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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 / Corbis / Authentic History Center / AP
Getty Images / Corbis / 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 ineducable.
Transcendental Graphics, Getty Images
These days, the practice is largely seen as taboo and racist in the U.S. In other countries, however, blackface is still used as a form of comedy. An Australian variety show host was recently forced to apologize to guest judge Harry Connick, Jr. after the American musician objected to a blackface performance on the show.
One would think we would have passed the point of having to explain why blackface is wrong and offensive, but recent events show that we're not.
The mere act of painting one's skin to resemble another race is unquestionably contentious and divisive. It begs the question: Why did French Vogue do it?
What do you think?
Source : Jezebel
Comments: (500)
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By: Laura on 10/13/2009 8:25PM
I teach in the inner city have since 94 I teach ART. The children p-8 call each other the N word and dis one another--for being too black--or having a white name. Cruelest comment is the boy who tells a girl she has no hair..it is like a knife to my heart. The lightest are called white.
These pictures are putting a beautiful model in a different perspective. Just Look at what the camera captured --how the feathers cast a shadow.
I educate my kids on the stupid white men who went down the NIGER River and took slaves who then were called the N word--I say to them why do you honor those stupid white men by still using that word.
Unfortunate is the situation regards to race or religious relations and it will never be solved.
The White Pages
The Black Pages which they have in Cleveland---L
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By: john on 10/13/2009 10:41PM
Child! Exactly what subject do you teach and what language do you teach it in? You write like an imbecile. Really, telling your impressionable children that "WHITE MEN", (notice the intentional capitalization) stupid ones call Africans a bad n ame after the name of the Niger river. LOLOLOLOL
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By: JM on 10/13/2009 11:15PM
History is interpreted by people who have an agenda they want to spred. African people put African people into slavery. It is still going on today. I feel it is a horrible thing for a person to be "owned" by another, whatever race. When tribes of many countries and regions warred, the winner took slaves of the other tribes. For the most part they were treated horribly. In some few instances they were fused into families. Please get your facts straight BEFORE you teach impressionable children to HATE other people for something that happened a long time ago that white people today had absolutely NOTHING to do with. Talk about RACISM. YOU sound FULL of it!
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By: free on 10/13/2009 11:44PM
If you teach those kids that the n-word comes from the African country Niger- you are stupid!
The origins of the n-word are in an english word that means ignorant or stupid. It had no connection to the African country. Whites used the word against blacks to say that blacks were people of low intellect.
BTW- I am sick of here racist or just ignorant whites say "I teach in the inner city" or "I volunteer in the inner city" or " my sister's cousin's boyfirends, aunt is a social worker in the inner city so......(fill in ignorant or racist statement). That doesn't give your opinions more credibility. Two whites working in the same inner city school will have 2 completely opposite opnions on the same subject. Yet, both will claim their experience in the inner city makes them right. Give me a break.
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By: Dan on 10/13/2009 11:58PM
Stupid white men took the slaves huh?You're a very good teacher lol.Get your facts straight.Stupid white men didn't take them your own people sold them for money,anyways it's funny to me that every race including WHITES have been slaves throughout history.If you're a teacher than now I know why Chicago is becoming a ghetto society.Quit blaming other people for your cultures living style.
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By: redconvoy on 10/14/2009 5:57AM
You are the reason why hatred and bigotry will continue for generations to come and I find your remarks ridiculous and inaccurate. Listed above my comments are the true facts of what happened. The whites did not go in there and grab your people for slaves. Your own people sold you, so blame your own race for this atrocity that started the whole thing. When you teach kids history, you need to be very accurate. You are an art teacher and as an artist myself, I'm appalled at you. Just tell them to stop using the N word because it's a racial slur and as someone said above me, it has nothing to do with the country. It had to do with the color of the skin. The only history you should be teaching is art history! My ancestors had nothng to do with what happened in this country and not all white people are responsible! Stop making them hate every white person! I don't teach my niece intolerance and hatred, so you shouldn't either! IT STOPS HERE MY FRIEND!!
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By: BlazingPhoenix83 on 10/13/2009 8:24PM
Why couldn't they have used a black model naturally instead of doing something like this? It's french Vogue they have shown many black models and praised them at that so what's this about? I don't condone it as much as I would if it were a "white face","native american face" whatever it is being done by another...just don't do it because many people are sensitive and some can shrug it off.
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By: POPPA on 10/13/2009 8:26PM
GET OVER IT ALREADY BLACKS HAVE IT BETTER THAN WHITES NOW. HAVE YOU EVER SEEN A WHITE HISTORY MONTH ETC ETC.BLACKS ARE MORE RACIST THAN WHITES WE ARE EVEN RACIST AGINST EACH OTHER I KNOW LOTS OF BLACK GIRLS THAT WONT DATE BLACK BOYS WHO AR DARKER THAN THEY ARE.
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By: jjgg5 on 10/13/2009 8:35PM
Does France have minstrel shows? This is very racist.
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By: Mitch on 10/13/2009 8:45PM
I am so tired of black people screaming racism at every little thing. I was watching Oprah last week. Chris Rock was the guest and he said that if he could make film's only black people could see, he would. Can you imagine the scandal if a white celeb. went on Oprah and said if they could make film's only white people could see, they would? There is no "White Entertainment Channel". That would be racist. Here's the thing folks. NO ONE is treated equally. Get over it!
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