Aunt Jemima, Uncle Ben, and Rastus: Blacks in Advertising, Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow (Contributions in Afro-American & African Studies) [Paperback]

Marilyn Kern-Foxworth (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0275951847 | ISBN-13: 978-0275951849 | Publication Date: November 30, 1994

"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.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Journalism professor Kern-Foxworth looks at representations of African Americans in advertising from the 19th century to the present.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal

The portrayal of African Americans by the advertising industry has been at best stereotypic and two-dimensional and at worst demeaning or nonexistent. Kern-Foxworth (journalism, Texas A&M Univ.) chronicles African Americans' first appearances in advertisements in the United States (classified ads for the return of runaway slaves) to the modern celebrity endorsement spots of Michael Jordan and Bill Cosby. Most of her well-researched and -written book focuses on the early days of packaged goods when many of the stereotypically Jim Crow characters have their origins. The author does an excellent job of exploring the nuances of racial stereotyping. The only weaknesses are the occasional digressive cul-de-sac and the use of dated social science research to support the contemporary analysis. Recommended for history, black studies, and media studies collections.
Edward Buller, "Natural History," New York
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Praeger Paperback (November 30, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0275951847
• ISBN-13: 978-0275951849
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 5.9 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #625,546 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Badly needed commentary, August 10, 2002

By 

Robin Orlowski "political activist" (United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Aunt Jemima, Uncle Ben, and Rastus: Blacks in Advertising, Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow (Contributions in Afro-American & African Studies) (Paperback)

After the civil war, (segregation notwithstanding) African Americans were technically free people, yet were featured in service products essentially recreating slavery. African Americans were only allowed a public acceptance if they conformed to stereotypical images produced by the larger (predominantely white) society.

Kern-Foxworth's tome provides an eloquent examination of this double bind through brand origins to their modern day counterparts. Early depictions of Aunt Jemima reveal a gross caricturization of Black women's physical features and alleged mannerisms that can never be mistaken for flattery, yet this image was welcomed into many facilities where a living African American irrespective of title would never had been welcome.

Critics of this meticulously researched, spell-binding work could argue the presence of African Americans featured on foodstuffs could be a paean to black visibility via capitalism (where purchasing popularity becomes linked to empowerment/) but the argument would conveniently neglect the undeniably problematic implications of linking African American service and purchase.

Not even a transformation from turbaned servant to the vague "modern woman" has completely resolved very serious cultural contradictions and dilemmas surrounding Aunt Jemima. Is she a tool of the dominant society, a covert agent for revolutionary change or somewhere in between? Through art deconstructing and explore cultural politics, she is positioned as an uneasy reminder of America's less than admirable history of discrimination and bigotry.

Reading this book is tough, but critical for everybody interested in political change and pop culture. Advertising imagery is not inanimate, instead both reflecting and shaping the nation. Encouraging critically thought about the political undertones of pop culture, the author by extension makes profound contributions to civil rights public policy.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great condition and Fast Delivery!, April 3, 2010

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Karen J. Summerson "Mada" (Waterloo, IA USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Aunt Jemima, Uncle Ben, and Rastus: Blacks in Advertising, Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow (Contributions in Afro-American & African Studies) (Paperback)

It was delivered in good time and arrived in great condition. I'm very pleased.

5.0 out of 5 stars thread in the rug, March 3, 2010

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Ronn Royster - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Aunt Jemima, Uncle Ben, and Rastus: Blacks in Advertising, Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow (Contributions in Afro-American & African Studies) (Paperback)

great job! research of this nature is very difficult to gather.this book to me is- a basic cross section of the history of this country. images like the ones in this book help to calm, comfort & remind consummers of "Days Gone Bye". sadly these are but a few articals {as negative as most of them are presented}that show blacks in any capacity.more poeples should know the history behind their kitchen cabinets.some of these companies should be ashamed of their logos history.I wonder how many people of color hold top level positions in these companies.