Posted on 11/21/2004 4:50:47 PM PST by TBP
MADISON, Wis. - (KRT) - African-American leaders in Madison on Friday criticized a local radio personality, calling his use of the pejorative Aunt Jemima to describe Condoleezza Rice insulting and inappropriate.
The talk show host, John Sylvester, did little to mollify those he offended. Instead, he apologized to the character Aunt Jemima and gave away boxes of pancake mix and syrup on his morning show.
Sylvester, a white man who performs as Sly on WTDY-AM 1670, said he respected the woman who portrayed Aunt Jemima to advertise pancake mix in the early 1900s.
"It is with a heavy heart that I apologize this morning to Aunt Jemima," Sylvester said during his broadcast. "She wasn't a self-serving hack politician who got up in front of Congress and lied. Aunt Jemima didn't kowtow to Don Rumsfeld or Dick Cheney."
Sylvester's antics Friday further angered African-American leaders.
"His glib `apology to Aunt Jemima' demonstrates a complete lack of understanding of the ignorant racial and ethnic stereotypes that underlie his comments," said a statement issued late Friday by the Urban League of Greater Madison.
Defending himself in an afternoon interview, Sylvester said he was standing up for African-Americans by using the term to criticize Rice, the current national security adviser and President Bush's choice for secretary of state in his second term.
"That doesn't fly for me," said Ariel Ford, the interim executive director of the Madison City Equal Opportunities Commission.
Negative name-calling, especially with a term that harkens back to slavery, is disrespectful and not helpful to African-Americans, Ford said.
Enis Ragland, interim director of the city's Affirmative Action Office, also discounted Sylvester's rationale.
"He used a racially specific term when he could have used different terms," Ragland said. "The comments were racist in essence."
Ragland said WTDY's owner, Mid-West Family Broadcast Group, receives money through contracts with the city, but he did not suggest that the business relationship would be affected.
Madison Mayor Dave Cieslewicz and U.S. Sen. Russ Feingold, D-Wis., admonished Sylvester on Thursday.
"Our society is not well served by a coarsening of political discussion, and comments with negative racial overtones are even more troubling," the mayor said.
While Sylvester's comments have raised objections, the reaction has not yet reached the level of response to Milwaukee radio personality Mark Belling's use of the term "wetback" in a reference to undocumented Mexican immigrants. Under pressure, several businesses pulled their advertising from Belling's show and he was taken off the air for a week.
Sylvester said he disagreed with Belling's statement but supported his right to say what he thought.
"I don't like censorship, and I don't like boycotts," Sylvester said. "The fact that I'm getting a lot of attention on this ... that's my job."
A job with Air America awaits this guy!
Sly is merely repeating what dozens of leftist editorial cartoonists and columnists have already said, why's there a fuss?
Does the name "Aunt Jemima" harken back to slavery? That would be news to me. And I've heard enough complaints about it, long before now.
Freepers know EVERYTHING! Anybody know about this?
Sometimes it's just best to ignore the town idiot
Though, I wish the black community would boycott the advertisers.
That might get managements attention
Sly is merely repeating what dozens of leftist editorial cartoonists and columnists have already said, why's there a fuss?
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WELL THE NEXT TIME THE WORD "RACIST" COMES OUT OF THEIR LYING, HYPOCRITICAL MOUTHS, I HOPE SOMEONE TAKES IT AND SHOVES IT WHERE IT BELONGS!!!
STINKING HYPOCRITES!!!
Otherwise, he'd already be on the unemployment line - and fined - and the station fined etc etc etc
I saw this jerk interviewed..he is disgusting..He supports civil rights, he has marched he said and was reminded that he is a racist expecting all blacks to think alike and be a lib/dem.
| On this date we celebrate the birth of Nancy Green in 1834. She was a Black storyteller and one of the first (Black) corporate models in the United States. The world knew her as "Aunt Jemima" but her given name was Nancy Green. The famous Aunt Jemima recipe was not her recipe but she became the advertising world's first living trademark. Miss Green was born a slave in Montgomery County, Kentucky. Chris Rutt, a newspaperman, and Charles Underwood bought the Pearl Milling Company and had the original idea of developing and packaging a ready-mixed, self-rising pancake flour. To survive in a highly competitive business, the men needed an image for their product. In 1889, Rutt attended a vaudeville show where he heard a catchy tune called "Aunt Jemima" sung by a blackface performer who was wearing an apron and bandanna headband. He decided to call their pancake flour "Aunt Jemima". Later, Rutt and Underwood were so short of capital funds that they were broke. In 1890, they sold the formula to the R. T. Davis Milling Company. Mr. Davis began looking for a Negro woman to employ as a living trademark for his product, and he found Nancy Green in Chicago. She was 56 years old. The Aunt Jemima Pancake Mix was introduced in St. Joseph, Missouri. In 1893, the Davis Milling Company aggressively began an all-out promotion of "Aunt Jemima" at the World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago. Green, as "Aunt Jemima" demonstrated the pancake mix and served thousands of pancakes. Green was a hit, friendly, a good storyteller, and a good cook. Her warm and appealing personality made her the ideal "Aunt Jemima" a living trademark. Her exhibition booth drew so many people that special policemen were assigned to keep the crowds moving. The Davis Milling Company received over 50,000 orders, and Fair officials awarded Nancy Green a medal and certificate for her showmanship. She was proclaimed "Pancake Queen." She was signed to a lifetime contract and traveled on promotional tours all over the country. Flour sales were up all year and pancakes were no longer considered exclusively for breakfast. Nancy Green maintained this job until a car crash in Chicago killed her, on September 23, 1923. The Davis Company also ran into money problems, and the Quaker Oats Company purchased the Aunt Jemima Mills in 1925. |
Rather than make a big fuss out of it, just ignore it. The next time it happens, just refer to this as an example of the leftist hypocrisy. If anyone wants to play the racism card, take it up with the syrup maker.
Hogwash, this is perfectly acceptable if the black in question is an uncle tom Republican.
"I don't like censorship, and I don't like boycotts," Sylvester said. "The fact that I'm getting a lot of attention on this ... that's my job."
Everything has a price, and the fact that some radio hack is getting cheap publicity by using race baiting is no exception.
Hopefully he will pay the price by losing his job. Unfortunately the price will probably be paid by the general public in the form of increased racial tension and misunderstanding.
Forgot the link
not just the 'black' community. this is what's wrong here - we have to stop thinking in terms of race.
Everyone should take action
Just like in D.C. - Is there a "White Caucus?" Bet your bippy not. Wouldn't be allowed - it would be 'racist"
We aren't going to progress much until we become, like Reagan said: color blind.
He too young to have even marched arm-in-arm with MLK.
Unlikely he'll lose a job. He works at a "Progressive" (gag) radio station. More than anything, he probably got a pay raise for playing the race card. Next thing you know Jesse Jackson will walk into the studio and shake Sly's fat, greasy hand.
I was thinking that a black boycott would probably get a LOT more attention then a boycott in general.
Boycott what? A radio station only Liberals listen to? If you can't hear his show or don't listen to that station, you're already boycotting Liberalism.
"Her warm and appealing personality..."
LOL, someone said on another thread on this that he (the radio guy) didn't call Condi Aunt Jemima 'cause she was warm & appealing (or something very,very close to that).
Great popman, that was so informative. I guess the name does harken back to slavery, but I venture it can also be said to harken back to freedom, women's empowerment, capitalism and, oh heck, THE AMERICAN WAY!
This lady, Ms. Green, had an amazing life. From slave to media star, to living icon of pancakes not just for breakfast! I must tell hubby, he's always wanting to have them for dinner.
Thanks!
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