Re/Membering Aunt Jemima and Other Black Stereotypes in African-American Women's Writing

Elisabeth Bekers

Abstract

This paper examines how Clarke and Dickerson tackle black stereotypes in their play Re/membering Aunt Jemima: A Menstrual Show (1996). A parody on the genre of minstrel shows, their two-acter is designed to rehabilitate some of the customary African American victims of minstrel stereotyping. Drawing on a close reading of the play as well as on Clarke and Dickerson's artistic statements and comparative analyses with contemporary publications by women writers including Gloria Naylor and Alice Walker, this paper argues that, while Clarke and Dickerson successfully transform the negative stereotype of Aunt Jemima into a positive role model for African American women, other stereotypes remain standing, notably those concerning Africa and its inhabitants and cultural practices.

Original language	English
Publication status	Published - 18 Apr 2009
Event	35th African Literature Association Conference: Literature, the visual arts and globalization in Africa and its diaspora - University of Vermont, Burlington, United States Duration: 16 Apr 2009 → 19 Apr 2009

Conference

Conference	35th African Literature Association Conference: Literature, the visual arts and globalization in Africa and its diaspora
Country	United States
City	Burlington
Period	16/04/09 → 19/04/09

Keywords

black stereotypes
African stereotypes
African American women's writing
Breena Clarke
Glenda Dickerson
Alice Walker
Gloria Naylor

2 Book

Rising Anthills: African and African American Writing on Female Genital Excision, 1960-2000
Bekers, E., James, S. M. (ed.) & Tripp, A. M. (ed.), 2010, University of Wisconsin Press. 274 p. (Women in Africa and the Diaspora)
Research output: Book/Report › Book › Research
Dissecting Anthills of W/Human Insurrection: A Comparative Study of African Creative Writing on Female Genital Excision
Bekers, E., 2002, Antwerp: University of Antwerp. 409 p. (PhD)
Research output: Book/Report › Book › Research

Cite this

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title = "Re/Membering Aunt Jemima and Other Black Stereotypes in African-American Women's Writing",

abstract = "This paper examines how Clarke and Dickerson tackle black stereotypes in their play Re/membering Aunt Jemima: A Menstrual Show (1996). A parody on the genre of minstrel shows, their two-acter is designed to rehabilitate some of the customary African American victims of minstrel stereotyping. Drawing on a close reading of the play as well as on Clarke and Dickerson's artistic statements and comparative analyses with contemporary publications by women writers including Gloria Naylor and Alice Walker, this paper argues that, while Clarke and Dickerson successfully transform the negative stereotype of Aunt Jemima into a positive role model for African American women, other stereotypes remain standing, notably those concerning Africa and its inhabitants and cultural practices.",

keywords = "black stereotypes, African stereotypes, African American women's writing, Breena Clarke, Glenda Dickerson, Alice Walker, Gloria Naylor",

author = "Elisabeth Bekers",

year = "2009",

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day = "18",

language = "English",

note = "35th African Literature Association Conference: Literature, the visual arts and globalization in Africa and its diaspora ; Conference date: 16-04-2009 Through 19-04-2009",

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TY - CONF

T1 - Re/Membering Aunt Jemima and Other Black Stereotypes in African-American Women's Writing

AU - Bekers, Elisabeth

PY - 2009/4/18

Y1 - 2009/4/18

N2 - This paper examines how Clarke and Dickerson tackle black stereotypes in their play Re/membering Aunt Jemima: A Menstrual Show (1996). A parody on the genre of minstrel shows, their two-acter is designed to rehabilitate some of the customary African American victims of minstrel stereotyping. Drawing on a close reading of the play as well as on Clarke and Dickerson's artistic statements and comparative analyses with contemporary publications by women writers including Gloria Naylor and Alice Walker, this paper argues that, while Clarke and Dickerson successfully transform the negative stereotype of Aunt Jemima into a positive role model for African American women, other stereotypes remain standing, notably those concerning Africa and its inhabitants and cultural practices.

AB - This paper examines how Clarke and Dickerson tackle black stereotypes in their play Re/membering Aunt Jemima: A Menstrual Show (1996). A parody on the genre of minstrel shows, their two-acter is designed to rehabilitate some of the customary African American victims of minstrel stereotyping. Drawing on a close reading of the play as well as on Clarke and Dickerson's artistic statements and comparative analyses with contemporary publications by women writers including Gloria Naylor and Alice Walker, this paper argues that, while Clarke and Dickerson successfully transform the negative stereotype of Aunt Jemima into a positive role model for African American women, other stereotypes remain standing, notably those concerning Africa and its inhabitants and cultural practices.

KW - black stereotypes

KW - African stereotypes

KW - African American women's writing

KW - Breena Clarke

KW - Glenda Dickerson

KW - Alice Walker

KW - Gloria Naylor

M3 - Unpublished abstract

T2 - 35th African Literature Association Conference: Literature, the visual arts and globalization in Africa and its diaspora

Y2 - 16 April 2009 through 19 April 2009

ER -

Re/Membering Aunt Jemima and Other Black Stereotypes in African-American Women's Writing

Abstract

Conference

Keywords

Fingerprint

Research output

Rising Anthills: African and African American Writing on Female Genital Excision, 1960-2000

Dissecting Anthills of W/Human Insurrection: A Comparative Study of African Creative Writing on Female Genital Excision

Cite this