I have seen Lemonade numerous times, and feel it evokes empowerment, but not just for women, or for African Americans, but people in general. The author in Moving Beyond Pain I feel finds the video empowering, yet is annoyed that the women are still sexy, even when trying to be violent and complains of seemingly mixed messages. The author claims the film portrays women as always playing the victim, but I disagree, I believe Lemonade showcases women as formidable, taking problems and turning them into anthems about rising above struggles. I think it is a great representation of women in the sense it uses a variety of different body types and seems to celebrate black culture by flooding the screen with beautiful African American women and making it the norm of the film (Hooks 2016).

 

Black Looks describes films that were historically degrading of African Americans during a time where these stereotypes existed. During this time the issues that were discussed and interrogated were over race, rather than gender. It seems like African American woman movie goers have a love hate relationship with “black” movies, in the sense they hate the way they are perceived, yet feel a sense of ownership and seeing themselves, or a woman with similar successes and struggles on screen. I can recognize that white actors play most characters in movies or television however I had never even thought about the racialized sexual differences (Hooks 1992). I think perhaps what the author is getting at as well, is that because female African Americans have only begun to express moving going practices and film criticisms we are now seeing an emergence of female black characters. In the past they rarely had the opportunity to see race films. In a previous reading we had done I recall the author discussing the idea that lack of women working as producer and in media was correlated with the lack of women in powerful protagonist roles. Perhaps this same idea can be applied here, more women or all races are being employed, thus maybe the increase in woman of all races being portrayed in movies? (Hooks 1992).

 

The third reading Mapping the Margins looks at struggles seen by women of color in terms of poverty, child care struggles, violence, and underemployment correlated with gender and race oppression. It looks at resources required to help those in need, and those affected by sexual violence in minority communities (Crenshaw 1991). This has brought up a few issues in my mind, whenever feminism is discussed; it always seems to reflect white women, I feel that women of all races need to be empowered, and helped to overcome years of oppression.

References

Crenshaw, Kimberle. “Mapping the Margins: Intersectionality, identity Politics, and Violence against Women of Color”. Standford Law Review 43 (1991, July): 1          241-1299.

Hooks, Bell. “Moving Beyond Pain”. The Bell Hooks Institute: Berea College (2016,                    May 16).

Hooks, Bell. “The Oppositional Gaze: Black Female Spectators”. Black Looks: Race       and Representation. Boston: South End Press, 1992: 115-131