Farrah Goff Project Proposal

A possible group project that could be completed by the whole class is a magazine specifically focusing on blackness, black women, and the issues of femininity and feminism involved in being a black woman. In several of the texts the class has read so far, there has been a consistency in the fact that the protagonist are white passing or mullato females, and it is my belief that this is not inconsistent with a difficulty that occurs even today, the inability or trouble society still has with uniting being black, and being feminine.

This problem in both contemporary society and the novels we read about can be examined through a variety of different lenses, including but not limited to the appropriation and hyper-sexualization of black females. This can be seen in many headlines, even when Miley Cyrus featured specifically black female back up dancers in her music video for “We Can’t Stop” and extending all the way to accusations that have been made against Beyoncé continuously throughout the years, claiming she has engaged in skin bleaching. All of these contemporary arguments are just the tip of the ic berg in regards to the fact that the bodies of black women are never respected as their own, in any autonomous way.

Moving beyond the contemporary is the presence of this in the three works we have read so far in this course. All three female protagonists share in the constant appraisal of their beauty, but also in terms of their beauty as fitting within the “white beauty standards.” Light skin, light eyes, and even the ability to pass as white are revered, whereas, Craft herself makes comments on Maria’s appearance in regards to her lack of beauty, but also in regards to her dark hair, dark eyes, and very dark skin. Clearly the acts of aggression on the bodies of black women are not just the fault of outsiders looking in, but also the fault of internal aggression.

The group project of course does not have to focus on the above arguments, however, I believe composing a magazine filled with varying submissions: academic essays examining the issues of femininity directly tied to blackness, reviews and explorations of movies and TV programs with black women, specifically focusing on the role they play (the sex symbol, the matron etc), and even columns asking for fictional advice with creative answers regarding how to juggle feminism, white feminism, black feminism, and black activism.

Now this is just one lens that I have spent time exploring the endless possibilities for in regards to magazines, and as such most magazines, especially mainstream ones are advertised specifically for a female audience. However, there are many other angles this could take. Even “advertisements” that are typical of magazines could be a creative exploration of whether or not ads are targeted with specific racial ideas and even ideals in mind. A completed magazine with varying submissions allows for there to be a certain level of autonomy with all participants, there could be set dates for which people need to submit by, dates which second drafts of submissions need to be due, and by the end the finished product could actually be something very impressive and even beautiful, capable of reaching and even being marketed to the greater public. Also, it is very easy to convey a clear thematic idea carrying on throughout the magazine, based entirely on headlines, and article decisions. This also allows for different levels of creativity to shine, as people may want to design ads, covers, and even write creatively through the different possible submission formats.