I think the NAACP represents adequate authority on whether or not calling Rice "Aunt Jemima" constituted racial/ethnic stereotyping.
naacp.org
Political Criticism Should Not Be Based On Ethnic Stereotypes And Racial Slurs
Questions raised about criticism of Secretary of State nominee Condoleezza Rice
Kweisi Mfume, President & CEO, National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), today denounced critics of Secretary of State nominee Condoleezza Rice who have resorted to the use of racial slurs and ethnic stereotypes.
Mfume was referring to a Madison, Wis. radio show host who this week allegedly called Rice, the first African American female to serve as the president’s National Security Advisor, “Aunt Jemima,” a stereotypical and subservient character often used in a racially demeaning way.
Mfume said, “Her counsel is respected and valued in her field and in the upper echelons of her political party.” Moreover, “Rice, a PhD and former Stanford University Provost, is an example of how far hard work, education and determination can take one to new heights,” said Mfume.
He went on to say that “attacks on Rice by the radio host and political cartoonists who use stereotypes and racial caricatures are just as bad as those who hide under sheets and burn crosses. This is something the NAACP has fought against for more than 95 years and something we will continue to oppose.”
The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) is the nation's oldest and largest civil rights organization. Its half-million adult and youth members throughout the United States and the world are frontline advocates for civil rights in their communities and monitor equal opportunity in the public and private sectors. |
