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Black Sexual Politics

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Submitted By chymes1
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Agree, or Disagree, with Black Sexual Politics
Author, Collins, Patricia Hall, orchestrated an opinion supported article entitled, “Why Black Sexual Politics?” While reading through this, twenty-seven page piece, I understood how the author formulated the thoughts of Blacks and their “sexual roles” in politics. Collins, primarily shows her powerful focus on African-American women; this was created through the talk of sexually suggestive female artists and girl groups, past to present, such as: Sarah Bartmann, Josephine Baker, Destiny’s Child, and Jennifer “J-Lo” Lopez. Her focus was of how they were depicted through the spectacles of Americans; she then proceeds to proclaim, later, that both genders are sexually repressive in today’s society; and that’s where the disagreement, for me, comes in. I believe that the “Western Perception” existed, but is self-defined, and that’s what I agree with, I disagree with the image of the “Black” male figure, in result of sexuality, and that the “Black” females whether of color, or fully black, are depicted more than that of sexually suggestive specimens.
Focusing on the statement of the “Western Perception”, given by Collins; “…Western social thought associates Blackness with an imagined uncivilized…sexuality…untamed sexuality characterizes Western representation of women and men…” (p.27). I absolutely agree with the authors agreement of the way this perception is idolized; the western perception is defined through the eyes of who’s, for the lack of better terms, defining this characterized-method. My take on this perception, and the way Collins is sharing it, is absolutely the way in which America wanted to characterize the methods and talents that African-Americans would possess and demonstrate it. The way the performers show and express their talents are through the way that it has been publically shown to financially

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