Teen Essays: What its like to be a girl

http://www.pioneerlocal.com/1066933,ev-teenessays-072408-s1.article

Mental Health Association hails essayists
July 24, 2008

As part of its ongoing efforts to educate area residents about mental health and social-emotional wellness, the Evanston-based Mental Health Association of the North Shore sponsors an essay contest for young adults.

Students in the ninth through 12th grades were invited this year to write about: "What It's Like, or Must Be Like, to Grow Up as a Female in the 21st Century."

The contest is supported by a grant from the Naomi Ruth Cohen Foundation.
First prize of $750 went to Sarah Wagener of Lake Forest High School.

Second prizes of $500 each went to two Evanston Township High School seniors Andrew Hopple and Tamar Westphal.

Third prizes of $250 each went to ETHS seniors Nathan Cohen and Brigitte Viard. Honorable mention awards of $50 each went to six ETHS students: sophomore Christina Andre and seniors Samantha Blyth, Sean Bostrom, Jarelle Bradley, Lisa Co and Phebe Ha.

Following are three essays (I've only included the 2nd essay here) of students who consented to have their work published:

Harder to hold on to dignity

By BRIGITTE VIARD

Over the past century the media has been able to shape the view of women, particularly the African-American woman.

The 20th century was a time of racial hardship in America, portraying black women in the media as the most inferior of all American citizens, falling last to white men and women, and black men. Now in the 21st century the media has taken the demeaning values that it has always portrayed in the black woman to new lengths.

Black women are portrayed as sex symbols, both easy and unintelligent in the media that we encounter today.

The 21st century has sparked a new level of disrespect for the African-American woman. From music videos to reality shows, women of color are constantly depicted in roles as the video girl, salaciously dancing, or are exploited by description or insight into their body types.

Being portrayed as the latest sex symbol is only the beginning of an appalling amount of stereotypes held true to the black woman because of the media. With this exploitation of the black woman as a sex symbol comes the stereotype of black women to be easy and consequently unintelligent.

The media is an underlying source to many of the prejudices and stereotypes that we hold true today. Growing up as a woman of color, this demoralizing attitude that many people hold black women accountable for has transcended to essentially affect the individual.

With how the media portrays black women, the single-mindedness of many American citizens, it puts every woman of color at a disadvantage in being portrayed by such means.

Growing up as a black female in this society has been quite an experience. Not that I would know any different, certain things people might say or do, I know were said and done simply because of how the media has so manipulated the black woman.

Whether it is a slight change in the tone of someone's voice or the "dumbed" down conversation that others attempt to have with you, the references to my body type, or the assumption that I am lazy and stupid, I constantly feel as though I need to disprove these small things with my boldness of character.

I attribute the stereotype of the black woman in the 21st century to the media. Society has already held and continues to hold many prejudices against African-Americans, and growing up as an African-American it holds true that I must prove myself twice as much as others. Along with that, I must prove myself as a respectable African-American woman.

Growing up in the 21st century is a challenging experience. It employs determination and perseverance to get anywhere, and to defeat all the prejudices and stereotype held against me. These tools help to separate those who do not fall subject to these stereotypes, from those who happen to.

Being a woman seems to be the hardest in the 21st century, having to withstand our own morals to even be considered a decent woman. Society and the media have certainly made it a difficult time for women, especially African-American women, to attain dignity and respect.

*****

I was really impressed with this essay. I don't remember having this level of awareness when I was a high school senior. The only things that concerned me were college admission, boys, after-school clubs and activities and hanging out with my friends. I know today's high schoolers have a myriad of concerns and pressures that we weren't faced with growing up. So its refreshing to see that there are young women out there who aren't accepting the stereotypical fodder as truth.

Not to toot my own horn here, but the awareness and analysis behind this essay is what Black Girl Tees is all about. If I never made a dime from this project, I would still walk away happy and excited that our girls and women implicitly know their worth, their beauty, and don't fall for popular culture's propaganda about us. We are so much more than video vixens and angry black women, as the media would have us to believe. But if we don't believe that for ourselves, then we are doomed to become the stereotype that we are labeled as.

Let's not sit idly by while that happens. Let's applaud Brigitte Viard and girls like her; and let's help other girls, and our beautiful sistahs, to know that their individual and collective worth is valued among rubies.