Black American princess
Black American princess (BAP) is a (sometimes) pejorative term for African-American women of upper and upper middle class background, who possess (or are perceived to possess) a spoiled or materialistic demeanor.
Description
While carrying valley girls overtones of the overly materialistic and style-conscious egotist,[1] the term has also been reclaimed as a matter of racial pride to cover an indulged, but not necessarily spoiled or shallow, daughter of the emerging Buppies or black urban middle class.[2] At best, such figures carry with them through life a sense of civic pride, and of responsibility for giving back to their community.[3]
Culture
Stereotypically, younger BAPs are often members of Jack and Jill, a social and civic organization for upper-middle-class African American youth. BAPs usually then go on to attend a "black Ivy" institution such as Spelman College, Hampton University, or Howard University where many of them join either Alpha Kappa Alpha or Delta Sigma Theta sorority.[4]
BAPs often later become members of The Girl Friends, Inc. or The Links, Incorporated,[3] and pass in black enclaves of Sag Harbor, New York or Oak Bluffs, Massachusetts. Many BAPs have friends in a variety of organizations, include Sigma Pi Phi fraternity and the National Association of Guardsmen, Inc.
Cultural depictions
The BAP Handbook: The Official Guide to the Black American Princess (ISBN 978-0767905503) written by Kalyn Johnson, Tracey Lewis, Karla Lightfoot, and Ginger Wilson offers a behind-the-scenes look at BAP speech, style, and history. According to the guide, a black American princess is a pampered female of African-American descent born to upper-middle- or upper-class families. Her life experiences give her a "sense of entitlement", and she is accustomed to the best and nothing less.
The 1997 comedy B*A*P*S depicts a pair of women (Halle Berry and Natalie Desselle) who become "BAPs" living off a millionaire's money.
The character of Hillary Banks (played by Karyn Parsons) from The Fresh Prince of Bel Air is a stereotypical "BAP".[5]
In other cultures
- Jewish-American princess
- Princess sickness, China and South Korea
- White Anglo-Saxon Protestant
References
- ^ R. R. M. Coleman, African-American Viewers and the Black Situation Comedy 91998) p. 141
- ^ J. C. Smith, Encyclopedia of African American Popular Culture (2010) p. 92
- ^ a b J. C. Smith, Encyclopedia of African American Popular Culture (2010) p. 93
- ^ https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-2001-08-01-0108010014-story.html
- ^ "How'd Karyn Parsons Get Her Gig On 'Fresh Prince'? Brattiness". NPR.org. Retrieved May 20, 2020.
Further reading
- L. B. Thompson, Beyond the Black Lady (2009)
External links
- "BAP Like Me" by Adrienne Crew, Salon.com
- "Would the Real African-American Princess Please Stand Up" by Derek Powell; review of a play on this topic
- Calling all Black American princesses