Graduation Date
11-2014
Document Type
Thesis
Department/Program Conferring Degree
Liberal Studies
Keywords
black actresses, Hollywood, women in film, racial stereotypes, mammy stereotype
Abstract
This thesis examines the history of the stereotypical mammy/maid characters in American films. The analysis serves to show the ongoing racialized casting of black women in domestic roles for over a century. Equally important, the analysis includes a discussion of how the black actresses who performed these roles thought about and negotiated them. The actresses themselves faced much criticism for their participation in and contributions to racial stereotyping, and this thesis seeks to show how these actresses understood and responded to such critiques.
Recommended Citation
Coleman, Valerie, "Black actresses in American films: a history and critical analysis of the mammy/maid character" (2014). College of Liberal Arts & Social Sciences Theses and Dissertations. 177.
https://via.library.depaul.edu/etd/177