Chapter 10 of “Rape Fantasies and Other Assaults”
Black Women’s Sexuality and Racial Redemption on Film
In Chapter 10, *"Rape Fantasies and Other Assaults: Black Women’s Sexuality and Racial Redemption on Film,"* Dr. Erin D. Chapman critiques the portrayal of Black women’s sexuality in popular films like *Crash* and *Monster’s Ball.* She argues that these films perpetuate harmful racial and sexual myths, portraying Black women as vehicles for the redemption of white men. These works are praised for presenting a post-racial narrative, but Chapman points out how they obscure structural racism, reducing it to personal prejudice. Ultimately, she highlights how these films exploit Black women’s bodies to address broader racial tensions while ignoring systemic issues.
July 2017
August 2017
Staging Gendered Radicalism at the Height of the US Cold War
A Raisin in the Sun and Lorraine Hansberry's Vision of Freedom
In *"Staging Gendered Radicalism at the Height of the US Cold War: A Raisin in the Sun and Lorraine Hansberry's Vision of Freedom,"* the text highlights Lorraine Hansberry's outspoken resistance to U.S. white supremacy during the 1950s Cold War era. Hansberry used her platform, notably at the 1959 American Society of African Culture conference, to denounce America's ongoing racial oppression and criticize notable African Americans who aligned with state directives promoting U.S. democracy abroad, despite domestic racism. Her iconic play *A Raisin in the Sun* reflected her advocacy for black liberation and self-determination, influenced by her feminism, communism, and black nationalism. Hansberry urged her fellow writers to produce socially conscious art that challenged U.S. imperialism and white supremacy, aiming to align with global struggles for racial and political freedom.
