I came across this artwork, and it struck a cord with me:

What’s most interesting to me about the art is that it’s a male saying this. The only time I’ve ever been accosted about my seemingly too-serious face was by a male co-worker. At the time I smiled automatically in response. It didn’t occur to me that there was anything wrong with my demeanor because (1) I was in deep concentration on the task at hand, a task that didn’t require I look like a ball of sunshine to complete it (2) I was not at the front desk or engaging clients/students/visitors, or anyone else for that matter and finally (3) who was this person to assume what my general mood was just because I didn’t have a grin plastered all over my face?

Still my immediate instinct was to think that he was right and maybe I wasn’t giving off the right “vibe”. Even if that “vibe” didn’t figure directly into concentrating on the task at hand.

Some black women are often chastised about their expressions and general demeanor. In fact, it is a major contributor to the “angry black woman” or even “strong black woman” stereotypes. And yet, notice that the person above is NOT an angry black woman. She is a deceptively sour-faced blonde white woman. Who is being told that her demeanor is simply unacceptable.

It got me wondering: Is the “Angry Black Woman” stereotype a racist stereotype alone? It is egged on by a NUMBER of black men, and I think what we are seeing is a stereotype that is unique to black women in that it hits us from two sides: sexism and racism.

Racism: The idea of a stereotypically hostile minority (mean-mugging uncouth ruffian/heavy)

Sexism: The aggressive unpleasant harpy or sour and closed-off female is wrong because a woman must always show she is available to any male in her vicinity and be perceived as attractive and submissive in their eyes

When these biases combine, you may find minority women “labeled” as punishment or as a so-called warning based on negative stereotypes combining the two: The “Fiery/Spitfire” Latina, “Neck-Rolling Sapphire” Black Woman and The East Asian “Dragon Lady”.

Now, why is this problem unique to black women? Because if the girl pictured got a make-over…problem solved! Yay white privilege! But if you’re a black woman, you can get as many make-overs as you want: you will still be black. And you will still have some genius trying to figure out what buttons to push to bring out your inner Bon Qui Qui. I think Latinas still have to deal with this type of racist-sexist stereotyping a bit, but not to the same degree as we do at present. And I think the “Dragon Lady” stereotype  has largely been laid to rest.

Which begs the following questions: Do black women NEED to be more pleasant or is it a matter of context and bigoted perceptions? If the pressure is largely bigoted in origin, is it fair to put pressure on black women to be “more pleasant”? Do you think men are called out on the job for not being “pleasant enough” at the same rate as women, regardless of race, and what does that say about modern perceptions of women’s  roles in the workforce?

I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately and would love some feedback on this topic.