Misogynoir
Misogynoir is a term referring to the combined force of anti-black racism and misogyny directed towards black women. The term was coined by black feminist writer Moya Bailey in 2008 to address misogyny directed toward Black transgender and cisgender women in American visual and popular culture.
The concept of misogynoir is grounded in the theory of intersectionality, which analyzes how various social identities such as race, gender, class, age, ability, and sexual orientation interrelate in systems of oppression.
Development of concept
Bailey coined the term "misogynoir" while she was a graduate student at Emory University to discuss anti-black misogyny in rap music. It combines the terms "misogyny," the hatred of women, and "noir," the French word for "black," to denote what Bailey describes as the unique form of anti-black misogyny faced by black women, particularly in visual and digital culture. Bailey and co-author Whitney Peoples describe the elements of their neologism, misogynoir, as:The concept of misogynoir was elaborated on in a 2014 essay by Trudy of the blog "Gradient Lair", and has been accepted and used by many black feminists and cultural critics, especially in the blogosphere. The concept has emboldened black women to break through cultures of silence and anti-racist protectiveness that shield black men's investments in patriarchy, toxic masculinities, and sexist violence.
Trans women of color experience violence at a greater rate than cisgender women of color or white trans women.
The term "transmisogynoir" was created to refer to the intersection between transmisogyny and misogynoir, meaning the oppression of black trans women. Transmisogynoir comprises transphobia, misogyny, and anti-blackness. It was coined by Trudy of the womanist blog Gradient Lair.
History
Misogynoir started from the period of enslavement in the west and the reinforcement of caste and gender positionings of white supremacy ideology. This was enforced by white male supremacy. During this period, the set of anti Black women archetypes were formed. These were made to set the place for Black women in an hierarchy system as subservient, oddities, sexual objects, troublesome and amusements. These became codified into western society. In present media, the misogynistic tropes retained their core concepts, but adapted to match the times. Studies show that Black Women in America are subject to more abuse and harassment online than other groups.Application
Though misogynoir can be perpetrated by anyone, the term most often refers to the misogyny experienced by black women at the hands of black men. As the plight of the black man in America remains at the forefront of society, black feminist work and the issues facing African-American women are erased and ignored.In a foreword to an edition of Michele Wallace's book "Black Macho and the Myth of the Superwoman," Jamilah Lemieux writes that misogynoir "can come even from those who are black, who were raised by black women and profess to value black people."
For example, the Black Lives Matter movement, created in 2012, was founded by three black women: Alicia Garza, Opal Tometi, and Patrisse Cullors. Nevertheless, this is little known throughout the wider community, and while the movement specifically states it advocates for the lives of the entire black community, protests, and activist groups invoking the #BlackLivesMatter hashtag and mission are disproportionately rallying cries for justice on behalf of African American men. Incidences where police wrongfully kill or assault black women receive significantly less attention, as evidenced by the lack of media attention surrounding the 2015 case of Officer Daniel Holtzclaw who used his authority to prey on and assault upwards of 13 black women.
On a broader scale, misogynoir is also characterized by the tropes projected onto black women. Some of these common stereotypes include the "Strong Black Woman" and the hypersexual "Jezebel." In her article "4 Tired Tropes That Perfectly Explain What Misogynoir Is – And How You Can Stop It", Kisiena Boom describes these common tropes and why they are damaging. For example, while the "Strong Black Woman" stereotype seems to be complimentary, it ignores the racialized physical and mental trauma that black women have had to endure.
Perpetuating the idea that black women can handle anything justifies the situations African American women are forced into, such as the "Mammy" role for white families, the heteronormative head of household when black men are lost to the prison-industrial complex, and sexual abuse. This justification eliminates the need and desire to rectify the real problems. Furthermore, this trope forces black women to bury their issues and put on a "strong" face for those who expect it. However, existing hate speech detection tools are ineffective at recognizing the nuanced contexts of misogynoir, often leading to misclassification and further harm to black women.
Some further applications of misogynoir can be assessed through the use of unfair and unjust assumptions of women, particularly women of color, is the practice of doctors, or other physicians, refusing certain safe practices to black women because they are believed to possess higher pain tolerance.
Music
Misogynoir has been cited by scholars to address black sexual politics in hip-hop music and culture at large. Respectability politics is one such issue. Coined by Evelyn Brooks Higginbotham, the term "respectability politics" refers to the tactics black people employ to promote racial uplift and obtain broader access to the public sphere.Misogynoir is shown in the lyrics and videos released to promote popular songs and better publicize certain songs. In recent years, it was found that music had more sexual content than any other media outlet. In hip-hop music, black women are often depicted as only being good for abuse or sex. These videos and lyrics reflect the way society sees black women and their bodies. Music videos are important because they are a way to better publicize hit songs, especially on television. Television shows became significant because they aired music videos. Examples of these are BET, MTV, and VH1.