37 notes

Such encouragement for girls to be more assertive was not the norm at the school,however. And most of these girls accepted,rather than openly resisted, efforts to modify their behavior. Clubs such as The Proper Ladies, as well as many teachers in daily classroom interactions, appeared intent on molding Black girls into more mainstream models of femininity—models that included more “proper”behavior such as bodily control and restriction, speaking in a quieter way,and being more receptive to authority and instruction. This focus revealed a perception that the femininity of Black girls was somehow flawed. I did observe Black girls to be assertive and outspoken in classrooms,but I did not observe this behavior to be consistently obnoxious or disruptive. Instead, it demonstrated that many African American girls simply showed an interest and excitement in learning, and were engaged in the class. Ironically, many educators at Matthews viewed as problematic the same set of behaviors that led Black girls to pursue their learning in a concerted and self-reliant way. In their genuine attempts to help these girls by teaching them proper ladylike manners, educators often unintentionally stifled the outspokenness and assertiveness that forged academic success for many African American girls at Matthews.