"As-Salaam-Alaikum," "Peace Be Unto You"
A Day in the Life of ejnosillA:
YES Queens... It's Finally Over!
Yes... Yes... Yessssssssssssssssss!!! It's FINALLY Over!!! I have completed my Master's Degree in Communication Studies!!! YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS!!!
I am truly blessed to have ALLAH guiding my life and blessing me!
Here is my dedication and acknowledgments. I appreciate all! If you would like to read it... as soon as it is approved... ProQuest will release it and thanks for all of the love and support.
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| MA in Communication Studies |
THE BLACK FEMINIST
THOUGHT REDEFINING HERSTORY:
“THIS IS NOT MY REALITY!”
Abstract:
This qualitative research study explored
the collective lived experiences of why Black female audience members watched
predominantly all-Black female reality shows and discussed how they interpreted
the behaviors exhibited by the Black female personalities. Black Feminist
Thought served as the theoretical paradigm for this project and guided the
responses to the three research questions that steered this study. This
analysis revealed that the media’s stereotypical generalities have influenced societal
norms, ideologies and created a prejudiced media culture that have used the
Black woman’s race, gender and social class to stereotypically characterized
aspects of Black womanhood and exploited their oppressive state. In-depth
interviews with six Black female viewers of Black female reality based shows
that feature a predominantly all-Black female cast were conducted.
Phenomenological research was implemented to collect, analyze and categorize
the data into three emergent themes and nine subthemes. The study’s findings
revealed the following: (a). Black female participants watched Black female
reality television to fulfill entertainment purposes; (b). for the dramatic
elements; and (c). and for the relatable characters and content. Further
analysis of their collective lived experiences revealed the awareness of
controlling images and stereotypical behaviors perpetuated and reinforced on
Black female reality television. Additionally, their combined statements
suggest that positive images of successful Black women on Black female reality
television could serve as a counteractive measure to redefine Black womanhood.
Key
words: Black Feminist Thought; Black womanhood;
controlling images; media stereotypes; stereotypical depictions; intersectionality,
Black female reality television; sistahood
Dedication
I dedicate this thesis to myself.
I am the first and the last
I am the honored one and the scorned one I am the whore and the holy one
I am the wife and the virgin
I am the barren one and many are my daughters I am the silence you cannot understand
I am the utterance of my name I am the Black woman.
(taken from Julie Dash's (1991), Daughters of the Dust)
Acknowledgments
بِسْمِ اللَّهِ الرَّحْمَنِ الرَّحِيم.
In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.
To
Cynthia Gaye Ritchie Allison… My Phenomenal Black Queen:
You
have always encouraged me to be proud, educated and successful. You taught me
that my Black was Beautiful and to always remember and never let go of that.
Mommy although you are no longer with me, you will always be my everything! I
LOVE and MISS YOU SO MUCH!
To
Bilal Nosilla… My First Love in its Purest Form:
Thanks
Daddy for always being my number one supporter and always being there for me
throughout all my growing pains! You will forever and always be my first love!
I thank you for always being that strong, intelligent Black male presence in my
life as well as my children’s lives. You mean the world to me and my words
cannot express how much I LOVE YOU, Dad-da!
To
My FAB Five:
DeLores,
DéVon, Darius, Emya and Emia… Mommy LOVES YOU DEARLY!
Thanks
for always being the inspiration I needed to continue my pursuit of happiness
and picking up the slack while mommy was pursuing and achieving my various
goals while being understanding. Although we have been through many ups and
downs, you each have made my life more significant. You five are truly the
loves of my life and I am so proud of you all!
To
My Siblings:
Phillip,
Jennifer, James and Rasheed… you four have been truly with me through my good
and bad times. I thank ALLAH for blessing me with such wonderful siblings who
know me best. Regardless of the circumstances, you four have always been there
with me and I wholeheartedly thank you and love you dearly!
To
the Sophisticated Sistahs in My VIP “Sistah Circle:”
Richetta
“Chi-Chi” Henry, Theresa “Tree-Tree/Suge Avery” Davis, Lorsie, Flu, Belle,
Ressa, Mallory, Tyresa, LaRhonda, Sandy Girl, Shonna, Kendall Brooks-Coleman, Maquanya,
and Devers… You Queens mean the world to me. I wholeheartedly thank you for
always being there for me no matter my headspace or the situation at the time.
We have an unbreakable “sistahly bond!” We have always respected and treated
each other as true sistahs… even though we are not blood related sistahs. You
truly have made my dark times brighter and happier! I thank ALLAH for blessing
me with your sistahships. I LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH!
To
ALL My Family and Friends:
Thanks
so much for all the love you have given me and all the support throughout these
years of my life! Thanks for all the support you have given me while I pursued
my academic, personal and/or professional goals as well as supporting me with
my creative expression project… my website:
RedefiningHERstory: One Blog Post at a Time.
ALLAH
has truly blessed me, and I LOVE YOU ALL!
To
My Committee Members:
Dr.
Robinson, Dr. Cruz, Dr. Bingham and Professor Jones… each of you are phenomenal
professors and women who have played a key role in my academic journey, which
has allowed me to achieve my goals. Thank you for assisting me in achieving a
positive outcome that not only reflects my scholarly skillset but one that also
has the capability to cultivate more research being conducted on Black women in
Communication Studies; thus, giving us a voice in academia.
To
My Beloved Mentor:
Mrs.
Phyllis Brown… You truly have been such a gracious mentor, supervisor and
friend. Without you, I may not have ever found my way to ALLAH and thanks for all
the spiritual guidance! I thank you and Mr. Beauford for always opening your
home to my FAB Five and me all the time.
Thanks for the all the countless talks that were riddle with humor and sprinkled
with priceless wisdom. Thanks for being a part of my life! LOVE YOU BOTH
DEARLY!
To
My Metropolitan Community College (MCC) Family:
Tammy
Woslager, Sheila O’Connor, Wilma Hjellum, Dr. Mary Umberger, Ms. Kathy J.
Trotter, Deb LaHoda, Deb Holst, Helen Fountain, Char West, Marian Kraft, Roberta
Neal, Ty Wagner, Melissa Hadden, Dr. Cynthia Gooch-Grayson, Pamela Leonard, and Mrs. Georgia Culliver… You
beautiful ladies were all with me when I started my academic journey cheering
and mentoring me all the way. When I wanted to give up, each one in your own
way inspired me to keep going, enduring and shining. I thank you for your love
and support throughout this stressful, academically challenging, but rewarding
journey. You all are truly a blessing and I cannot thank ALLAH or you enough
for all the love, wisdom and support!
Special
Thanks:
Ms.
Smith, Ms. Washington, Rosemary Carney and my Aunt Cheryl Wynn… You ladies are such a blessing
in my life and I thank you for your infinite wisdom! I Love You Dearly!!!
Dr.
Colette Polite… thanks for taking out the time to edit my masterpiece and being
such a dear friend/mentor to DeLores. You are truly appreciated!
Dr.
Lesa… Thank you for your assistance with my comps… without you… I wouldn’t be
here!
Final
Acknowledgments:
To
All Others I May Have Forgotten… I would like to wholeheartedly and personally
thank the ones that I may have forgotten to thank and all who have always been
there in my corner while I was striving to achieve my many pursuits of
RedefiningMYstory throughout the year. Thanks for always keeping it real with
your much-needed insights.
This
Master’s Degree is not just mines, it is all of ours!
Introductory Poem
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Richetta L. Henry, 2017
Click to Enlarge |
Due to popular demands of my family, friends and my readers... I have decided to walk across the stage in December 2017. I will be having a 90s theme graduation party to celebrate the occasion... just doing this because the music of today is too much for me... hecks... I don't understand it... to violent! I'm a lover by nature and I love the 90s hip hop and R&B jams... like Jodeci, Boyz to Men... Beyonce... when she was with those children of hers and so on...
Now... die hard Beyonce fans... I think they are called the Beehives... please don't come around here starting any mess... I would hate to pull out my Bee-Be-Gone spray and fly swatter... Just Saying!
Anyways...
Thank you all for your love and support throughout my many journeys and I love you all! If a low income single mom of five can reach for the stars and fulfill her dreams... so can you... Just Saying!
****NOTE****
I have been receiving your emails and I will begin answering your relationship questions or concerns as well as everything else... ASAP. I appreciate your patience and I haven't forgot about my Queens!
If you too have comments, questions, concerns or topic requests, please feel free to leave it in the comment section below or email me at ejnosilla@redefiningherstory.blog.
Stay Blessed Queens!
~ejnosillA
May Allah guide you and give you the strength and confidence to step unto YOUR Path of Greatness!!!
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