The Liberation of Aunt Jemima by Betye Saar describes the black mother stereotype of the black American woman. Aunt Jemima was described as a thick, dark-skinned nurturing figure, of amused demeanor. This stereotype started in the nineteenth century, and is still popular today. She features in Hollywood films and notably as the advertising and packaging image for Pillsbury’s ‘Aunt Jemima’s Pancake Mix.” The picture has a lady who holds a broomstick in one hand and a rifle in the other. In a smaller image stands her and a small white baby that looks disturbed by a black fist (symbol of black power). This picture was created to describe the ethnic issues that had been surfacing. The portrait shows diverse media. The representation of Aunt …show more content…
Mammies are women slaves who basically are in charge of the basics, the chores of a modern day wife. The picture shoes her holding a baby, representing the job of caring for the children of Slave masters. She also holds a broomstick in her hand that represents the cleaning she did. Aunt Jemima has two different descriptions in the portrait. At the top she’s a darker thicker lady, and at the bottom it shows a lighter, thinner lady. Her dresses show the talents of the slaves and the clothing made from loose fabric, probably hand made. She has a pistol in the hand of the broomstick and a rifle in the other, showing the way some mammies may have protected themselves. Also symbolizing the Black Power era. They were also victims of rape and sex slaves to the masters. The portrait has altered meanings and I can insinuate that females in that age really had a struggle with life. In the portrait Aunt Jemima is very jolly, in my opinion implying that Mammies were happy with their job. The child looks startled, looking at the picture it shows he/she was maybe uncomfortable with Aunt Jemima. By looking at the picture I can state that Mammies had diverse duties, and maybe never had time to themselves. The background of the picture shows only her face and a smile that you can find on today’s packages, but you will not find a full portrait of her. That shows me the way society thinks,