In honor of Black History Month, I would like to address an issue that is all too obvious (at least to me) but not often talked about: the lack of black women in mainstream media.
Of course, black women as well as black men have come a long way and have made tremendous strides since the civil rights movement, but there is still a lot more to be done especially concerning the media.
Sure, you see black women on TV, but how often are they seen in networks other than BET as hyper-sexualized video vixens or cast in stereotypical roles such as “the mammie,” overly religious individuals, jealous, conniving and catty women in reality shows (“Love and Hip Hop,” “Basketball Wives,” “The Real House Wives of Atlanta,” etc.)
Of course, the worst but all too common role: “the angry, bitter black woman.”
Now before people start hurling fireballs at me, let me say I have nothing against these shows, BET or hip-hop music or videos.
After all, if it weren’t for BET, I’m pretty sure blacks would not have even appeared on television.
I am very bothered by the limited roles black women appear in on television.
For example, in mainstream media, the lead character on popular TV shows is almost always white.
Have you ever seen a black woman star in “Sex and the City” or shows like “Smallville,” “Charmed” and “Supernatural?” 
Sure, a black woman may pop up occasionally from time to time.
But I can almost guarantee she will be cast as a side character and get very little face time or if by some (very) small chance she has a significant role in the episode, she won’t be back for a very long time or that role will be a one-time occurrence.
It’s the same problem within the film industry.
Other than Tyler Perry films, black women in few movies that are not sponsored by black networks or black major film studios, have very little acting options. 
I won’t even get started on how often black characters die or get killed in mainstream movies or television shows (cough, “The Walking Dead,” cough).
Furthermore, this issue isn’t limited to television or films.
The problem of the lack of black women appears in magazines and books, as well. Magazines like “Cosmopolitan,” “Glamour,” “Vanity” and “Vogue” feature very few black women on their covers and black people are hardly in books not written by black authors.
I’m not writing this article to be pessimistic or spark anger or negativity.
I simply want to bring this issue to light, and hopefully this article will get people talking and eventually take action to solve it.
Our country is well-known for its diversity. Unfortunately, our media hasn’t done a very good job of reflecting that diversity.
The media and our society in general needs to start recognizing black women as diverse individuals instead of lumping us all into one (or two) categories.
America is the land of opportunity, freedom and equality. But we can only achieve  true equality when everyone’s voice is heard and everyone is seen and represented.
Okay, the angry black woman has finished ranting for now.