Sisters in the Shadows: an Examination of Prince’s “Strange Relationship” with Black Women

Abstract

Many have been obsessed with the women in Prince’s life since his purple reign began in the early 1980s. Following his shocking passing, special tribute publication and countless websites featured articles on the women in Prince’s life. However, mainstream media presentations of “Prince’s women” have focused heavily on White, Latina, and mixed-race women. Black women, who are an undeniable part of Prince’s legacy, have been almost nonexistent in these publications. The exclusion of these women from Prince discourse has served to perpetuate hegemonic notions of feminine beauty while also contributing to a persistent misconception that Prince practiced colorism. However, to accept this belief, one most ignore the numerous Black women of all hues with whom Prince associated. Therefore, this article seeks to add these women to ongoing Prince discourse. In doing so, it seeks to challenge assumptions regarding his relationship with Black women and to interrogate why these assumptions are so readily accepted. Finally, in dismantling the narrative of colorism that has dogged Prince’s life and work, this article intends to situate Prince’s support of Black women as an indisputable example of his love of not only Black women but of his own Blackness and the Black community.

Keywords:

• Prince
• colorism
• media
• race
• Black women