I know a lot of you are “Scandalized” but I’ve been bewitched. In other words, I just can’t get enough of this season’s American Horror Story: The Coven.  Angela Bassett’s portrayal of Marie Laveau, the 19th century voodoo queen of New Orleans, is phenomenal to say the least. Under normal circumstances, I’d cringe at the thought of celebrating a witch. When I watch her take revenge on racists via her wicked spells, I can’t help but cry out in victory. Whether she buries a sadistic and racist slave holding witch alive or sends the dead to slaughter child-killing southern racists, you will be captivated.

Ms. Bassett isn’t the only black woman to grace the show. Gabourey Sidibe portrays a sad, rejected, and oh so stereotypical decendent of Tituba.  Don’t get me wrong, Gabourey is a great actress as evidenced by the fact that her speech and mannerisms are NOTHING like what we see in her acting roles. I’m just afraid that she is forbidden to take roles that will showcase the diversity of her acting abilities. Whatever the case, great job, Gabourey.

I’m quite sure that 1, 2, or 20 BBW readers watch the hit show The Walking Dead. That means you are familiar with Michonne, the character played by the beautiful actress Danai Gurira. It bugs me that she, a dark-skinned unmistakably black woman, is more of a warrior than a lady.  According to what I will call the show’s biggest fan, she’s never been portrayed as feminine since the show started. Don’t get too angry, though. The TV character is a lot more watered down :::cough:::CHASTE:::cough::: than the Michonne in the comic book version of the series. I’ll let you do the research on that one. Never fear, recent episodes and internet buzz hints that the feminine side of Michonne will soon appear.

Out of the three characters mentioned above, I find Angela Bassett’s to be the most positive and exciting. Her character is no different than those portrayed by the white actresses and her performance commands attention. That is not to say that Gabourey and Danai do not command attention. The difference is, they do so under the blanket of stereotypes…not their fault of course.

Who is your favorite black woman on prime time?