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A black-owned and operated newspaper in Cleveland has grabbed national headlines for running a cartoon that portrays Ohio State Senator Nina Turner as Aunt Jemima. As you can guess, the Call & Post is not a fan of Nina Turner and vehemently disagrees with her on important legislation passed by voters last month. Issue 6 overhauls county government by separating the executive and legislative powers until now held solely by county commissioners. Issue 6 backers argue that it will give county government more checks and balances and that the elimination of most county offices will streamline some government functions and save money. Nina Turner was the only black elected official to to support Issue 6.
Most black elected officials and community leaders wanted further study of the reform and were specifically worried about how changes would impact the education of "50,000 Black school children in the Cleveland School District". Because Issue 6 sponsors would not consider the education issue explicitly, almost all black leaders rejected the reform.
The decision by Call & Post, owned by Don King, to call-out Nina Turner by portraying her as the subservient, smiling, always-white-people pleasing Aunt Jemima, because she supported the reform, has folks protesting and defending the cartoon with equal and opposite energy.
Even the local NAACP chapter appears to have a split opinion of the cartoon.
Stanley Miller, executive director of the Cleveland NAACP civil rights organization, which opposed Issue 6, said he was bothered by the cartoon and plans to ask his board Tuesday night to formally address it.
"It was disturbing to me," he said.
Miller said he's not upset about the politics behind the cartoon and accompanying editorial, but by the negative stereotype that dates back decades.
"It's more about the image of an African-American woman in 2009," said Miller, who logged several complaints Monday about the cartoon.
Miller's view could put him at odds with NAACP President George Forbes, who is legal adviser to the Call & Post and holds great sway over its editorials.
Forbes said in an interview Monday that he stands by the cartoon and said critics miss the point of the editorial view: Issue 6 does not specifically address the needs of Cleveland school children yet Turner backed the plan anyway.
"The cartoon is no more unfair to black people than what she did to black people in not securing some type of concern or something in return for the kids in school," he said. Source: Call & Post called out for cartoon depicting Nina Turner as Aunt Jemima, Cleveland.com
I agree with Robyn Minter Smyers, who launched a Facebook group Monday called, "We demand an apology for Call & Post's Aunt Jemima":
"This use of a racist caricature crosses a line and demeans us all," she wrote. "We stand together to say we will not stand by and permit the debasing of any of our sisters and brothers in this way." Source: Cleveland.com
Vintage Racist Advertising
Top left LOS ANGELES - DECEMBER 1: Brigitte Nielsen and Flavor Flav present onstage at the VH1 - Big in '04 on December 1, 2004 at the Shrine Auditorium, in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images) Top right: 1899 -- Uncle Tom's Cabin: Topsy Illustration --- Image by © CORBIS; Bottom right: 1930s AC spark plugs ad in The Saturday Evening Post -- Photo by The Authentic History Center; Bottom left: This cartoon image provided by the New York Post appeared in the Post's Page Six Wednesday, Feb. 18, 2009. The cartoon, which refers to Travis the chimp, who was shot to death by police in Stamford, Conn. on Monday after it mauled a friend of its owner, drew criticism Wednesday on media Web sites and from civil rights activist the Rev. Al Sharpton. (AP Photo/New York Post) ** NO SALES ** Credit: Getty Images / Corbi / Authentic History Center / AP
Getty Images / Corbi / Authentic History Center / AP
Advertisement for an African-American slave sale.
Although the enslavement of mankind in general has been recorded as early as 1200 BC; the first African slaves were reportedly transported to the 'New World' in 1517. This is 76 years after the first black slaves were captured and taken to Portugal.
Bettmann / Corbis
African American Stereotypes: Products and Advertising c.1880s Tin of Nigger Hair Tobacco
For decades this product was sold in stores as chewing tobacco or for smoking. It was advertised as 'pure, unadulterated, fine old burley leaf.'
Photo Source: The Authentic History Center
The Authentic History Center
1888 -- Seal of North Carolina Tobacco - The Darktown Bowling Club Poster -- Image by © Swim Ink 2, LLC/CORBIS Seal of North Carolina Tobacco - The Darktown Bowling Club Poster
Swim Ink 2, LLC / Corbis
ca. 1890 -- Zoulou Powder Poster (French advertisement)
Because offensive advertising was permeated throughout the world for many years, (and still is, as you will see in a few upcoming slides) it should come as no surprise that in more modern times 'racism has become the scourge of European soccer stadiums.'
Swim Ink 2, LLC / Corbis
ca. 1899 --- Uncle Tom's Cabin: Topsy Illustration --- Image by © CORBIS Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe
Topsy was a stereotypical pickaninny character in the book, 'Uncle Tom's Cabin.' Uncle Tom was a slave in the book. The term 'Uncle Tom' is recognized to be offensive and a derogatory name for a black man who is abjectly servile and deferential to whites.
Corbis
ca. 1899 --- George Thatcher's Greatest Minstrels Poster --- Image by © CORBIS George Thatcher's Greatest Minstrels Poster
Early definition of minstrel: a medieval poet and musician who sang or recited while accompanying himself on a stringed instrument, either as a member of a noble household or as an itinerant troubadour.
The black-face minstrel act was a very popular form of entertainment in 19th-century America. White audiences were receptive to the portrayals of Blacks as singing, dancing, grinning fools. T.D. 'Daddy' Rice, the original Jim Crow, became rich and famous because of his skills as a minstrel. Interestingly though, when he died in New York on September 19, 1860, he was broke.
Corbis
African American Stereotypes: Products and Advertising 1899 Durkee's Salad Dressing advertisement, Harpers Magazine
Notice the broken English purportedly spoken by black Americans, 'We're gwine ter live high ter-night ...'
Photo Source: The Authentic History Centerr
The Authentic History Center
Advertisement for Clarence Brooks and Co.'s Fine Coach Varnishes uses racist stereotypes to depict a group of African-American adults and children as they cheer and watch two shirtless boxers, one of whom appears unconscious, accompanied by the text "the Championship Fight, Sullivan Wins," late 1800s. The Sullivan in the text is a reference to boxer John L. Sullivan, who fought bare-knuckled in several famous bouts.
Transcendental Graphics, Getty Images
Advertisement for the St. Louis Beef Canning Company features an illustration of a stereotyped African-American character sitting on a can of beef, accompanied by phonetically rendered, stereotypical dialect-style text that reads: 'No Sah! dont jine no Exodus so as dis Beef lasts,' late 1800s.
Showing blacks to massacre the English language, further perpetuated the false idea that African Americans were somehow unable to be educated.
Transcendental Graphics, Getty Images
Comments: (170)
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By: NeeNee on 12/06/2009 9:57PM
I'm writing in response to the article in the Black owned and operated newspaper on nina turner. There were many thoughts that ran through my head one being, What would have happened if a white owned and operated newspaper ran this exact story? I think that we all know that there would have been public outrage! and secondly, everyone is entitled to their opinion, but given the stereotypes that we as black people have been subjected to for decades, why would a black owned and black operated newspaper use this? Was this for publicity, shock value?
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By: frustrated on 12/06/2009 9:14AM
First off, I am a white male, 45 Born in Illinois and grew up in Colorado. I say this so people will understand, I am not from the south but I have not been isolated from the black community, and I have had some great great friends who have been other than white and black was well represented.
To the black community I have this to say. Get over it. The majority of you won't let go of the past. Your ancestors were wronged. It still is not perfect. But the longer you continue to put up a sign that they were wronged, then the harder it is to move forward.
Should the Jewish people hate all Germans due to the actions taken against them up to and including WW2?
I would turn that cartoon around. Aunt Jemima and Mrs. Butterworths makes the best high volume syruos and pancake mixes. Quality products. That would mean that She is a quality politician if she is compared this way.
We still have a long way to go to get past racism. But it is hard when people see things as racist or do thing with the intent of being racist. But dump the N word. finally make a decision on what non-blacks can call you. I just prefer to say you are Americans or Irish or whatever but if you continue to choose to set yourself apart racially, then you build that wall. At least let us know what is acceptable to call you. Black, African/American (Although most of you have NO CLUE what being African is and you make up names that might sound African)
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By: Mike on 12/06/2009 12:18PM
There will "Never" be Equality until African Americans actually want Equality. Then maybe we wont have things like BET, Negro College Funds or any Preferential treatment of any kind based on the color of your skin.
I would have a better chance getting a job in the Gov't or getting accepted into a good school if I had some tint to my skin. So who exactly is being discriminated against? I think that in itself can perpetuate animosity.
There will always be racism so waiting until racism is gone isn't viable. Right now at this point in America I see exponentially more racist hatred and violence perpetrated against Caucasians by the African American community then the other way around.
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By: dee on 12/06/2009 10:51AM
Why is Aunt jemima so offensive to Blacks. Obviously she as most black slaves did the cooking in the household, so at least it got recognition. She may not be a beautiful woman, but not all people are beautiful, black or white. Stop getting all bent out of shape because someone compare you with someone you may not think to be beautiful in your eyes, she may be beautiful in someone elses owns. There are a bunch of old ugly sagging looking pale vampire looking whites out there, that black men can't wait to get their hands on, but because the whites portray you as ugly so you think. Aunt Jamima, probably got the name because, white kids were raised by black slaves and cared for them as if they were their momma's, so when the kids learned to talk they called them mama, and their parent's corrected them saying ain't ya mama.
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By: spck on 12/06/2009 10:58AM
This is just another incident inflicted by the bigots that run these newspapers. Screw them...they're always going to be that way. But in the bigger picture, even some black men view black women that way. Its a sad thing but its true. The image of the black woman has always been trampled on.
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By: Gary Wernholm on 12/07/2009 6:40PM
There are cartoons that depict jew's, native americans, and mexicans. But it always seems to the negroes that raise a fuss. Why don't they try to clean up their act. I mean they are a minority but still our prisons are mostly negroid inmates, drugs rule the roost in the negro communites as does violent crimes, yet they blame everyone but themselves. time to clean up the negro community and don't worry so much about stupid cartoons.
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By: Russell Cataldo on 12/07/2009 12:32AM
This is insulting to the manufacturer who considers the image of an African-American woman as a symbol indicative of their products' high quality
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By: Mike on 12/06/2009 3:51PM
@Mike - Unfortunately, someone else with the same name as me (hmm?) has decided to post a comment with the nonsensical 'reverse discrimination' argument. That was not me and I've been posting for appx 1 month. I think this person disagrees with me and decided to co-opt with aim to create confusion. Won't work guy.
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By: The Fabulous MAD Hatter on 12/07/2009 10:49AM
I think "We" as people have overcome a lot of injustices & suppression, so to be an African-American and continue to drag our people through the mud is counter-productive. We can agree to disagree, but it should be handle with better taste.
We ALL had an issue when the cartoonist depicted Obama as a Monkey being shot dead by two apparently white police officers. So why don't we ALL have the same feeling towards this caroon? Because it was published by a Black-owned newspaper?
Give me a break! Let's be real, it's an even bigger dissappointment to see "Our" owned & operated newspapers condoning this form of racism. Based on history, I would expect it from them, but us. How will they ever respect us, if we don't show respect for ourselves, and stand by each other?
This is a perfect example of how their "Divide & Rule" tactics are still at work centuries later.
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By: Reverend Ira L. Lewis on 3/08/2012 10:08AM
It is sad and disturbing to have a African-American/Black enterprise to present Ms. Turner in a Slave/Jim Crow illustration. As a sixty one (61) year old African-American/Black male, who have experienced both side of the Jim Crow era and the GREAT ACCOMPLISHMENT of The Civil Rights Movement of the sixties and the horrendous murder/assassination of our great leader, Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr, it is appalling to see us do one another what we have horrifically suffered to put down of the White Supremacy ideology that tried to demean us. Evidently, the person that took the effort to bring forth this degrading portrayal of a People that overcame such shameful and horrifying treatment, does not understand or appreciate The People that he/she came from. This remind me of why Jesus said from The Cross... "FATHER, FORGIVE THEM FOR THEY KNOW NOT WHAT THEY DO". The statment made that this is just a cartoon, we have more important issues do not have the understanding of what we overcame and still fighting to overcome. Just look at what that Montana Supreme Court Chief Justice said about the Dad of President Obama must have been a DOG that his White mother laid down with. I pray for such a person's ignorance... Reverend Ira L Lewis Austin, TX trirason@gmail.com. Thank You.
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