Are Black Women And Their Natural Hair Welcome On TV?
There have been a fair amount of medical dramas on television over the years, a trend that I doubt will soon end. Of course 'ER' ranks high up there, along with Shonda Rhimes' 'Grey's Anatomy'. Adding to that famous lineup is a new show, currently being taped, and set to premiere on November 17, is Chicago Med.
Chicago Med is a spin-off from the series Chicago Fire and stars our famous 'America's Next Top Model' runner-up, Yaya DaCosta. DaCosta, who is Ivy League educated and a trained dancer, has done quite a bit of acting after her appearance on ANTM, including both television shows and appearing on the big screen in 'Take the Lead', and 'The Butler'. (Watch a clip below of DaCosta having fun on set of her new show.)
[Related: Using Reality TV for Your 15 minutes of Fame]
In an article in Huffington Post, DaCosta discloses her take on the representation of black women on television. She concludes that the increase in it's representation is simply a reflection of what the world actually looks like nowadays, and not particularly an "arbitrary need to impose colour into television as a statement", as she puts it. She holds a similar conclusion as it concerns black women's natural afro hair being accepted on mainstream television, stating that as women in real life have become more comfortable with the coils growing out of their head, television is simply now reflecting reality.
As much as I want to believe this to be the case, I'm not sure I fully agree. Earlier this year Indie Wire reported the results of 'The Center for the Study of Women in Television and Film' 2014 report, which found that 74% of all female characters were White and 11% were Black. The numbers where even less for Latinas and Asians. Now I'm no expert, but I'm pretty sure the black female population in North America accounts for more than 11%, which leads me to conclude that reality isn't being reflected all too well.
I always try to look on the bright side though, and although the 11% of black female representation was down 3% from 2013, I'm sure the numbers for 2015 will be higher. That being the case, the impression that as a black female, your chances of getting cast in show or movie have increased, take advantage of it! Angela Bassett has actively sought out “non-race roles” where she is cast in parts not necessarily intended for a black actress. For instance she took the role in ‘The Score’ because when she read the script, “it was obvious [the] role hadn’t been written for an African-America actress. She was just a woman and a human being,” as noted in Karen Dillinger’s book “The Actress: Hollywood Acting and Female Star”.
One thing that Yaya DaCosta is happy about, other than the steady work and accompanying paycheque that comes with an occurring television role, is that she plays a character that's in scrubs all day, lol. No fuss as she puts it, no worrying about looking cute and "the distractions of hair and make-up and wardrobe. My scrubs are teal every day, keep it moving."
And those are the words I want to leave with you today, "keep it moving". Whether good or bad, whether you're getting the parts or not, keep it moving and go on to the next audition. Your next opportunity is out there, regardless of industry. If you believe God intended it for you, don't take no for an answer.
“It’s hard to beat a person who never gives up!”
Be blessed!