Their sassiness was supposed to indicate that they were acceptedĪs members of the white family, and acceptance of that sassiness implied that slaveryĪnd segregation were not overly oppressive. Jailed, or killed for arguing with whites, fictional Mammies were allowed to pretend-chastise During the Jim Crow period, when real blacks were often beaten, These women were allowed, at least symbolically, to defy Sapphire Stevensįrom the 1800s through the mid-1900s, black women were often portrayed in popularĬulture as 'Sassy Mammies' who ran their own homes with iron fists, including beratingīlack husbands and children. Norms that encourage them to be passive, servile, non-threatening, and unseen. The Sapphire Caricature isĪ harsh portrayal of African American women, but it is more than that it is a socialĬontrol mechanism that is employed to punish black women who violate the societal Unendingly bitter and wishes that unhappiness on others. To dominate and her hyper-sensitivity to injustices make her a perpetual complainer,īut she does not criticize to improve things rather, she criticizes because she is Targets, she has venom for anyone who insults or disrespects her. Although African American men are her primary She is a shrill nagger with irrational states of anger and indignation and Jabbing (or arms akimbo), violently and rhythmically rocking her head, mocking AfricanĪmerican men for offenses ranging from being unemployed to sexually pursuing white She is tart-tongued and emasculating, one hand on a hip and the other pointing and 1 This is the Angry Black Woman (ABW) popularized in the cinema and on television. The Sapphire Caricature portrays black women as rude, loud, malicious, stubborn, and

The Color of a Leader by Alicia Perry