Jezebel and Mammy: Stereotypes, Exploitation, and Enslaved Black Women

What was the Jezebel stereotype of enslaved Black women?

Portrayed as naturally promiscuous, hypersexual, and always available for sex.

How did the Jezebel stereotype justify slavery?

Normalized sexual violence and exploitation of Black women.

How did reproductive exploitation connect to the Jezebel stereotype?

Women's sexuality was exploited to increase the enslaved population for profit.

What was the "Fancy Trade"?

Market where light-skinned enslaved women were sold for concubinage or prostitution.

How did survival strategies reinforce the Jezebel stereotype?

Relationships with white men for protection were interpreted as promiscuity.

Who were examples of educated women still exploited under the Jezebel stereotype?

Rose and Eliza.

What was the Mammy stereotype?

Loyal, maternal, desexualized figure central to white households.

What were the main duties of a Mammy?

Childcare, cooking, cleaning, laundry, sewing, weaving, and milking.

How did the Mammy stereotype differ from reality?

Women faced exhaustion, overwork, lack of privacy, and neglect in old age.

How were elderly Mammies treated?

Forced to continue working despite age; rarely given proper care.

How was Mammy used to counter the Jezebel stereotype?

Shown as older, moral, and desexualized, opposite of Jezebel.

How were white Victorian women stereotyped?

Delicate, pure, dependent, needing male protection.

How did white women stereotypes contrast with Black women?

White women's sexuality was private; Black women's was public and exploited.

How did pro-slavery arguments use the white woman stereotype?

Claimed slavery "uplifted" white women by giving them leisure and moral purity.

What was the reality for white women despite enslaved labor?

They still worked long hours managing households.

How did sexual violence affect enslaved women?

Forced sex, rape, public humiliation, and separation from children.

What was an example of sexualized punishment?

Patsey's whippings, which had sexual undertones.

How were enslaved mothers exploited?

Mothers were separated from children to allow sexual exploitation or discipline.

What was the "superwoman" myth?

Belief that elderly enslaved women could endure endless labor without help.

How were enslaved women treated physically?

Harsh whippings, backbreaking labor, and exposure to extreme weather.

How were enslaved women treated emotionally/socially?

Punished by jealous mistresses, isolated, despised, and constantly stressed.

How were light-skinned women treated differently?

Faced jealousy and mistreatment from mistresses; often sold for concubinage.

How were enslaved women commodified?

Their reproductive capacity and labor were treated as property for profit.

What endless tasks were enslaved housewomen responsible for?

Cooking, cleaning, washing, ironing, sewing, weaving, childcare, milking.

Why were Black women particularly exposed to systemic oppression?

They were stereotyped as strong, sexual, and maternal, unlike protected white women.

What role did sexual violence play in labor discipline?

Used to punish women and ensure compliance with labor expectations.

How did auctions contribute to exploitation?

Public inspections humiliated women and enabled sexual exploitation.

What was the reality of mistresses' relationships with housewomen?

Often tense due to jealousy, men's infidelities, and household control.

How did sexual violence intersect with motherhood?

Mothers could be separated from children to allow sexual exploitation.

What survival strategies did enslaved women use?

Negotiated with white men, formed protective relationships, or used skill and intelligence to reduce danger.

How did slave narratives contradict romanticized images?

They revealed exhaustion, overwork, lack of privacy, and sexual vulnerability.

Who were some women specifically mentioned as examples of exploitation?

Patsey, Eliza, Emily, Rose, Old Mauma, Cynthia, Malinda Bibb.

How did exposure in labor reinforce stereotypes?

Women's work and punishment were public, reinforcing ideas of hypersexuality and strength.

How did systemic violence manifest in the household?

Strict oversight, constant supervision, and unequal power dynamics masked as care.

What was the connection between sexuality and property?

Women's bodies were treated as economic assets to produce children and labor.

What emotional labor did enslaved women perform?

Managed jealousy, mistreatment, and social tensions while maintaining household duties.

How did enslaved women experience old age differently?

Monitored, exploited, and overworked despite declining strength; sometimes neglected.

How did white women's expected femininity affect Black women?

Black women were seen as less feminine but more sexual and strong, increasing oppression.

What role did religion or morality play in stereotypes?

Mammies were depicted as devout and morally upright to counter Jezebel's sexualization.

What was the effect of long-term labor on enslaved women?

Exhaustion, chronic stress, health deterioration, and emotional trauma.

How were enslaved women portrayed in memoirs?

Romanticized as loyal and content, hiding overwork, sexual exploitation, and lack of privacy.

What contradictions existed between Black and white women under slavery?

White women were idealized as delicate and pure, Black women as strong, sexual, and maternal.

How did enslaved women maintain survival under oppression?

Used intelligence, negotiation, protective relationships, and skill to navigate exploitation.

What historical examples highlight sexual exploitation of enslaved women?

Patsey, Eliza, Emily, Rose, Old Mauma, Cynthia, Malinda Bibb.

How did labor and sexual exploitation intersect in auctions and households?

Public inspection, forced labor, and concubinage intertwined to control Black women.

How did societal myths hide the reality of enslaved women's labor?

Memoirs and stereotypes romanticized their loyalty, contentment, and obedience, masking exhaustion and abuse.

What was the impact of constant surveillance on enslaved women?

Created fear, stress, and limited privacy, increasing vulnerability to exploitation.

How did enslaved women's labor contribute to the economic system?

Their work and reproductive capacity directly increased the wealth of slaveholders.

Why were Black women more vulnerable to sexual exploitation than Black men?

Because stereotypes of hypersexuality and maternal labor targeted them specifically.

How did racialized stereotypes persist after slavery?

Jezebel and Mammy images influenced media, literature, and social expectations of Black women for generations.