Aunt Jemima, Uncle Ben, and Rastus - (Contributions in Afro-American & African Studies) by Marilyn Kern Foxworth (Paperback)

About the Book

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.

Book Synopsis

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.

Review Quotes

"A well-researched and written book . . . The author does an excellent job of exploring the nuances of racial stereotyping . . . Recommended for history, black studies, and media studies collections." --Library Journal

"[A]n important book, rigorously researched and quite readable." --Everette E. Dennis, Executive Director The Freedom Forum Media

"Read Kern-Foxworth if you want to understand how the tricks of imagery that we all can see actually work." --Black Issues in Higher Education

About the Author

Marilyn Kern-Foxworth is associate professor in the Department of Journalism at Texas A&M University. In Spring 1994, she was the Garth C. Reeves Endowed Chair at Florida A&M University Department of Journalism, Media, and Graphic Arts. She is the first African-American to receive a PhD with a concentration in advertising. An accomplished, award-winning scholar, in 1993 she became the first person of color to receive the Kreighbaum Under-40 Award from the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication for outstanding performance in teaching, research, and public service. In 1981, she received a Kizzy Award from the Black Women Hall of Fame Foundation and was cited as one of 12 outstanding African-American women in America, and in 1993, she was one of several African-American women honored nationwide by the consortium of Doctors, Ltd. for her accomplishments as mass media trailblazer and pioneer.