"Respectability Politics"
Define respectability politics in your own words.
- Image
- Behavior
- Survival
Can you think of any way the media's representation of African-American women fuels the perceived need for respectability politics, possibly from within the African-American community itself?
- Serena Williams
- Tyler Perry's Madea
How does Cooper explain orchestrated fury and why is it called “orchestrated.”?
Symphony of anger - arrange and organize their anger at these systems and actors
On what stages do Black women challenge the narrative and pressure of respectability politics?
Nationally and personally
Individually/privately vs socially/publicly
Can you think of anything you've read or seen in the media that is either a negative or positive representation of respectability politics?
- Citizen by Claudia Rankine
Can you think you think of any representations of the "Angry African-American Woman" from class materials?
- descriptions of Serena William's in Citizen
How does orchestrated fury function for Back women?
Provides a validating, productive outlet for anger
Cooper indirectly addresses various systems of oppression and their relationship to respectability politics. What are some of the systems we identified?
Religion – Christianity/Christian Pastors
Politics – Michelle Obama’s existence in the public eye is political in nature
Sexism – Black women bearing the weight of this burden
Have you or someone you know ever had to succumb to the pressure of respectability politics?
If not, speculate how you might support someone facing these pressures.
Can you think of examples of the negative expectations projected onto African-American women from the reading.
- To look presentable (think hair and clothing)
- Letting their children down (from the Pastor's perspective)
Provide examples from the text where Black women exhibited orchestrated fury.
Michelle Obama at Trump’s inaugural address
Cooper’s Mother talking back to the Pastor
Shakara's Story
The Black Lives Matter movement
What kind of work are Black women expected to do related to rage? Socially, how are these efforts devalued?
Efforts are frequently disparaged or challenged in some way: Critiques of Michelle Obama’s work, Cooper’s Mother, Shakara’s Story
Can you think of any modern-day representations of respectability politics in the news, entertainment, or media?
- Some believe Michelle Obama used it during her time in the White House
How successful is this reading at displaying the projected biases towards African-American women and their emotional state?
- It is successful as an outlet of orchestrated fury itself -or-
- It could be more successful by focusing less on personal critique
What does respectability politics cost Black women and how does orchestrated fury help reclaim their autonomy?
Sacrifice authenticity and plays into rage management
Legitimizes anger, honors struggle, and encourages progress
What is the danger of respectability politics and how does orchestrated fury help push against these ideas?
Continues to put White Folk at the head of defining Black behavior
Allows Black women to control their own narrative