Not Your Angry Black Woman: The Influence of a Stereotype on Participation and Belonging

Abstract

This study seeks to understand how the stereotype of the "angry Black woman" influences classroom belonging and participation with varied levels of emotion management. While much research exists on the stereotype of the "angry Black woman" in media with regard to how Black women are represented, there is a large gap in evaluating the stereotype's effect on their emotions, especially the emphasis on remaining calm and collected. My study interrogates the following questions: (1) Where does the stereotype of the "angry Black woman" originate? (2) How does the internalization of the stereotype of the "angry Black woman" influence classroom belonging? (3) How does emotion management influence the fear of classroom participation in relation to the stereotype of the angry Black woman? (4) Why are Black girls specifically taught to not give in to their emotions? Through several semi-structured in-depth interviews with Black, female-identifying college students, I conclude that the internalization of the stereotype influences classroom behavior due to fear. The expectation of being stereotyped often leads to Black women in classrooms feeling as if they don't belong. Many participants stated that even when their anger is justified, they are ignored because they are viewed as irrational, without any acknowledgement of what they're actually saying. Every interviewee noted that in childhood, anger was viewed as disrespectful, so in adulthood, they cry when angry. Continued emotion management influences the fear of classroom participation because by the time a student enters college, many of their coping mechanisms through emotion management are engrained in who they are.