Lee 1
Janae Lee
Ryan Wise
English 201-019
7 March 2019
Academic Argument
Racism and colorism create problems for black girls across the world. The discrimination
against African Americans and the preference for light skin over dark skin negatively affect the
mental state of black females. The dislike against not only their race but their skin color within
that race creates a self-hatred in black girls. As they grow up, they do not love themselves as they
are but wish to be lighter because the world has told them that lighter is prettier. Instilling self-
confidence in black girls and teaching that they are just as beautiful as everyone else will help
reverse the effects racism and colorism have. Helping them have a strong sense of self and
giving them something to strive for will lead to them not caring about the things other people say
as much. This solution can be done through a lesson plan implemented twice a month in high
school Black Student Union programs. This lesson plan consists of a worksheet and an activity
done once the worksheet is finished. It will allow black girls to talk about their emotions and
feelings towards discrimination, discuss their insecurities and set future goals, and create positive
affirmations about those insecurities and goals.
The first activity in the lesson plan is to have the black girls answer questions about their
personal experiences with stereotypes and discrimination. In “‘Styled by Their Perceptions’:
Black Adolescent Girls Interpret Representations of Black Females in Popular Culture,”
Gholnecsar E. Muhammad and Sherell A. McArthur wrote that “…the girls [in their study] found
it to be important to use their pens to re-write (if not, to speak back to) the ways their identities
Lee 2
were portrayed” (139). Many black girls feel as if they are not heard and like they do not have a
way to express their frustrations with the negative stereotypes. The worksheet would have
questions about stereotypes and their experiences with discrimination. More importantly, they
will be asked to describe their feelings towards those stereotypes and events. For example, some
participants could write about the feeling of frustration they had with a racist store clerk
following them. Writing about their emotions will help the girls navigate through the confusing
feelings they have and allow them to express themselves. There are very little outlets for black
girls to voice their opinions but through this activity, they are able fight against the pressures and
judgement on them.
The girls would then answer some questions about their insecurities and the write
positive affirmations relating to those insecurities. In the article, “No Longer Invisible:
Understanding the Psychosocial Impact of Skin Color Stratification in the Lives of African
American Women,” J. Camille Hall writes that “the internalized narratives revealed by the
women in this study support recent literature indicating that dark skin is inherently negative self-
identity,” (75). Many black girls believe that having dark skin is a bad thing, which can lead to
many insecurities about their skin tone on top of the normal insecurities felt by all girls
regardless of race. The activity would have them list out some of their insecurities and then have
them write positive affirmations that go against the insecurities they previously wrote. For
example, if a participant wrote that they wish they had a lighter skin tone, the affirmation they
would write would be that they have beautiful dark skin. Writing something positive about things
they normally think are negative will help change their frame of mind and find good things in the
things they see as bad. This also promotes self-worth within the girls and helps them love
Lee 3
themselves as they are despite the negative stereotypes and judgement around them. These
affirmations will go into a list along with other affirmations the girls will write next.
After writing the affirmations about their insecurities, the participants would describe
their future goals and write affirmations relating to those specific goals. In “Priming Mammies,
Jezebels, and Other Controlling Images: An Examination of the Influence of Mediated
Stereotypes on Perceptions of an African American Woman,” Sonja M. Brown Givens and
Jennifer L. Monahan write that the data in their study “…suggest that simply observing an
African American woman interviewing for employment was a necessary and sufficient cue for
the application of racial schemas” (101). Both people of other races and African American
people subconsciously judge black women in the workplace and other professional
environments. There are little to no expectations placed on black girls; they are not expected to
have good jobs when they are older. The activity will have the girls set future goals for
themselves. The girls would then have to write positive affirmations about their goals. For
example, if a participant wrote that they want to become a doctor, an affirmation they would
write is that they will get into medical school. Creating goals gives the girls something to work
for. Instead of doing nothing because that is all they are expected to do, they will work hard to
meet the expectations the set for themselves. It is important for them to create their own goals to
strive to because they do not have any placed on them by other people.
Some experts argue that black girls should set goals with their families instead of by
themselves. In “Parents’ and Service Providers’ Perceptions of the Family Goal Setting Tool: A
Pilot Study,” Sylvia Rodger, et al believe that “goal setting [is] based within the context of the
entire family, as opposed to solely directed at child-based interventions (368). They argue that
the Family Goal Setting Tool (FGST) should be used. The think that using this tool will create
Lee 4
better goals that are meaningful or holistic. Experts like them say that the families of the
participants should sit down with them and set goals because those goals will be reinforced better
than if the girls set the goals by themselves.
Even though it is good for black girls to set goals with their families, it may be very
difficult to get the families to set goals for them. Hall writes that many of her participants felt
like their families did not have high expectations for them; more specifically, she writes that
“[her participant]’s family never expected [her] to do well in in school… [her] parents didn’t
expect or intend for [her] to attend college,” (76). Many black girls grow up with little to no
expectations from the families and with the belief that they will not do great things in life.
Because many black families do not expect black girls to do anything great, the girls have no
choice but to set their own goals. The only support they have is themselves.
