Throughout much of history, focusing specifically on American history, black women have been the subject of fetishization, hypersexualization, and objectification in many forms that more often than not leads to various forms of violence. In “Betsy’s Borrowed Baby” we saw direct examples of this experience through Betsy’s assault on the train by the white man who entered the Jim Crow car when no one else was there. Betsy was doing nothing other than making a trip home just like the thousands of other college students at that time of year. However, she was a black woman who happened to be caught in a situation that made her extra physically vulnerable to attack, and a white man saw it as an opportunity to attack her as an object of his fetishization.
During the attack, the assailant says, “Some of them who have the fear of God in their heart, when they see a white man, aint so sassy as you are, though,” (Terrell Betsy’s Borrowed Baby 48) making it clear he has done this many times before and is very clear of his standing as a white man attacking black female college students on their way home. As well, he calls Betsy “sassy” for resisting his attack, noting his fetishization of her directly. Later when she continues to resist, he threatens to, “…throw you off the train and break your sassy neck,”(Terrell Betsy’s Borrowed Baby 48). Here, the assailant threatens her with murder if she does not comply, a fate that awaits far too many black women. As well, there is no guarantee he wouldn’t have killed her regardless if she complied with him or not, since clearly part of the assailant’s pleasure was in the violence he subjected his victims to.
(FX’s “Pose” Season 2 Ep 4)
Unfortunately, this violence stemming from fetishization, hypersexualization, and objectification is not a thing of the past that disappeared with slavery or the Jim Crow Era. It is very much alive and well in various ways. One of the most prevalent modern forms of these issues is apparent in the black trans and queer communities, most commonly among black trans sex workers. Documentaries such as “Paris is Burning” and historical fiction works such as “Pose” do an excellent job of demonstrating the lives of people in these communities, and all too often the loss at the hands of violence from them. As discussed in class, many people (most often but not exclusively married white men) still hold the societal standard that they must “act as gentlemen” in their family and marital lives. In the past slave owners would try to uphold the idea of their wives as “ideal” women and brutalize their slaves. Moreover, in the era of Jim Crow, these men would take advantage of the injustices of the law and society for the same purposes. However, in modern society without slaves or Jim Crow laws, many men revert to the treatment of sex workers, often black trans women, to enact their most brutal desires of violence, and project their objectification, fetishization, and hypersexualization of black people.
Hi Rose, this post makes me think about the importance of art/literature when it comes to dismantling issues in society. Mary Church Terrell’s writing shows a commitment to calling for a joint course that seeks to remind society of the historic shadowing of Black women who were/are subjected to disturbing violence and what we can do to challenge the actions that uphold racism and violence. Her work acts almost as an artifact by keeping the conversation about historical violence against Black women alive. Keeping an eye on the ills of oppression against Black women reminds the world of the cruelty and injustice practices Black women face and should promote the desire to change the discussion into seeking a solution, which literature has the power to do.
Your post spikes a conversation and awareness of an issue that is rarely discussed. Thank you for it. It’s very disheartening to see people struggle, and your post is a true reality check. I agree that the “violence stemming from fetishization, hypersexualization, and objectification is not a thing of the past that disappeared with slavery or the Jim Crow Era”.
What is hidden away is the experiences of people in the unrecognized and undervalued communities. This brings us to a compassion gap, preventing our society from growth based on hearing and understanding each other. These are elements of systematic issues that need drastic change to ensure the well-being of all members of our collective. And.. while the road to change may be arduous, it’s crucial to maintain hope and actively contribute to the ongoing efforts for a better future (this is where I usually start advocating for psychology and pushing for therapy, but this can be another post or a conversation).
Your post shows that even after the slavery was over, black people still had to face lots of conflict. Black women always have to be extra careful when they are outside. Even to this day, women of color have to be in constant fear when they are traveling. I’ve heard so many horror stories women faced in the subway. My friends would tell me the scary things that they experience when they commute when they are just trying to go to college to learn just like Betsy.
https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZT8J3yRXL/
This video shows the scary things a black woman faces when traveling. The woman in the video was threatened by a man when she was just trying to read a book.
The instance you cited from “Betsy’s Borrowed Baby” illustrates the vulnerability black women experienced both during and after the Jim Crow era. Like any other college student, Betsy was just returning home. However, because to the objectifying prism through which certain people saw her, her ethnicity and gender made her a target for assault. The white man used her and other women like her as a platform to express their fetishism thanks to this demeaning perspective of what is a black woman.
I thought of the quote you used in “Besty’s Borrowed Baby”, and what I thought was that despite slavery being a thing of the past, people’s attitudes towards African Americans as something that can be taken from with little to no repercussion has yet to disappear. And if the laws don’t prevent that then people will continue with the attitude they maintained prior to any change in the status quo. This is visible in the hyper-sexualization and violence towards black women, as without laws or societal norms protecting them, they are someone that someone with the right predisposition and the right timing can take something from, notably their bodies. Horrible.
Your post was really nice to read. I agree when you say that “In the past slave owners would try to uphold the idea of their wives as “ideal” women and brutalize their slaves.” It is so disturbing that white women were considered to be “soft” and “delicate”. In contrast, black women were not considered to be feminine enough. This was used as a justification for the abuse against black women. Black women did not only experience discrimination and racism because of their race but also based on their sex. Since black women did not fit the cult of true womanhood, it can be said that slavery together masculinized black women.
In some way, this reminds me of For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide/When The Rainbow is Enuf. This play shows the reality of what it means to be a Black woman and their experiences in life.
This abuse of Black women has been since slavery and before. Black women were highly sexualized and desired by white men. In the early days, the laws were written so Black women could not be raped. They wanted white men, and their bodies were tantalizing, so it wasn’t rape. These primitive attitudes have cost many black women their dignity, self-respect, and some of their lives. These laws created in slavery nourished in Jim Crow and are now attacked by the anti-woke coalition and are doomed to take us back to the dark ages. A woman has lost control of her body, and the government is peaking in people’s bedrooms. Books that educate everyone about the diversity of the land are being banned because they might make the dominant cultures self-esteem..
Your inclusion of the themes from Pose as well as Rosa’s mentioning of For Colored Girls/When the Rainbow is Enuf made me think of another piece of literature in the same vein. There’s a novel called Push by an author called Sapphire, which was later made into the film known as Precious. I think there’s something to be said about how easily consumed/palatable sexual violence towards Black women, especially dark-skinned Black women to American culture.
After reading your blog I would like to add as comment my understanding of the quote “Some of them who have the fear of God in their heart, when they see a white man, aint so sassy as you are, though,” (Terrell Betsy’s Borrowed Baby 48), you provided. The sentence you mentioned suggests that some individuals who are religious and hold a deep respect for their faith may behave differently when they encounter a white person compared to the way the person being addressed (presumably the character Betsy) behaves.
The use of the term “sassy” implies that the character Betsy may be displaying an attitude or demeanor that is considered disrespectful or confrontational. The quote seems to imply that the behavior of the religious individuals, who have a “fear of God in their heart,” is more reserved or deferential when interacting with white individuals.
It is important to note that this quote is a fictional piece of dialogue from a specific literary context and should not be taken as a representation of the views or experiences of real people or as a generalization about any racial or ethnic group.
The vulnerability of black women during and after the Jim Crow era is well-executed by your citations. Betsy was made into an object by white men because they saw her as a target for their twisted desires. A troubling pattern of fetishism and hypersexualization of people of color is reflected in this objectification. Your observation that the sexualization and exploitation of black women continue well after the eras of slavery and Jim Crow is one that I wholeheartedly agree with.
It is essential to perceive that fetishization are not restricted to explicit, verifiable periods. Instead, they are deeply ingrained in systemic issues that necessitate significant adjustments to ensure the safety of all community members. A comprehensive effort to challenge and dismantle the structures that support such harmful behaviors is required to address these issues. We should work toward a society that respects and values the dignity of every individual, regardless of race or gender, by raising awareness, promoting education, and advocating for equality.
Your discussion on the fetishization of black women immediately made me think of another piece of media. Although it does not take place in America, the film “Black Girl” (“La Noire De…” in French) is a Senegalese film by Ousmane Sembene that also illustrates the fetishization of the titular character. Diouana is picked to be a maid for a wealthy French couple, who move her from Dakar to France. While in France, she is treated disgustingly by her new employers and their friends, with one man trying to kiss her, exclaiming that he has “never kissed a black girl before.” She isn’t treated as a human, instead as property, hence the literal translation of the French title being “the black girl of…”, indicating that she is merely a possession.