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Strong black woman facts for kids

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The Strong Black Woman Schema is an idea about how some people expect Black women to act. It's like a set of rules or beliefs about what an "ideal" Black woman should be. This idea often includes three main parts:

  • Keeping emotions hidden: Strong Black women are expected to not show their feelings, especially if they are sad or upset, so they don't seem weak.
  • Being very independent: They are often seen as needing to handle everything on their own and solve problems for others.
  • Always taking care of others: They are expected to look after other people's needs and problems as if they were their own.

This idea comes from old, harmful stereotypes that started during the time of slavery. It grew because Black women face unique challenges. They are expected to meet traditional ideas of what a woman should be, but also be incredibly strong, both emotionally and physically, because they are Black women. This mix of different challenges is called intersectionality.

Some famous Black women, like Michelle Obama, Oprah, Beyonce, and Serena Williams, are sometimes seen as examples of this "Strong Black Woman" idea. Their achievements are often held up as a standard. While these women have overcome many difficulties, they are often the exception, not the rule. Not all Black women have the same chances, but they are still expected to be almost unbreakable. The Strong Black Woman is called a schema because it's an idea that can change over time as society's views on womanhood and strength change.

A Look at History: Where Did This Idea Come From?

Black women have a complex history in the United States. When Black women were first seen in society, it was often as enslaved people. This led to very damaging stereotypes like the Jezebel, the Mammy, and the Sapphire. These stereotypes put Black women into narrow boxes and gave white people a distorted way of seeing them.

The "Mammy" stereotype, for example, showed Black women as very loving and devoted caregivers. They were often responsible for household tasks and caring for both white and enslaved children. The Mammy can be seen as an early example of the Strong Black Woman idea. She was expected to handle endless duties and care for others without complaining. This stereotype continued even after slavery ended. You can see it in movies like Gone with the Wind, where Hattie McDaniel plays a Mammy character. Early films like DW Griffith's 1915 movie The Birth of a Nation also showed the Mammy figure. These false images tried to show enslaved women as happy to serve their masters. This wrong story was used to make slavery and white supremacy seem okay.

Many Black feminist writers have spoken out about how the Strong Black Woman idea is misleading. They say it sets an impossible standard for Black women. For example, Joan Morgan wrote in her book, When Chickenheads Come Home To Roost, about her choice to stop trying to be a Strong Black Woman. She said that trying to be an SBW was "killing me slowly." This shows how much pressure Black women feel to live up to this idea. She wrote that her life became all about solving other people's problems, leaving no time for herself.

This is the difficult side of the Strong Black Woman idea. Black women have seen stereotypes like the Mammy on TV and watched their own mothers or other women in their lives try to live up to this "strong" lifestyle. These expectations become a part of them. It makes it hard for Black women to show any weakness, even though other women are allowed to. The history of the Strong Black Woman idea comes from many years of these unrealistic stereotypes being reinforced. Black women are expected to be perfect and strong, and this idea continues without much thought for the mental and physical problems it can cause.

How Being "Strong" Can Affect Health

While some qualities of a Strong Black Woman might seem good, there's a harmful history and expectation that Black women are supposed to carry. This affects them at home, at work, and in their daily lives. Black women are expected to overcome any problem without showing weakness. However, always appearing strong can hide deeper issues inside.

Studies have looked into this and found many connections between the Strong Black Woman idea and mental and physical health problems. For example, one article called "The Strong Black Woman: Insights and Implications for Nursing" gathered information from several studies. It talked about how the Strong Black Woman idea affects the health of Black women. It also pointed out racism in healthcare. Phrases like "Black don't crack" (meaning Black people don't show signs of aging) and a lack of understanding about how Black patients' bodies react differently can be damaging. Trying to get professional help, or even help from a friend, can be seen as a sign of weakness. Black women often work in jobs that don't offer much flexibility, which can force them to choose work over their own well-being.

The article also explains how the nursing profession is affected. Black women who are nurses have to work hard to overcome years of institutional racism in their field. This can be seen in the lack of Black nurses and how most medical standards are based on how a white person might feel or react to treatment. Even though the medical field knows about some differences between Black and white patients, it often doesn't help Black patients. A study in 2007 found that doctors were more likely to think Black patients felt less pain than other patients. These differences might come from hidden biases that medical professionals have, which can come from harmful stereotypes like the Strong Black Woman idea. This also means Black women face greater risks, especially during childbirth, because people might assume they feel less pain than white mothers. To overcome these problems, Black patients and medical professionals have to work harder to fight against unfair treatment linked to the Strong Black Woman idea.

Another study, "African American Women's Beliefs About Mental Illness, Stigma and Preferred Coping behaviors," looked closely at mental health. It explored what Black women believed about mental illnesses like depression and anxiety. It also looked at whether they felt ashamed to get help and if these feelings changed with age. The study, which included 185 women across America, found that stress from family, racism, and sexism caused serious, ongoing problems. The women in the study felt a lot of shame about mental illness. They often hid their illness to keep it from becoming public. This study shows that Black women feel stress and anxiety from all their responsibilities. They are not immune, even though the Strong Black Woman idea might suggest they are.

Black Women in the 21st Century

In the 21st century, Black women are using the internet to change the controlled image of what it means to be a Strong Black Woman. The idea of "controlling images" was discussed by Patricia Hill Collins. She wrote about how popular culture tries to limit Black womanhood to negative stereotypes. She explained that the ideas from the time of slavery created several connected, harmful images of Black womanhood. These images helped the powerful groups keep Black women in a lower position. Now, Black women are using online spaces to challenge these old ideas and show a more real and diverse picture of themselves.

How It Connects to Other Stereotypes

The Strong Black Woman idea comes from other stereotypes that show Black women in specific ways.

  • The angry black woman stereotype often shows Black women as aggressive. This is sometimes used for jokes.
  • The mammy stereotype shows Black women as caregivers, motherly, helpful, and submissive.

The Strong Black Woman idea combines parts of these, adding the expectation of endless strength and self-sacrifice.

Examples in Movies and TV

Here are some characters from movies and TV shows that are often seen as examples of the "Strong Black Woman" character:

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