Representations of Black Womanhood on Television: Being Mara Brock Akil

(Hardback)

Available Formats

Publishing Details

Classifications

Physical Properties

Description

Being Mara Brock Akil: Representations of Black Womanhood on Television examines the body of work of Mara Brock Akil, the showrunner who produced Girlfriends, The Game, Being Mary Jane, and Love Is__. The contributions to this volume are theoretically anchored in Patricia Hill Collins Black Feminist Thought, with a focus on how Brock Akils shows intentionally address Black humanity and specifically provide context for Black womens lived experiences and empathy for Black womanhood by featuring woman-centered characters with flaws, strength, and complexity. Shauntae Brown White and Kandace L. Harris have compiled a volume that analyzes themes that define Black womanhood and examines audience reception of and social media interaction with Brock Akils work.

Reviews

Representations of Black Womanhood on Television: Being Mara Brock Akil is a powerful collaboration of Black female scholars shining light on a storyteller that has centered Black female voices for more than two decades. This text is both a picture and celebration of a Black woman who dared to dream. As such this volume marks its place in history and is guaranteed to be a resource for scholars and creatives interested in shining light on people in the shadows. -- Omotayo Banjo, University of Cincinnati
In Representations of Black Womanhood on Television: Being Mara Brock Akil, Shauntae Brown White and Kandace L. Harris present an exquisite collection of scholarship--both critical interrogations and audience analyses that not only examines Mara Bock Akils creative oeuvre, but also details how this media tour de force locates and makes accessible Black womens humanity. The strength of this carefully curated volume of edited work is that the authors consider both creation and depiction to provide readers with new insights into what authentic representational inclusion means. -- Robin R. Means Coleman, Texas A&M University

Author Bio

Kandace L. Harris is special assistant to the president and associate professor of mass communication and media studies at Shaw University. Shauntae Brown White is coordinator of the Women's and Gender Studies program and associate professor in the Department of Mass Communication at North Carolina Central University.