"New VH1 Show "Bye Felicia" Promotes the "Strong Black Woman" Stereotype"

"Have no doubt that the ideal of the "strong Black woman" and the impetus to embody that ideal is alive and well. The fact that it's become something to be admired and even emulated by white women speaks to the lack of insight so many white people have into the lived experience of Black women. Inner strength is not something Black women are imparted with along with some extra melanin and nappy hair. Being raised with the pressure to "always have it together" isn't some type of organization technique or life hack. It's more a defense mechanism that young Black girls learn to help us in a world where we are reviled. It's a defense mechanism that white women, on the whole, have not been forced to develop."

http://bitchmagazine.org/post/new-vh1-show-bye-felicia-promotes-the-strong-black-woman-stereotype

This defense mechanism thing is very real - It's why I feel really uncomfortable wearing free T-shirts.

Can we also talk about this "strong woman" archetype or especially the "strong black woman" archetype? I haven't pulled it apart yet, but that makes me really uncomfortable, the way that movies are described a having "strong female leads" as opposed to just female leads and all the legitimacy? but also mild intimidation that comes with that.

Like, I don't know, Hillary Clinton would easily be described as a strong woman but no one would be like 'Bill Clinton is such a strong man'. And then strong black woman means there is some essentially black characteristic about her, like she is super flamboyant probably. It just seems to be saying so many things.