Colorful Prism of Racism Archive

2December 13, 2011
Spin The Wheel, Land On Vera Francis

Who wouldn’t fall in love with a vintage roulette wheel of pinups? The seller (Grapefruit Moon Gallery), says this in the item’s description (links added by me): ITEM: You are…
0September 7, 2011
Magazine Equality: Stuff White People Worry Needlessly About

I get mail, paper and electronic. Today’s winner is this one: Hey, you sell and ship a lot of stuff, and you write about racism, so I’m tossing this question…
0August 25, 2011
Signs Of The Times: Parades of Yesteryear (1940s)

So much to absorb here… A sexist display of Native American stereotypes, awesome funky neon signs that appear to highlight the pinup on parade here (“Stump” Hardware, the heat of…
0August 6, 2011
Dreaming Of Denial

One of the entries in the classic Maidenform ad campaign, this is the “I dreamed I barged down the Nile in my Maidenform bra.” Apparently she also dreamed that Egyptians…
0July 13, 2011
The Vow: For You, Not I

While most people have been talking about the horrible misrepresentation of slavery and other racist notions, Vyckie Garrison, of No Longer Qivering, notes the other sinister side, the sexist side,…
1May 18, 2011
The Irony Of Jimmy The Greek (He’s Rolling Over In His Grave)

In January of 1988, Jimmy “The Greek” Snyder was fired by CBS for racism after he made the following infamous comment to an NBC affiliate, station WRC-TV: The black is…
2April 27, 2011
Mississippi Paper Burning (Hot Vintage Magazine Blog!)

I’ve fallen in love with a newly discovered blog: Visual Arts Library Picture & Periodicals Collections, part of New York’s School of Visual Arts. And not just because David Pemberton,…
0March 25, 2011
Still Using The Word “Negro” In 1977

In 1977 I was 13, and I know use of the word “negro” was a no-no. But here’s proof it was not only said by ignorant white trash folk, but…
0March 18, 2011
Before There Was Princess Jasmine…

There was this Chinese Princess costume and mask by Ben Cooper. OK, so maybe she’s not exactly a dead-ringer for Princess Jasmine. And so what if I get more of…
2February 11, 2011
Be My Racist Valentine

It’s been a few years since I did a racist Valentine’s post, so I thought it was time for another. Vintage Black Americana Valentine, complete with watermelon and poor puns,…
1February 8, 2011
The History, Legacy & Power Of Housewives (And Woman In General)

I found this photo of a National Housewives League meeting Detroit, Michigan, in 1945 while researching the Organized Housewives, a completely unrelated group. The National Housewives’ League of America was…
0February 7, 2011
While American Was being Born… Ladies Who Didn’t Have Enough Sense To Come In Out Of The Rain

From a Modern Woman magazine from the 40′s, some interesting news… For the benefit of eighteenth century ladies who didn’t have enough sense to come in out of the rain,…
0January 28, 2011
Lincoln’s Check To “Colored Man With One Leg”

An ad for Life of Lincoln, by Ida M. Tarbell (found on page 65 of the March 1925 issue of The Mentor magazine), which thought the best promotional effort would…
0November 2, 2010
The Law’s Long Arm (Vote!)

Some people will tell you it’s more important that you vote than who you vote for; I’m not one of those people. But I don’t have a lot of time…
0October 14, 2010
Pinheads & Patriots; The View Edition

I missed seeing Whoopi Goldberg and Joy Behar, The Patriots, walk away from Bill O’Reilly, The Pinhead, on The View; but thanks to the Internet, I can watch it over…
1February 22, 2010
Of Brown Marie, Yellow Marie, And Pickaninny (Or, Of Racism In The Toy Wife)

I don’t think I can let Black History Month go by without mentioning 1938′s The Toy Wife. Primarily the movie is the story of Frou Frou (played by Luise Rainer),…
0November 19, 2009
Cheap Thrills Thursday: Of Man’s Instrument & The Horror Of Eating Unsalted Cashews

In the June 26, 1950 issue of Newsweek, a report on Smithsonian ethnologist Dr. Kalervo Oberg’s trip to Matto Grosso. Among the horrible delights, calling members of the native Nhambicuara…
3November 13, 2009
Let’s Talk Disney Princesses

About 15 years ago, I sent a letter to Disney (on behalf of my Disney stock-owning and Disney-loving daughter) demanding that they diversify their stock of Disney characters and stories….
0November 5, 2009
Cheap Thrills Thursday: 1907 Englishwoman’s Snark On Fashionistas

The piece, a little beauty titled “Woman’s Dress and Women’s Homes,” in which an Englishwoman ever-so-politely snarks about the mode of American dress, was written by Anna A. Rogers (originally…
3November 3, 2009
The Very Best From Hallmark: Greeting Cards Through The Years

The Very Best from Hallmark: Greeting Cards Through the Years, by Ellen Stern, is not a collector’s guide, really; there are no prices or discussion of the secondary market at…
0September 29, 2009
It’s Not Blackface When They Have Black Faces, Right?

I love this vintage cotton novelty print blouse from the Bahamas — well, at least until I spotted the three Bahamian singers… Then I worried that they looked a lot…