The Representation of Dark-skinned Black Women in Popular Culture

This research asks the question: how has popular culture portrayed dark-skinned women and what changes, if any, have been seen over several decades? The research focuses on the stereotypical roles dark-skinned women are given on television as well as the preference for light over dark skin in marketing products such as cosmetics with both television and advertising being important expressions of popular culture. This research will be conducted by examining the stereotypical roles dark-skinned women are given on television as well as the preference for light over dark skin in marketing ads such as cosmetics. This research will also be examining two television shows, one episode from a 1950s show and one from 2019. Quantitative Content Analysis will be used to assess whether or not there are significant changes in the ways dark-skinned black women are portrayed. The work uses Content Analysis to identify common stereotypes that are associated with dark-skinned women such as angry, undesired, loud, and underprivileged. This research will also examine foundation make-up ads from 1975 and 2019, by using qualitative Critical Discourse Analysis. The examination will be completed before the UWill Discover 2020 Conference and will be displayed in the form of a poster presentation. This topic is significant because if dark-skinned women see themselves represented in ads and television shows in ways that do not depict stereotypes, it will give them inspiration and aspiration to achieve success in life. Since the media is a significant contributor to how people see and interpret the world around them, improved media representations can contribute to fundamental social change