Shifting portraits of the American black woman

By Whitney Shefte and Grace Koerber, Published: February 15

Our homes, our work and our self-esteem all inform who we are as people. We interviewed six black women about these themes, which were identified in a nationwide survey conducted by The Washington Post and the Kaiser Family Foundation. Each woman posed for video portraits that represent each of these themes. The women describe what they see when they look in the mirror and explain what it means to them to be a black woman today. Read the article.

    Intro

  • Being a black woman
  • Profiles

    Hear from six women who tell us what being a black woman means to them

  • Towan Isom, CEO
  • Deborah Tyler, police officer
  • Stacey Ferguson, blogger
  • Sandra Allen, director
  • Dorothy Gray, minister
  • Jennifer Smith, student
Play this video Play this video

Skip intro

On Body:

Thoughts On Body
Play this video Play this video

On Work:

Thoughts On Body
Play this video Play this video

On Home:

Thoughts On Body
Play this video Play this video

SOURCE: Washington Post-Kaiser Family Foundation. Published February 15, 2012.

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  • Vote: Is it a good time to be a black woman in America?
  • Explore survey data
  • Photos: A portrait of black women