When explorers of the 16th and 17th centuries returned to Europe after their travels in Africa, they constructed and disseminated degrading stereotypes about African women based on observations they had made abroad. By basing their perceptions of women on European women's bodies, these explorers noticed and commented on the differences between African women's bodies in many aspects – these disparities then became justifications for the differential treatment between these two groups of women. Because these African American women did not conform to the basic standards of femininity to which the explorers were accustomed, they were quick to categorize them as strange, animalistic, and hypersexual; their body shapes, clothing, and skin color drew attention to their otherness in the corporeal and social realm. Skin Deep, Spirit Strong offers a compilation of essays that document the observations made, the generalizations that were produced, and the treatment that resulted from these interactions. The negative generalizations that these early European explorers made about African American women have had and continue to have a significant effect on how black women are perceived physically and sexually, not only in the private sphere but also publicly. dating, black women and black womanhood have always been hidden behind a veil. This veil is a metaphor evoking the invisibility of African-American women. As Barbara Smith critiques, “at a time when women's studies was about white women, black studies was about black men.” (quoted in Wallace-Sanders et.al, 1) There was no room for discussion about black women; they were pushed into the cracks of darkness. At a time when the female nude was a trendy pastime and...... middle of paper... and attractive. This creates a double consciousness that is difficult to reconcile. Carla Williams argues that "given the legacy of created images of black women...it is a particularly complex task for contemporary black women to define their own image, a task that necessarily both incorporates and subverts stereotypes, myths , the facts and the fantasies that preceded them. . (Wallace-Sanders et.al, 196) The root of the problem lies in our society. Although very culpable, it is not only mainstream music and advertisements that promote the objectification of women; the key is to resolve the internal tensions between these two groups. It is necessary to promote female solidarity, regardless of the color of their skin. We must rid society of the scourge of racism – only then will the views surrounding African Americans parallel and be as positive as those surrounding white women..