I Bring the Voices of My People: A Womanist Vision for Racial Reconciliation (Prophetic Christianity)

by Chanequa Walker-Barnes

Mammification, Hypersexualization, and Racial Reconciliation Stereotypical images of women of color—whether mammified or hypersexualized—cast an ominous shadow over the lived reality of African American, Native American, Asian American, and Latinx women. To be a woman of color in predominantly White spaces means grappling with the impact of these images on others’ expectations in some way. This happens for all people of color, to some extent. If one of racism’s consequences is that people of color must continually appraise whether their experiences are impacted by racism, gendered racism adds another layer for women of color, who must continually gauge whether people view them as mammies or jezebels, that is, as subservient race traitors or as sexual deviants. “I am not your mammy!” is the internal cry of Black women in work and ministry settings where women of color are expected to carry a heavier load than their White and/or male peers, where they are expected to give sacrificially without recompense, and where they are judged for their failure to perform caregiving duties that are not part of their job description. At the same time, women of color must walk the tightrope of proving their femininity while remaining sufficiently desexualized to avoid being labeled jezebels. For many women of color, these stereotypes present a no-win situation. If they are guarded and reluctant to share details about their personal lives with White colleagues who have not proven their trus...