PRAIRIE VIEW, Texas (February 16, 2022) – How can Black women authentically present themselves when faced with inaccurate representations throughout media? This will be the focus in a new Black History Month masterclass session, Self-Preservation and Relationships, led by Harriette Howard-Lee Block, Ph.D., head of the Biology Department at Prairie View A&M University.
Harriette Howard-Lee Block, Ph.D.
“As a black woman, when you care for yourself, when you love yourself, and then when you extend yourself to the community, do you get so involved that you forget who you are?” said Block. “Then, if it doesn’t work out, where do you go from there?”
According to Block, interpersonal relationships, such as friendships, romantic relationships, and jobs are fraught with positive identity obstacles that continue to damage Black women. It is within these relationships that socially-charged stigmas challenge authentic identity with damaging preconceived notions.
The sociohistorical hypersexualization of the Black woman affects all forms of interaction and interpersonal relationships—even marriage. Black women have lower marriage rates and typically marry at older ages because of microaggressions that perpetuate stereotypes during dating, said Block.
“When you look at social media and TV shows, the Black woman, a lot of times, is portrayed as a sexual being,” said Block. “You meet her, and in a short time, you are sleeping with her. It carries over to the real environment. This is how we’re depicted.”
Firmly rooted in a history of microaggressions against not just the Black woman but all African Americans, such conditioning derives from a cultural background that makes it difficult, if not impossible, to maintain self-preservation.
“We have to make sure that we ourselves take care of ourselves while we take care of everyone else,” said Block.
Opening a Dialogue
Sponsored by Target and organized by The Honey Pot Company and Impressions of Beauty, this new Black History Month masterclass series features speakers from four HBCUs during the four-course series. The presentation at PVAMU on Thursday, February 17, takes place at 6 p.m. in the O’Banion Science Building, Room A101. It will also be streamed via Zoom.
“I want to bring awareness with where we are with the Black woman in America and where we need to go,” said Block. “This is an awareness masterclass to bring attention to Black women caring about themselves. You can give your heart to people, just don’t lose your heart. When you forget who you are, then you’re going to linger by the wayside.”
The presentation will last approximately 50 minutes and then be opened for discussion, which, Block said, is a critical component of the course.
“It’s so important that the dialogue begins,” said Block. “We get so involved with relationships—how do you preserve yourself without losing yourself? It needs to be talked about. It’s difficult to talk about these things.”
An open dialogue helps people understand the importance of this information. If one does not maintain self-preservation, it can lead to mental problems, said Block.
“As a society, we need to have the conversation and be aware of what is going on,” she said. “Start the dialogue and get the conversation going. Knowledge is power. When you know about this, hopefully, you will take it to someone else and share what you know.”
Tackling Stigmas and Stereotypes
“When you hear the term welfare momma, you shouldn’t be thinking of a black woman,” said Block.
Negative stigmas and preconceived notions resulting from conditioned responses borne out of exposure to media and entertainment productions have damaging, life-altering effects on communities and historically marginalized groups, leading to further disenfranchisement and poor self-identity.
“It all goes back to slavery if you just want to tell it like it is,” said Block. “From the beginning, we got the shaft, and it continues to happen. I think it’s getting worse because Black women continue to be portrayed as that sexual object. Where we, ourselves, within our own race, continue to judge Black women by how we look.”
By practicing good relationships and self-preservation, Block said Black women will reclaim the healthy part of themselves and be able to engage more and more in healthy awareness dialogue, combating the negative images and portrayals of Black women that persist in mediums, such as social media.
“When you see something on social media, don’t just assume that it’s true without looking into the background of it,” said Block. “Is it true? That’s the main thing you need to be asking. Just because it’s on social media doesn’t make it true, especially when it comes to the hypersexualization of Black women.”
“We are no less important than any other race or class or sex of people,” she continued. “I really hope this talk will help. We have come a long way, but we have a long way to go.”
Click here to view more details about Dr. Block’s event, Self-Preservation and Relationships.
By Kerry Laird
-PVAMU-