First, I truly enjoyed your article and your point of view. One of my favorite movies is Hidden Figures, which follows 3 African American women working as mathematicians for NASA in the Jim Crow South. You made me think and dig deep on this one, specifically this concept that white women are portrayed as needing and deserving of protection yet somehow maintain their strength and independence, while African American women are mainly portrayed as independent and strong, thus missing the protection aspect. The 3 main characters in this movie are strong, intelligent, independent, and gifted as they face racial and gender barriers in a world reserved only for smart and gifted white intelligent males. As I watched this movie, I could not help but feel the helplessness I assumed they felt, but also the joy of watching them break ceilings and barriers with no help or protection, aside from their own. As it relates to your article, it hit the nail on the head. Loved this read, please keep it up!!!!!!
I'm so glad that this piece made you reflect a little bit more. Here's one thing I might not have been too clear on: strength is not a terrible thing. Hidden Figures is a great movie that shows strong black leads. The main difference is that they don't fit into the trope because there are vulnerabilities shown. It's easy to use this "strong independent black woman" trope to say "oh, black women don't need help to overcome systemic issues" when in fact, it is the opposite. As always, thank you for reading and providing feedback!
First, I truly enjoyed your article and your point of view. One of my favorite movies is Hidden Figures, which follows 3 African American women working as mathematicians for NASA in the Jim Crow South. You made me think and dig deep on this one, specifically this concept that white women are portrayed as needing and deserving of protection yet somehow maintain their strength and independence, while African American women are mainly portrayed as independent and strong, thus missing the protection aspect. The 3 main characters in this movie are strong, intelligent, independent, and gifted as they face racial and gender barriers in a world reserved only for smart and gifted white intelligent males. As I watched this movie, I could not help but feel the helplessness I assumed they felt, but also the joy of watching them break ceilings and barriers with no help or protection, aside from their own. As it relates to your article, it hit the nail on the head. Loved this read, please keep it up!!!!!!
I'm so glad that this piece made you reflect a little bit more. Here's one thing I might not have been too clear on: strength is not a terrible thing. Hidden Figures is a great movie that shows strong black leads. The main difference is that they don't fit into the trope because there are vulnerabilities shown. It's easy to use this "strong independent black woman" trope to say "oh, black women don't need help to overcome systemic issues" when in fact, it is the opposite. As always, thank you for reading and providing feedback!
You’re absolutely right.. strong and independent doesn’t mean you don’t need help or empathy.