Powerful Colored Women

"In my life, I have found myself as a colored, a negro, a Black, an African American, and a person of color. This is my reflection as a colored girl."

Media typecasting of black women has ranged from unwed teenage mother to temptress. Dr. Martha Bireda shares how the women in her life shaped her belief system counter to the stereotypes.

“Reflections of a Colored Girl” is a series of essays from Martha R. Bireda, Ph.D. Dr. Bireda is a writer and living history performer with over 30 years' experience as a lecturer, consultant and trainer for issues related to race, class, and gender, working with educators, law enforcement, and business, and civic leaders. She also is director of the Blanchard House Museum of African American History and Culture of Charlotte County, in Punta Gorda, Florida.