Black Feminists on Television in the 1970s

Abstract:In the mid 1970s Black women, and Black feminists in particular, were increasingly visible on television, as they took positions as broadcast journalists and news anchors; starred in dramas and situation comedies, such as Good Times; and appeared as experts on an array of public affairs programs, including shows developed by Black Power leaders and feminists. This essay examines this rise and the constraints on it by analyzing Black feminists’ television activism and their appearances on three programs in the 1970s: two feminist public affairs programs that both aired on PBS stations, Woman (1973–1977) and Woman Alive! (1974, 1975, 1977); and For You Black Woman (1977–1985), a syndicated talk show which was not directly linked to any political movement but was pioneering because it was the first talk show and “public service” program addressed to Black women. Feminist programs—Woman and Woman Alive!—asserted a sisterhood based on gender oppression and encouraged Black women to join it, but they did not consistently address the intersection of race and gender. On the other hand, although For You Black Woman was a more conventional talk show for women, as it focused more on parenting, beauty, and fashion, not feminist or Black Power politics, the show tailored these topics to Black women, discussed race and gender in the distinctive experiences of Black women, and created space for Black women to be experts on a variety of topics. The least explicitly politically program of this triad, For You Black Woman provided a potent political space for Black feminism.