The "Reel" Story: "Reel Women: Black Women and Literacy in Feature Films"

Dowdy’s account of Black women’s literacy as it relates to the film industry is very eye opening. Through the use of a graduate class that focused on “Black Women and Literacy”, Dowdy honed in on the utility provided by book sense and common sense. In movies such as “Sarafina” and “The Color Purple”, Dowdy along with her students examines the ways in which Black women are depicted in movies. The identities taken on by Black actresses are that of low socioeconomic stature, and illiteracy. Furthermore, the characters that are depicted as literate do not possess enough clout to be noticed for her important role. This piece opened my eyes to the underlying messages that are sent out through these movies. Mainstream production companies often recycle the same demeaning portrayals of Black women. This fact is stated by Dowdy in the beginning of her essay. “There is no ‘material difference’ (Brown, 2002) in the lives of Black people in the United States in the last 100 years” (Pg 163). Dowdy encourages her students to analyze videos critically. As a result, her students are no longer ignorant to the subliminal images and messages being conveyed in movies that depict Black women in a particular light. I find Dowdy’s cross-case analysis to be the most jaw dropping portion of her essay. She shines light on the characters played in all nine movies she examines, “They serve White people in some capacity and are rewarded according to the sacrifices they make to earn a living under existing socioeconomic structures” (Pg 174). After reading this, and mentally examining each movie I had viewed, I was left in awe at my obliviousness to such a key factor in the way I viewed Black films. After reading Dowdy’s essay, I will now view films with a critical eye and an open mind. Today, there is an emerging image of Black women that speaks of success, intelligence and not of oppression and ignorance. Actresses such as Sanaa Lathan and Gabrielle Union have aided in creating this image of an intellectual and dominant woman. I praise them for their choice of roles to play. I find their roles to be empowering and uplifting. In movies they star in, downfalls and shortcoming are still examined; however, they are not overtaken by them. Rather, they overcome them. I am enlightened by Dowdy’s essay. I am empowered.
-Aminta Parker