While overcriminalization is not listed in any dictionary, here is the definition I will use (based on the meanings of the words overdo and criminalize). Overcriminalization: exaggerated actions to treat someone as a criminal. 

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Sex Work is the practice or occupation of engaging in sexual acts, appearing in pornography, or taking part in similar activities for payment. Art is defined as the expression or application of human creative skill and imagination, producing works to be appreciated primarily for their beauty or emotional power. By examining art from the perspective of and about different communities, you can gain insight into the people, beliefs, and practices of their respective cultures. 

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An analysis of the television show P-Valley supports that black women in sex work are excessively treated as criminals and end up in increasingly criminal situations that can arise from several circumstances, including duress and exploitation. This show uses storytelling to convey the ideas and the beliefs about and from the perspective of black women in sex work, specifically within poor communities of the Mississippi Delta. P-Valley also did an amazing job at humanizing these characters and providing space for us to question how we treat black women in sex work and black women with sexualized images. This essay is to support a larger conversation I’m interested in by studying black art and culture, especially within the last 25 years, to gain a clear understanding of the beliefs about black women in sex work in America during what is generally assumed to be the most equitable time in American History for race and sexuality.

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Welcome to P-U-S-S-Y V-A-L-L-E-Y

P-Valley is set in a fictional strip club called The Pynk, located in a town called Chucalissa, Mississippi, described as the poorest city within the poorest state in America. The Pynk is the only recreational venue mentioned in the series, and it is beloved as a space to escape one's darkest troubles and be immersed in one's deepest fantasies. One of the main characters I will discuss is Mercedes, the most experienced dancer and headliner, who is struggling with aging out of the industry and wants to secure a better future for herself and her daughter, Terricka. The other is Keyshawn, who goes by the stage name Miss Mississippi. She is described as the pretty, uppity one and the up-and-coming headliner.. She is struggling with her own insecurities when Mercedes announces her departure from The Pynk and takes bold actions to create a name for herself and secure her future beyond The Pynk. Lastly, the duo Roulette and Whisper are newcomers in season two and find themselves in a greater criminal situation than they anticipated due to a deal gone bad.

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The series has been praised for its honest stories and for evoking strong emotional reactions to the characters. Some of its victories include winning Outstanding Drama Series at the NAACP Image Awards. In 2023, the show dominated the TV categories at the African American Film Critics Association (AAFCA) awards for Best TV Drama, Best Ensemble, and Best TV Acting (Male), shared by J. Alphonse Nicholson and Nicco Annan. The show humanized these characters, fostering empathy for the people society typically dismisses as criminals, by depicting this reality.

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Mercedes

Season 1, Episode 2 "Scars"

The headlining stripper at The Pynk, Mercedes, also coaches a dance troupe called the Chucalissa Challengers. Through this work, she instills discipline and teamwork in the young girls, including her daughter Terricka. In one episode, she finds out her daughter and the other dancers published a video of themselves on social media, twerking and dancing erotically. Mercedes was upset because she didn’t want the young girls to be judged or become victims of sexual violence. She reprimands Terricka and the other dancers for their behavior. Her daughter throws her experience as a stripper back in her face. Mercedes insists that she is doing this to protect Terricaka so she wouldn't have to be in the same line of work. Mercedes’ goal in season one was to accumulate enough money from dancing at The Pynk to transition into coaching full-time by opening her own dance gym. Tragically, this ambitious plan collapsed when her mother, Patrice Woodbine, appropriated the funds to start her own church. (Peirce)

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Keyshawn

Season 2, Episode 5 “White Knights”

Keyshawn teamed up with rapper Lil’ Murder to stage a PR relationship that stemmed from a performance at The Pynk, where Miss Mississippi acted as his muse and dancer. The duo became a hit on social media, which led to business opportunities, mainly for Keyshawn, who garnered a large female following. Keyshawn ventured into a management deal with a new character named Rome. Her, Rome, Lil Murder, his manager Woddy, and friends embarked on a twelve-city tour, where they both performed. While Keyshawn was getting changed in her manager Rome’s Hotel suite, he attempted to rape her. She demanded he stop his advances multiple times and even struck him to get him to stop. She explains to him the power dynamics of her performance, but he still thinks he is in control and entitled to sexual acts from her whenever he desires, even though they are business partners. While rape is criminal regardless of circumstances, he expressed that he had no motive to stop his advances because, in his words, she was a ho, insinuating she deserved to be raped. Keyshawn eventually escaped from his assault. 

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When Keyshawn explains what has happened to Woddy (their friend and Lil Murder’s manager), she says “he tried to fuck me” instead of calling it what it was, sexual assault. Society is indoctrinated to believe that performing any act of sex work means that consent is not needed for sexual activity, while many sex workers are indoctrinated to believe that consent is not needed in their line of work. Each sexual act requires a new negotiation, which requires consent. Consent is the clear, voluntary, and enthusiastic agreement to engage in a specific activity, particularly sexual activity, that can be withdrawn at any time. It must be freely given without any pressure, coercion, or intimidation, and cannot be assumed from silence, past behavior, or a relationship status. Without consent, there is no deal and no further sexual activity.

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As the series explores Keyshawn's backstory, the audience is made aware that Derrick (her husband) has been physically abusing Keyshawn for years. After a doctor's visit, Keyshawn learns that her son has a dislocated shoulder and assumes that this was not because of an accident but physical abuse at the hands of Derrick. Keyshawn accuses Derrick of dislocating their three-year-old son’s shoulder, and he says he was simply disciplining him. Keyshawn accuses him of child abuse, acknowledging that Derrick's father abused him as a child as well. In this confrontation, Derrick strikes Keyshawn in the face and drags her across their floor and holds a hot iron near her face, threatening to burn her while strangling her. He then asserts I will discipline him however I want to. This confirms that he was her abuser and now their child’s abuser as well. (Romanowsky)

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Many domestic violence victims avoid seeking help out of fear of retaliation. Keyshawn’s income as a stripper and entertainer has been providing for their family throughout the pandemic. She is now a rising star and faces pressure to make a name for herself and secure her family's future. With Derrick's escalating abuse, she faces the difficult decision of leaving her boys at home with Derrick so she can tour or leaving him. Keyshwan eventually decides to run away with her children.

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Season 2 Episode 10 “Mississippi Rule”

On the day that Keyshawn planned to run away with her kids, Child Protective Services started an investigation into her because of her son’s dislocated shoulder. She gets angry and attacks Derrick, demanding him “tell the fucking truth, you son of a bitch”. Even though Derrick abused Keyshawn multiple times, which is criminal, who did the police and Child Protective Services believe, the white, blue-collar worker, or the black stripper? They believe Derrick, and Keyshawn were arrested. (Hall)

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Roulette and Whisper

Season 2 Episode 8 “The Death Drop”

Roulette and Whisper engaged in a sex work deal where the customer performed oral sex on Whisper for an agreed-upon amount of money. The customer, Terrance, did not want to pay the agreed-upon amount after the sexual act was completed because he felt she didn't make the right sounds. After being confronted verbally by Whisper, he physically assaulted her. Roulette entered the room and pulled a gun on him. She then performed an act of sexual humiliation and left, stealing his belongings to punish him for not paying the fare and assaulting Whisper. Like many other states, in Mississippi, it is a crime to engage in prostitution (having sex for money), solicitation (paying for sex), or pimping (procuring a prostitute). However, non-payment and assault have criminal ramifications as well. If the consensual agreement wasn't criminal, Whisper and Roulette could have taken other actions to resolve the financial dispute that resulted from the customer’s non-payment and act of assault. Since the act of prostitution is criminal, they were forced to take more criminal actions to punish him for the non-payment and the assault, as well as intimidate him enough to prevent further retaliation. (Shelton)

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Ta-Ta for Now

In conclusion, the television show P-Valley supports that black women in sex work are excessively treated as criminals and end up in increasingly criminal situations that can arise from several circumstances, including duress and exploitation. 

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Works Cited

Hall, Katori, director. “Mississippi Rule.” Written by Katori Hall. P-Valley, season 2, episode 10, Chernin Entertainment, 14 August 2022.

Peirce, Kimberly, director. “Scars.” Written by Katori Hall. P-Valley, season 1, episode 2, Chernin Entertainment, 20 July 2020.

Romanowsky, Pamela, director. “White Knights.” Written by Katori Hall. P-Valley, season 2, episode 5, Chernin Entertainment, 3 July 2022.

Shelton, Millicent, director. “The Death Drop.” P-Valley, season 2, episode 8, Chernin Entertainment, 31 July 2022.

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