Paula Deen is being blasted for the black woman used on her website. Deen is being called a racist again, due the picture of an African-American woman featured on the website, Lady & Sons, one of her restaurants located in Georgia.
A group on Facebook dubbed For Black Women ONLY, is calling Paula Deen racist, and they are demanding that she removes the picture of an African-American woman featured in the image on the Lady & Sons’ website.
The photo features a black woman in an apron, standing in front of the Lady & Sons’ restaurant, holding and ringing a dinner bell. The image was added to the site in order to draw attention to the restaurant’s new hours.
But For Black Women ONLY, it shows a “mammy figure,” just like in the days when slavery existed and a black/negro servant let the white and rich family know that it was dinner time in the plantation by ringing a bell.
In a post entitled “BLACK WOMEN: we have to “LET MAMMY DIE” BLACK/WOMEN: TAKE 100% CONTROL OF YOUR IMAGE!!!,” the group wrote:
“To us, this ad for Paula Deen’s restaurant evokes images of slavery when our women ancestors would cook for their masters and ring a bell (similar to this one) to alert the family that their meal was ready. Paula Deen longs for the antebellum south when Blacks, especially black women were non-threatening servants.”
You can read the entire post below:
This is the last thing Deen wants, since embarking on her apology tour after being caught using the n-word and admitting to wanting a plantation style wedding for her brother.
A representative for Deen has issued a statement saying that the ad has been up on the site for the last five years, and the woman featured in it has been working in the restaurant for the last 17 years, and is like family to Deen.
Gee I bought a black “Mammy” doll from a black lady in New Orleans. They had them for sale all over the French Quarter. Am I a racist for
buying one? Come people get the chip off your shoulder!
Agreed! When will this over the top sensitivity STOP? One can’t do or say anything…no matter how innocently done…without someone getting their nose out of joint about it.
A chip?! Not hardly, until you can in some shape form or fashion identify with that of a black woman please don’t assume it is a chip on our shoulder. That’s like telling a woman to get over the fact that she has been raped. What has been done is done…get over it, it’s just your body being violated by someone you don’t want touching you.
Ok you bought a black “Mammy” froma black lady in New Orleans. Your point?
Okay so she can have whoever she wants on her website but I question why it had to be a black woman? She’s white and so are her sons, what is the implication? think people think!
There is nothing “Mammy” about the picture. It is a modern woman dressed appropriately for 2014. Stop looking at skin color – would you be so upset if the woman was Asian, Hispanic, German, Canadian etc.? She could have been designed after the “Mammy” from Gone With the Wind. Geez, get over it already.
Yes I would question it if it were any other race but white because she’s white. What is the implication especially concerning what she is going through and her racists comments from the past. I thinkw e have every right to question her motives.
If the “black woman” in the picture doesn’t mind having her picture taken, then obviously she didn’t take it out of context. People that read into things more than what is there, is what is wrong with our society. Please quit trying to make everything race related. The picture just depicts “southern soul food”. Nothing more!!
Gee, I wonder what would happen if a caucasian male like me tried to join “For Black Women ONLY”…….. would they be gracious or racist?
We would question your motives being that you are not a woman or black.
Obliviously the lady in the photo did not have a problem with it. It would be great if all this effort to get at Paula Deen was spent on black on black crime instead.
We don’t know what she told the lady or if she had permission to take the picture and why would she be tlaking about black on black crime anyway? She’s not black. This is a perfect example of reputation and integrity. If she hadn’t been racist and making horrible comments in the past, no one would have questioned her motives.
Agreed.
Do people *seriously* believe–after all that has come out about Paula Deen–that she is not a racist?
Come on!!
This is Paula’s beloved friend and employee, Ineata Jones, known as “Jelly Roll” and I am so sick of the media trying to paint Paula Deen as a racist when they don’t have their facts straight and try to spin things in an ugly direction without knowing what the hell they’ve talking about! Paula Deen is a nice lady, leave her alone!
wow!!!! how stupid are the people around Paula Deen? why would they think this would go over well? REALLY! with all the problems she has had with race, why? somebody, anybody had to know this was bad!!!! with all the people working to improve her image you would think this would not happen. wake up Paula Deen firer these people!!!!
This is absolutely ridiculous! The woman has been working with Paula for 17 years and the site has been operable for 5. The post was to update new hours. I see nothing wrong with the picture. Would “For Black Women Only” be happy if Paula were Black? Or would she still be subjected to picayune scrutiny? Triangular and cast iron bells have been used to summon ranch workers, cowboys, and farmers for centuries to eat period! This is nothing new. Would FBWO prefer a white butler holding a small brass bell instead? Or Ma Parker? A common practice in the Southwest (i.e. Texan ranches etc.) Why? Because it can be heard from a distance! That picture is no more racist than a white woman having a traditional African inspired wedding or celebrating Kwanza! Paula Deen is creative and as such has a themed restaurant (not uncommon for out-of-the-box thinkers!) Nothing wrong with reasonable creative themes. What if I opened a restaurant and called it Mammy Yokum pattered after Lil Abner — would I offend the Hillbillies? I’m not Asian, but have an appreciation for the culture. Am I racist if I want an Asian themed wedding or host a traditional tea party—-dress code: Kimono and Shogun attire? No I’m not and nor is Paula Deen!
I feel that due to WHITE privilege
most dont see racism and they have no personal associatio with This Ad .. Only Caucasian Woman/Man would have been shown on her knees Shining An African American`s Shoes, White Mexican or Chinese Woman as a Maid ..
Dissociative disorder is real and is the Diseases of White privilege and Supremacy are the Disease causing it ..sorry my fellow naturally Melaninated Sisters and Brothers
Its A LOST CAUSE TO EXPLAIN THEY JUST REALLY DONT UNDERSTAND THE PERSONAL PSYCHOPHYSIOLOGICAL EFFECT ..ITS SAD