[Fiji Hill]

Remember the restaurant Sambo was owned by Samuel and Bo who started the chain and called it Sambo for Sam and Bo. NOT the stupid Little Golden Book about a half naked African child. Too bad-—outrage and lawyers soon followed them.

Little Black Sambo by Helen Bannerman (London: Grant Richards, 1899) actually takes place in India. But never mind. It's still highly politically incorrect. I was lucky to be one of the last kids to have become familiar with the original story, before it was dumbed down and repackaged as "Little Brave Sambo" and later vanished from children's literature altogether.

The Sambo's in Los Angeles--I believe it was at around Vermont Avenue and Sixth Street--had some of the best customer service of any restaurant. If you ordered coffee, you would be unable to finish your cup before a waitress came bearing down on you to refill it.

Although the Sambo's chain disappeared in the 1980's, the original restaurant in Santa Barbara, Calif. is still in business.

[atc23]

Thanks! Interesting history about Sambo’s - we used to go to one in San Clemente. At 10 pm the place would be full of drunk Marines (god bless em)

[Tolerance Sucks Rocks]

You would think that the Black power structure would appreciate a story about a little Black boy who turned a tiger into butter.

[frank ballenger]

on sambo

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To another person here I posted my apology for misstating. Sambo was in South India. I honestly think I never looked at the book since probably 1951 or 1952 I think. An ABEbooks used book popup ad showed it a lot recently although I never searched for it. Funny.

I remember a lot more about watching the televised national conventions in 1952.