Research Guides: PSYC 246 Psychology of the Black Experience: Home

Introduction

Professor Saundra Collins
Course: PSYC 246 Psychology of the Black Experience

Assignment:

Locate 5 cosmetic advertisements marketing products that alter Black physical characteristics (hair straighteners, skin lighteners, lip thinners, nose thinners, hair lengtheners etc.) from the early 1900’s – 1950’s newspapers, magazines, etc.
Read the text of the advertisement. In your critical analysis of the text discuss how the suggestions might undermine the self-esteem of the product target (Blacks) and the perception of non-Blacks. What does the text suggest about the life experience of Blacks? What does the text suggest about the appearance of Blacks? Make sure you include a copy of the advertisement.
Provide a reference with each advertisement and a copy of the advertisement. Make sure you include the name, date, volume, year, and page number of the source of the advertisement.

Search Suggestions: African Americans, Black, skin, hair, shampoo, etc.

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Black Studies Center
Two historical Black newspapers, the Chicago Defender and the Daily Defender, can be found here.
Advertisements will show up listed as [display ad].

Crisis
The official publication of the NAACP.
Issues are online via the Google Books project.
Dates Availalble: (1910 - present)
Modernist Journals Project
The Crisis can also be found in this collection of magazines from the early 20th century.
Dates available: 1910 - 1922.
African-American Newspapers
Over 50 African-American newspapers that have been digitized and published online at the Library of Congress.
Race & Ethnicity in Advertising : America in the 20th Century
Ad*Access.
This is a collection of over 7,000 advertisements dating from 1911-1955.
Search suggestions: African Americans, skin, hair, shampoo, etc.,