Black Newspaper Portrays Nina Turner as Aunt Jemima

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