How do You See Me?

This chapter examines the specific stereotypes held by the public concerning elite Black women, as well as perceptions concerning Black female political candidates’ traits, ideologies, and electability, as differentiated in terms of skin tone. The data examined herein are based on the 2011 Social Cognition and Evaluation Survey and the 2012 Political Candidate Evaluations and Social Beliefs Survey. The results show that stereotypes are applied to elite Black women in ways that differ from how they are applied to other intersectional identity groups. Further, candidate skin tone directly influences how voters evaluate and support Black women in electoral scenarios.