“Black women’s portrayal in pornography as caged, chained, and naked creatures who possess “panther-like,” savage, and exotic sexual qualities reinforces this theme of Black women’s “wildness” as symbolic of an unbridled female sexuality…where Whiteness as symbolic of both civilization and culture is used to separate objects from animals.”
The simile of panther has been employed for black females because they are taken as savage creatures who pounce like panther during intercourse. They have been portrayed as wild beings because they are considered as uncivilized creatures, who have no control on their erotic desires. Black females are depicted as being whose sole purpose is to have physical relationships and they have no other motive in their lives. The white men assault these women and they are both physically and sexuality exploited in their workplaces and in their everyday lives. Their only "sin" is their black color for which they are persecuted in American society.
“Despite important strides to desegregate U.S. society since 1970, racial segregation remains deeply entrenched in housing, schooling, and employment. For many African American women, racism is not something that exists in the distance. We encounter racism in everyday situations in workplaces, stores, schools, housing, and daily social interaction."
The author has narrated the experiences of various black women in different surroundings and circumstances regarding the racist attitudes that they faced. Collins says that although despite of making endless efforts to eradicate racism and prejudice against blacks in US, racism is still ingrained in the roots of America. There are not occasional incidents which narrate the oppression of blacks at the hands of whites, instead the book is replete with such incidents. Other Afro-American writers have also demonstrated the racism which they face on daily basis. Whether they go out for shopping or education, the label of a black person haunt them and humiliate them in their everyday lives.
“Racism didn't magically go away just because we refuse to talk about it. Rather, overt racial language is replaced by covert racial euphemisms that reference the same phenomena-talk of "niggers" and "ghettos" becomes replaced by phrases such as "urban," "welfare mothers," and "street crime." Everyone knows what these terms mean, and if they don't, they quickly figure it out.”
Despite of the claims that there is no racism in American society, black people suffer from prejudice in their social interactions in various forms. According to the author, racism does not vanish quickly without coping with it, it still exists there but the references have changed. Although the whites have stopped talking about racism but they depict racist attitudes by blaming blacks of all the street crimes and other criminal activities. The blacks are held responsible for crimes and are prejudiced by the whites in euphemistic terms. Whenever someone talks about street crimes or welfare mothers, people quickly grasp that he/she is alluding towards blacks.
