The Evolution of Black Women in Television: Mammies, Matriarchs and Mistresses

Imani M. Cheers, assistant professor of media and public affairs, examines the representation of Black women in television. She shows how the increase of Black women in media ownership and creative executive roles (producers, showrunners, directors, writers) over the last 30 years has affected the fundamental cultural shift in Black women on TV, which in turn parallels the political, social, economic and cultural advancements of Black women in America from 1950 to 2016.