Stereotyped and Devalued: The Story of Black Children

Simone Matthews, William James College, Clinical Mental Health Counseling Program

Source: Simone Matthews

by Simone Matthews

Edited by Natalie Cort, Ph.D.

Over 50 years ago, America’s Jim Crow apartheid era was dismantled. However, it was rapidly replaced by the more subtle, insidious, and corrosive “New Jim Crow” period we currently live in. The old explicitly racist social control practices that maintained racial caste systems have morphed into less obvious legal processes and cultural practices that maintain the marginalization of people of color, anti-Black attitudes, and discrimination (Alexander, 2010).

The dangers to Black children's self-esteem

The anti-Black racial discrimination that remains prevalent endangers Black children’s self-esteem and contributes to declines in their well-being (Jones et al., 2017). Black children often feel unwanted and invisible when underrepresented in predominantly White spaces. Unfortunately, many internalize inaccurate perceptions of their societal worth and racist stereotypes about their intelligence and self-worth. The resulting self-hatred towards their racial identity may profoundly affect their emotional well-being.

As a mother of a beautiful Black boy, I am passionate about the mental health of our youth. Therefore, when I observed my child’s daycare celebrating Thanksgiving, Christmas, and St. Patrick’s Day, while dismissing Black History Month, I was concerned. In fact, in most schools, Black culture and excellence are not celebrated, praised, or recognized (Knott-Dawson, 2019). As I contemplate my son’s entry into the educational system, I worry about the impact of inadequate racial representation among teachers. Black children’s access to equitable education resources and empowering educators committed to dismantling biases are limited. Some researchers suggest that one solution is to match Black children with Black teachers in order to boost Black children’s self-esteem, lessen severe disciplinary outcomes, and increase academic performance (Lindsay & Hart, 2017; Redding, 2019).

My worries continue as I often find it difficult to find television shows or movies for children with an empowered Black lead character. The insignificant number of Black children’s media and the inability to provide a positive representation of Black culture for Black children is unacceptable. In 2020, Netflix released a Representation Matters Collection designed to accentuate Black voices, encompassing children’s movies and shows with Black cast members. Yet, as of July 2020, out of the more than 500 shows and movies on the children’s page, only 19 (about 4% of all children's content) were listed in the Representation Matters Collection, epitomizing disproportionate representation. Although streaming services are committing to increased racial/ethnic diversity, portrayals of Black people continue to be largely negative. Therefore, it is imperative that schools, organizations, and media serving children also commit to equity and inclusion efforts to reduce the perpetuation of anti-Black stereotypes.

Black children are most harmed by the "big lie" about their academic and intellectual capacities. Therefore, greater cultural sensitivity and accurate representation of Black youth will positively influence Black youth’s self-esteem, self-worth, and confidence. Our Black children who bear the brunt of America’s racist social legacy deserve opportunities to thrive in free and equitable environments where they are justly represented.

Simone Matthews is completing a Master's Degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling at William James College with a specialization in Couples and Family Therapy.