Aunt Jemima, Uncle Ben, and Rastus : Blacks in Advertising, Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow

by Kern-Foxworth, Marilyn

• ISBN13: 9780275951849
• ISBN10: 0275951847
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 1994-11-30
• Publisher: VHPS
• More Book Details
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Summary

"This book provides a mirror to our past--a past that has been ignored or overshadowed for too long." From the foreword by Alex Haley Kern-Foxworth chronicles the stereotypical portrayals of Blacks in advertising from the turn of the century to the present. Beginning with slave advertisements, she discusses how slavery led naturally to the stereotypes found in early advertisements. From the end of the slave era to the culmination of the Civil Rights movement, advertising portrayed Blacks as Aunt Jemimas, Uncle Bens, and Rastuses, and the author explores the psychological impact of these portrayals. With the advent of the Civil Rights movement, organizations such as CORE and NAACP voiced their opposition and became active in the elimination of such advertising. In the final chapters, the volume examines the reactions of consumers to integrated advertising and the current role of Blacks in advertising. Its truly novel subject matter and its inclusion of vintage and contemporary advertisements featuring Blacks make this a valuable work.

Author Biography

MARILYN KERN-FOXWORTH is Associate Professor in the Department of Journalism at Texas A&M University.

Table of Contents

Dedication

Foreword by Alex Haley

Preface

Introduction

Slave Advertisements: A Mirror to the "Peculiar Institution"

Memories of the Way We Were: Blacks in Early Advertising

Myths, Lies, and Stereotypes: Black Advertising Symbols, Characters, and Models

Aunt Jemima: The Most Battered Woman in America Rises to the Top

Invisible Consumers: Gaining Equal Representation for Blacks in Advertising

Separate But Definitely Not Equal: Frequency of Blacks in Advertising

Blacks in Advertising: Critics Give Two Thumbs Up

Epilogue: Colorizing Advertising: A 21st Century Challenge

Appendix: African-American Museums and Resource Centers

Selected Bibliography

Index