vaermina wrote:W0LFkiss wrote:It seems as though the black community wants to be seen, heard & respected.
Awesome! I support you!! How can I help?
...That picture of a fictional black character on a box of pancake mix?...
(That has been there for the past 131 years)
Well, many are now offened by this, & so it must change!
- Ok.
for the aunt jemima pancake brand, it's not entirely rooted in fictionalism like many believe. as for myself, i was not educated on the history of the aunt jemima brand until i recently heard about how its company is going to change its name/logo. i did some extensive research on the history of the brand to educate myself on why so many people have advocated for the change, and for those on here who do not know of its history themselves, i'll explain a little bit here, although i always recommend everyone to do their own research. the brand made its official debut in 1889, and was found by a man named chris l. rutt along with his friend, charles g. underwood. the two of them had to sell their company in 1890 (due to failure to create enough capital) and they sold it to randolph truett davis milling company, who named their company to aunt jemima mills in 1914. the company was then purchased by quarker oats company in 1926, and they still have reign over the brand today. however, the controversy of the matter comes in because aunt jemima - the brand's logo - is based on the mammy archetype. the mammy archetype is an image that served as a political and social catalyst of white america that made it seem that black people - or in this archetype's case, black women - were content as slaves, and happy in their positions of servitude before slavery was abolished. aunt jemima's brand is not the first to use this archetype; many films have used it, also. chris l. rutt's inspiration for aunt jemima came when he saw a show that performed the song "old aunt jemima", presented by actors in blackface, and rutt supposedly appropriated the aunt jemima character for his company. the aunt jemima company has come under fire for many reasons, and it's been under fire for decades, despite how some people think its become under scrutiny recently. the aunt jemima character was created a number of years after the civil war, but its commercialization and promotion of the character was often criticized for glorifying of antebellum southern plantation life. this is an early drawing of the archetype itself, and supposedly it's what the actor who played aunt jemima in the show wore that inspired the dressage of the company's early logo.
the brand's first slogan was used in 1893 at the world's columbian exposition in chicago, illinios and its slogan was "i's in town, honey" which had been criticized for further pushing the mammy archetype. even back then, many fought against the usage of the aunt jemima character. black women formed the women's columbian association to ask for fair representation of post-emancipation african americans, and black scholars such as fannie williams used the exposition to address how african american women were being exploited. more about the mammy archetype can be read upon in this novel and in this article.
also, the aunt jemima logo herself was inspired and based upon several women, from my understanding; so while aunt jemima herself isn't a real person, the aunt jemima logo is based upon several real women. one of the early images of aunt jemima was based on nancy green. she was a former slave, and hired by the company in 1890 to represent the character. at the exposition in chicago, she worked at a stand for the pancake mix and supposedly, the judges were former children of the walker family she worked for, and her personality and former standing as their cook helped the company establish a successful showing of the product. many say that trying to erase the aunt jemima logo would be a disrespect to nancy green, as some say she died a millionaire - however, others say in 1910 she was working as a house-keeper, still and did not make enough money from the brand to support herself. in 2014, her family even sued the company for supposedly refusing to pay her her rightful dues, although the case was dismissed sometime later. anyway, multiple other women such as lillian richard, anna robinson, rosie lee moore hall and others have all also contributed to the aunt jemima character by portraying her for the brand.
anyway, i apologize that this is rather lengthy but i feel like it's important to relay the history behind the brand since i feel like there's a number of people who aren't aware of its history and how the logo is based on a jim crow-era archetype, and think people just want the name changed just because. of course, everyone is free to have their own opinions on the matter, as i've seen many people support the removal of aunt jemima and others furious about it. so everyone is free to make their own opinions, of course and take everything with a grain of salt. but i would encourage people to read more upon it and educate themselves, and see how aunt jemima is not the only brand who perpetuate these archetypes rather than just simply brush it off as people being 'offended by everything'.
I looked into this prior to my last comment.
All good info.
To be clear, I am 100% against racial hatered.
We are all human -some decent, some not- regardless of race.
I am deeply saddened that youth (amoung others) are facing violence & hate, seemingly due to whatever race they happen to be.
It needs to end.
Personally, my main focus isn't yet on a 131 year old, ever-evolving character on a box of pancake mix
- which seems to leave some wondering what BLM is really about.
...I didn't quite say: people being 'offended by everything'
What I said was: "One can barely breathe without somebody being offended by something."
As in, you can't say anything without someone else being offended by it.
It's never ending. You can't please everyone.
& this was more in context with others saying the
Native American Deerskin costume continues to offend them because it still exists.
As someone who has a half Native husband
(He doesn't take offence to this item), I could just as well be offended at this item being renamed or the idea of it being deleted, as some have suggested.
You simply can not please everyone.
LordGhoul wrote:W0LFkiss wrote:My cousin is half black, & has said
(as several others have said)
that the BLM movement is doing
"more harm than good."
The cops are now in jail, there's some other cases where they still aren't though.
New laws have been passed. People have been more aware and many people donated.
I don't see any harm by the movement itself. Sure there's looters and stuff, but you can't judge all protestors by the few that do harm and then turn around and say the police are just a few bad apples. It's hypocritical.
I hadn't mentioned anything about "a few bad apples" ...on either side of this issue,
though there are decent human beings & horrid human beings of all colors & of every profession.
I don't think that will ever change.
Riots or not.
I simply shared my cousin's view on BLM.
He happens to be half black, & openly says "ALL lives matter".
* If the goal is to be treated as an equal regardless of your race, than don't separate yourself with your race.
That seems hypocritical.
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It's been over 10 years since 
