For many of us, cinema is an awakening. It is revelatory in that it can showcase what is possible. The moving image acts as a mirror, showing us who we are and giving us glimpses of who we could be. But what happens when you can’t see yourself?
In a 2019 study, the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media examined the representation of Black women in Hollywood. The organization determined that while Black girls and women are 6.5 percent of the U.S. population, only 3.7 percent of leads/co-leads in the 100 top-grossing films of the last decade fit that demographic. In short, for Black girls and teens, seeing themselves on screen is still a rarity.
As young women and girls have fought for representation in the cinema landscape for decades, Hollywood has offered up stories of pretty, posh girls like Alicia Silverstone’s Cher in “Clueless” or fierce warriors like Jennifer Lawrence’s Katniss Everdeen in “The Hunger Games” franchise. Like many others, Black teen girls have felt a kinship with these figures, or have seen themselves in Cher’s best friend Dionne (Stacey Dash) or the brave young tribute Rue (Amandla Stenberg) whom Katniss befriends.
Girlhood and teenhood are some of the most exciting and dynamic times in a girl’s life. In some ways, these periods define not just who we will become, but also how we will see ourselves in the future. From films like “My Girl” to “Thirteen,” “The Edge of Seventeen” to “Eighth Grade,” Hollywood has begun to understand the impact and importance of this type of representation.
And yet, as important as these films are, they’ve left Black girls in the background. Black girlhood is still overlooked and barely represented. When we do see Black girls on screen, those given opportunities are often extremely fair skin or mixed race. If not, Black girl stories are solely centered around adultification — forcing children into adult-like roles — and harsh themes.
However, with more Black women sitting in the director’s chair or penning their stories, the Black girlhood cinema canon is becoming more robust and complex. Race is no longer thrust forward as the central factor in the lives of these young women and girls. Some of these films address the nuances of adultification, others are stunning coming-of-age films, and some examine sexual awakenings across all orientations. Most importantly, many subvert the norms, and all deserve to be seen.
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