Aunt Jemima as an Example Racial Superiority and Stereotyping Essay

Aunt Jemima as an Example Racial Superiority and Stereotyping - Essay Example The origin of the logo for the company was said to have come up when Chris Butt, who had developed a recipe for self-rising pancakes happened to see a minstrel show by two comedians Baker and Farrell (William & Mary University). Rutt and his partner took inspiration from a character portrayed by the minstrel show and the logo of Aunt Jemima was born. Initially, the picture showed a colored woman dressed as a typical Southern slave with a headdress that used to be worn by such classes during the time of slavery. While the promoters of the product claimed that the logo was an indication of Southern hospitality, many others felt that it portrayed a benign or subtle form of racism and stereotyping. By the 1950s, protests against the logo grew, especially among the African American community. The company then changed its (popular) logo, depicting younger Jemima without the headdress. The final version of the logo showed a graying African American woman with earrings was brought out in 198 9. This, according to the company intended to portray the message that the lady in the picture was a working mother (and not a slave). But the racist angle still remained because she was colored and not Caucasian or White. The Company also removed their punchline, I'm in town, honey’, which was typical of the language used by the community at that time. A society dominated by whites, exploitation of colored people in the form of entertainment and business was seen as acceptable and even reassuring superiority of class ("Exploiting race and ethnicity"). According to the article, consumers (White) were comfortable when colored people were seen as contented plantation workers who were ignorant and comical fools. Author M.M. Manning agrees with the view that Aunt Jemima logo does portray and image of race superiority.