Summary Of Kazebel And Mammy By Deborah Grey

Dishon Wise
AASP 100
Dr. Nickols
Discussion #3
In Deborah Gray’s article “Jezebel & Mammy”, she explains the different stereotypes associated with the African American female slaves and why these stereotypes were created. The most infamous slurs are Mammy and Jezebel. The mammy was - by definition - an unattractive African American women who was a caregiver, a surrogate mother to the master’s children, and in essential the one who kept the plantation running. She was seen as the leader, well respected from the other slaves, and in control. The Jezebel, however, was used to cover the real reason why many mulatto children were being birthed in this time period. These stereotypes as well as Sambo and Brute Buck were highly offensive to moral and very effective in the distribution of any possible positive view of the African American.Though many people think that these ideas only affected how others looked at African American after slavery, they are wrong.

Many African Americans carry these stereotypes and use them against each other because for so long this is all that they were being taught, all that they heard, and all that was portrayed to them.

Another piece that agrees with Ms. Gray’s article is “The Tangle of Pathology”. As we all know slavery did destroy the homes and families of the African Americans, but it also instilled some vary harsh thoughts in the current African American homes. The slaves’ masters humiliated and abused the males in front of the entire plantation. By doing this, it showed the woman and children that even their strongest men - the husbands, brothers, and fathers- cannot protect them. It showed that they were weak and helpless, just like they were. By humiliating these men and putting a label like Mammy on woman made the woman gain more power than man over

time.
Of course, Mammy and Jezebel are both negative stereotypes just as Sambo and Brute Buck are, but women were more sought out after because no one wanted to educated or hire an angry, hypersexual, very strong, animal like man. Which is why, most of the time, African American women are more likely to get a job than African American men and are more favored to get a higher education. In “The Tangle of Pathology” is also talks about woman being the head of the household without a father figure around. Without a father figure, a lot of young African American males are lost and sometimes the mother simply will not try as hard with the males because she feels as if it is not worth it. The stereotypes like this stayed within the minds of those who created it and it also corrupted the African American community. Though we may not use these slurs directly at each other as much as it was used in earlier times, these stereotypes still affect our households, chances of higher education, lifestyle, and being. The stereotypes are what started the cycle or the tangle of pathology and now were are fighting to put an end to it.