1. Black Female Stereotypes Mammy, Jezebel and Sapphire

2. Mammy -The overweight, kerchiefed, aproned servant/nurse who is happy with her life of faithful service to others (usually, white people) -Matriarchal, no sex appeal -Portrayed as being loyal and having a good heart -An endearing, comic figure

3. Why is This Stereotype Harmful? Who personifies this stereotype in The Color Purple?

4. Mammy - Examples Calpurnia in To Kill a Mockingbird Abilene Clark and Minnie Jackson in The Help Mammy in Gone With the Wind http://www.youtube.co m/watch?v=FZ7r2OV u1sshttp://www.youtube.co m/watch?v=FZ7r2OV u1ss

5. Jezebel -This stereotype has its roots in the slave trade; nudity misinterpreted as lewdness -A seductive, lewd, alluring, worldly, tempting figure -A foil to mammy -Often tall and lighter skinned, with facial features more typically associated with white women -Often portrayed as using sex as a tool for evil and manipulation

6. Why is This Stereotype Dangerous? Who personifies this stereotype in The Color Purple?

7. Jezebel - Examples Leticia Musgrove in Monster’s Ball (played by Halle Berry) Rap and hip hop music videos http://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=UDApZhXTpH8http://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=UDApZhXTpH8 In the 90s, female rappers like Foxy Brown and Lil’ Kim reclaimed the Jezebel stereotype by giving the black female seductress a voice (a very aggressive, hypersexualized voice) http://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=yhCD9qxlczohttp://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=yhCD9qxlczo

8. Sapphire -The “sassy black woman”, portrayed as having one hand on her hip, and the other hand wagging a finger in the air -Overbearing, and known for berating their men and children -Rude, loud, and confrontational -Often overweight, and the sidekick to a more beautiful black female character

9. Why is This Stereotype Dangerous? Who personifies this stereotype in The Color Purple?

10. Sapphire - Examples “I got this black chick that don’t know how to act. She’s always talking out her neck, making her fingers snap. She says “Listen Jiggaman, I don’t care if you rap.” “You better R-E-S-P-E-C-T me.” -Jay-Z Girls, Girls, Girls -Oda Mae in Ghost (Whoopi Goldberg) -Rochelle on Everybody Hates Chris http://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=WhspzWX03Ak http://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=WhspzWX03Ak

11. What About Black Male Stereotypes? Do the male characters fulfil stereotypical expectations? What is Alice Walker’s intent in using male and female stereotypes?