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Black women are more visible in the media today than at any other time in history. Celebrities like Oprah Winfrey and Tyra Banks project positive images for young black females, showing that hard word and a positive self image can lead to successful careers. Opportunities in different areas of media now allow black women to be seen in everything from magazine advertising and television commercials, to music and Internet videos.

But stereotypes of young black females have not improved overall. For every Michelle Obama or Condoleeza Rice, there are 50 young sisters "backing that thang up" for young brothers in videos. Negative images dominate how black teenagers are seen by the general public, and even contribute to how many of them see themselves. The media promotes trends which many young women embrace today, but find difficult to shed in the future.

How the Media Portrays Black Women

The media is the most dominate means of how the rest of the world views a culture of people. Depending on how they are presented, other people develop ideas about who they are as a whole. Most cultures have been stereotyped in the media at one point or another, but none have had to fight stereotyping as long and aggressively as black women.

The increased visibility of black women in the media does not accurately portray their diversity. Black women attend college, serve in the military, contribute to the work force, and become entrepreneurs. But the media continues to portray young black females are party happy hoochie mamas more interested in hanging out with rap stars than in taking care of their babies.

Television programming helps contribute to this perception. Programs like "VH1's Top 20 Countdown" and BET's "106 & Park" play videos in heavy rotation, giving the world distorted views of black women. Music videos featuring booty shaking black females in thong bikinis give the impression that young black women are all sexual, with no substance, when nothing could be farther from the truth.

Unfortunately, many young blacks adopt what they see in the media as a lifestyle. Degrading acts portrayed in film and on television transfer into "keeping it real" on the streets. Even children copy the actions, dress, dance moves, and language of their favorite hip hop stars. Before long, a blur develops between what is real, and what is entertainment.

Karrine Steffans, author of "Confessions of a Video Vixen", appeared in dozens of music videos and writes about that life in her book. She

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