Capstones
Graduation Date
Fall 12-15-2017
Grading Professor
Yoruba Richen
Subject Concentration
Arts & Culture
Degree Name
Master of Arts (MA)
Abstract
This documentary aspires to inform the public about the discrimination dark-skinned black women face within the entertainment and beauty industry. The census has predicted the United States of America will get more brown, but dark-skinned black women still feel underrepresented in the media. I decided to show my journey to confidence in the documentary in addition, to the process of figuring out how dark-skinned women can gain more exposure in these industries. Over the course of 10 months, I interviewed dark-skinned women in the beauty and entertainment industry, as well as women in other professions to find out how years of underrepresentation in the media has affected their self-worth. My journey began by interviewing working professionals about their experiences with the media, but it later turned into conversations with experts, YouTube personalities and individuals within the cosmetic, fashion and social media world. I learned a lot more about myself throughout this journey. I even realized that a browner America does not mean darker-skinned women will automatically be acknowledged in a society that has valued lighter-skin and Anglo-Saxon features for centuries. Furthermore, although mainstream America may not cast us in leading roles, dark-skinned black women now dare to tell our own stories, and it will be equally as compelling.
Capstone: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PP2QR4dUFDk
Recommended Citation
Butler, Cherese, "The Unspoken Truth" (2017). CUNY Academic Works.
https://academicworks.cuny.edu/gj_etds/254