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that almost 30% of the labor force over the age of sixteen is Black, Asian or Hispanic/Latino (Appendix B, Bureau of Labor Statistics). This means that the face of leadership is changing with organizations. AT&T, Nissan, and Coca-Cola are a few organizations pioneering this leadership movement. Some of these faces include people of color, women and members of the Millennial generation. Of the three, Millennials are entering leadership positions at a quicker rate than their predecessors with many becoming free agent entrepreneurs. Donna Fenn best characterizes this entry as follows:

 

“This generation, at nearly 80 million strong, is poised to be the largest, the most educated, and the most diverse in American history. That gives its members special insight into the largest, the most educated, and the most diverse market in history. They are also fearless about technology. The kids of the '80s grew up with computers; the kids of the '90s can't recall (and shrink from imagining) life before the Internet. And they are idealistic and optimistic -- traits that influence their perceptions of business” (2008).

 

Source:
Jackson, Jenny (2010). Black Millennial Women in Leadership. Queens University of Charlotte. Charlotte, NC

 

References:

1. Davis, Bonnie (2010). “Minority Millennials are more pro-government, pro-family than peers.” Retrieved April 4, 2010. http://www.thegrio.com/news/minority-millennials-are- more-pro-government-family-than-peers.php.
2. Fenn, Donna (2008). Cool, Determined & Under 30. Retrieved April 21, 2010. http://www.inc.com/magazine/20081001/cool-determined-amp-under-30.html

Can "Outsiders" Add to the Conversation?

“No matter how intelligent, competent, and dazzling she may be, a black woman in our country today still cannot count on being understood and embraced by mainstream White America” (Jones & Shorter-Gooden, 2003).

Researcher Thoughts - Idealistic in thought and perhaps even naive at times(the millennial in me), I've more often than not believed that I am seen by the world as race-less. I cannot say the same for gender or age; however, the biggest eye opener I experienced regarding race was having a white girlfriend give me her take on a situation.  Her response:

"Hey, you probably were being discriminated against. As a matter of fact, I'm sure that's what happened."

Call it insightful or her being able to see things from a different perspective, but it had never entered my mind that I'd been discriminated against. The only thing that I did walk away from that experience knowing was that I had been treated unfairly, but I never thought about "thy why."  Once my friend described to me who the presumed discriminator saw when looking at me, my basis of reference changed. I was not upset, but more like "a-ha."

I say all this to say, yes, "outsider" status is beneficial because it provides a different perspective, gives new insights and allows "insiders" to wear a different pair of lenses from which to view the world.

What are your thoughts?

References:

Jones, Charrisse and Kumea Shorter-Gooden, Ph. D. (2003). Shifting: Based on the African American Women’s Voices Project. Harper Collins Publishers: New York.

About The Case Study

[Excerpts from Black Millennial Women in Leadership]

To explore how Black Millennial Women in Leadership remain authentic when using masking, shifting and role playing as necessary coping tools in organizational settings, this study used a descriptive approach. Primary research was followed by participant interviews of two Black Millennial Women in Leadership at work, in the community and/or at home (head-of-household). An ethnographic approach was used to analyze the data...

...Well-educated and well-trained Black women were solicited for this study. Region and location were not inclusive criteria. The two women who participated have information-rich data to contribute due to their demographics and the researcher assumption that the participants identified with the oppression of being Black women as well as identified with being Millennial. Both participants were only informed that the study was about leadership; however, the researcher assumed that the participants were knowledgeable about their race and gender as well as generation. Unfortunately, the researcher learned that half of the population was not knowledgeable about the Millennial generation. The two participants were recruited from my professional and personal networks including previous schoolmates, friends, colleagues, churches, and sorority sisters. Recruitment also occurred on social networks. The two participants varied in socio-economic, family, income, and career backgrounds. The intended setting was a leadership environment; however, privacy laws and organizational policies prevented this from occurring because potential respondents within the recruiting pool work with personal data. As a result, the setting was moved to phone interviews...

There were key questions centering on background, race and gender, age, leadership and diversity that the interviewer outlined prior to the interview...

As Carol Parker-Terhune reminds us, because the researcher and study participants are all Black Millennial Women in Leadership, “insider” status would not be assumed granted (2005)...

Sources:
Jackson, Jenny (2010). Black Millennial Women in Leadership.Queens University of Charlotte: Charlotte, NC.

References:
Parker Walsh Terhune, C. (2005). Biculturalism, code-switching, and shifting: the experiences of Black women in a predominately White environment. International Journal of Diversity in Organisations, Communities, and Nations. ProQuest Information and Learning Company: Michigan.

Creating Understanding

Although Black women make up 7% of the U.S population, there is little understanding about their psychology and the complexities of their lives (Jones & Shorter-Gooden, 2003). In contrast, Millennials account for 50 million of the U.S. population (Davis, 2010). That’s roughly 16%, twice as much as the percentage of Black women who make up the U.S. population. Accepting racism and sexism as problems in the United States (Parker-Terhune, 2005), this study adds ageism to the list of isms that shape perceptions of how Black Millennial Women live in the world. The psychological, emotional (Parker-Terhune, 2005) and now conflicting chaos these oppressions weigh on Black Millennial Women make up the health, mind, spirit and esteem of this group. Jones and Shorter-Gooden suggest that Black women engage in coping strategies to maintain themselves (2003); however, I maintain that these strategies (masking, coping and role-playing) lead to the inauthentic makeup of this group. Where Black Women in White America documents the history of Black women so we can begin understanding their narrative (Lerner, 1986), Shifting continues the conversation by documenting the “Double Lives of Black Women in America (Jones & Shorter-Gooden, 2003). This study will continue the existing conversation while adding ageism to this conversation. Although there is work contributing to the make-up of Black women, the need for further study of this group becomes more urgent as time progresses due to the limited existing studies. Additionally, Black women are being tagged with other oppressive characteristics like Millennialism, adding more pressure to the group and furthering the need to understand all components of these women.

Source:
Jackson, Jenny (2010). Black Millennial Women in Leadership. Queens University of Charlotte: Charlotte, NC.
 
References:
Davis, Bonnie (2010). “Minority Millennials are more pro-government, pro-family than peers.”

Jones, Charrisse and Kumea Shorter-Gooden, Ph. D. (2003). Shifting: Based on the African American Women’s Voices Project. Harper Collins Publishers: New York.

Lerner, Gerda (1972). Black Women in White America. Vintage Books: A Division of Random House, Inc.: New York.

Parker Walsh Terhune, C. (2005). Biculturalism, code-switching, and shifting: the experiences of

OMG, I’m a Single Mother...and I’m Black.

"Jill Scott is the [epitome] of everything that is wrong with the black community in every way"

"“Because she had a baby and [isn’t] married?”"

"Jill Scott is racist, ignorant, promotes the ills of our community (remember “Gettin in the Way” anyone?, overweight being “beautiful”, being part of a harem, etc.) Basically all she needs is a “drug habit” and she would embody EVERY single stereotype (Blogger Comment, "Celebrity Seed," www.Sandrarose.com, 2010).

[there is a strong likihood that the proceeding was posted by black readers as Sandra Rose is a celebrity blogger catering to a predominantly Black readership]

Research Thoughts - Black women are already characterized as being "hot in the pants" thanks to media portrayl and the coke-bottle shaped video model. The myth of black women being promiscuis is just that - a myth. Still we find ourselves as statistics when relationships between mother and father do not work out. Becoming a single mother was the first time that I realized being anything while being black was a no-no. It was not until a white friend brought to my attention that I was being stereotyped by the ruling class in society, that I realized that I was being mistreated and generalized as just "another single black mother." However unfair it is, this is "just the way it is." What can Black women do to combat this frame of thought?

Schizophrenia

Take a moment to reflect...

“The most disrespected person in America is the black woman. The most unprotected person in America is that black woman. The most neglected person is that black woman”- (Malcolm X)

"Millennials…are…spoiled, impatient, and narcissistic. Their childhood bedrooms overflow with trophies earned just for showing up. Raised on a diet of adoration and encouragement, they enter adulthood rosy with entitlement"

(Fenn, 2008).

Can the Black woman and the Millennial exist together?

References:
Fenn, Donna (2008). Cool, Determined & Under 30. Retrieved April 21, 2010. http://www.inc.com/magazine/20081001/cool-determined-amp-under-30.html