Fetishism and Objectification

Abstract

There has been extensive discussion about the lived experiences of Black men; however, there has not been as much discussion about the lived experiences of Black American women. Because Black women and girls live at the intersection of two marginalized groups, they are more likely to go unseen than any other racial or gender group. This has made them more venerable to racist stereotypes perpetuated in film, television, and popular culture since the 1800s. The pervasive nature of social media and mediated stereotyped images of Black women only add to the continued dehumanization and invisibility of Black women and the disparities they face. This chapter will examine how mediated images and tropes of Black women on social media perpetuate the dehumanization of Black women and re-enforce the disparities that they experience through the lens of critical race theory.