"The entire race is usually judged by the actions of one man or woman...I sincerely hope that I shall always be a credit to my race, and to the motion picture industry"
-Hattie McDaniel
The first common depiction to be examined is the caricature of the Mammy, coming out of social roles formed during slavery.
At the time of slavery, the “identity of a Black woman was directly related to the manner in which her owners treated her and their views of her. [How] other people viewed Black women was decided by their ‘superior’ white counterparts.”[1] This was especially true when it came to black women’s sexuality: “Unwanted sexual harassment caused Black women to take on the de-sexualized role of the ‘Mammy’ to try and get away from the horrible sexual acts committed against them” by their masters…slave girls and women willfully made themselves the least appealing, unattractive and undesirable to avoid the heartache of rape. [2] While the role of the Mammy acted as a safeguard against the aggressive sexual tendencies of the white patriarchy it created its own oppression in the form of complete and total devotion to the master’s family over her own. |
Most, if not all, early depictions of black women in film drew from this historical image of black women in a very pronounced way. So what determines this depiction? A Mammy is characterized as “a loyal, domestic servant to white people that loves, take care of and provides for her white family over her own.”[3] She is “large, deep brown in color, self-sacrificing, humble, and usually jovial.”[4] Moreover, while she maintains “considerably authority” over the household and may be loved by them as well, the Mammy “still knows her place as [an] obedient servant—she has accepted her subordination.”[5]
Famed actress Hattie McDaniel (pictured above) became the first black actress to win the Academy Award. She was awarded for her role in the pre-Civil War epic Gone with the Wind in which she played a character simply named “Mammy”. This role and McDaniel’s numerous others followed along the guidelines of the Mammy stereotype. Though she enjoyed a long career, McDaniel was limited to playing roles that remained faithful to this image. The following video is a clip from said film:
Even at the time of the film, McDaniel received a lot of criticism from the black community for her participation in depicting this character.
This depiction has endured through till the 21st century and continues to be the type of image most commonly depicted of black women as well as the type of image most likely to receive accolades. The most notable recent examples being Viola Davis and Octavia Spencer's performances in the help, for which both received Oscar nominations and, for Spencer, the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress.
In spite of the range of talent held by these and many other black actresses, roles portraying a Mammy figure continue to dominant those available to black actresses time and time again.
This depiction has endured through till the 21st century and continues to be the type of image most commonly depicted of black women as well as the type of image most likely to receive accolades. The most notable recent examples being Viola Davis and Octavia Spencer's performances in the help, for which both received Oscar nominations and, for Spencer, the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress.
In spite of the range of talent held by these and many other black actresses, roles portraying a Mammy figure continue to dominant those available to black actresses time and time again.