Houston, TX, July 6, 2006 - The portrayal of black women in popular music andvideos is too often ... "It is dirty, inappro

Houston, TX, July 6, 2006 - The portrayal of black women in popular music andvideos is too often degrading and the black community must find away to change these images, singer Jill Scott says.

The 34 year-old singer spoke Monday before a panel that discussed the issue took the stage at the Essence Music Festival's empowerment seminars as part of the magazine's Take Back the Music campaign.

"This is about choosing what we will allow in our lives," she said. "We can force things. We can change things. Challenge the music industry with your purchasing power."

Scott used an eloquent speech, interlaced with song, to illustrate that black women are more than their sexuality and that music should represent that.

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