The Mammy

Images people once thought of as funny and humorous are now thought to be very hurtful and racial. Over eighty years ago, The Mammy was thought to be one of the most enduring images of the African-American woman. The Mammy grew out of slavery and the location of black women in the entanglement of social relations in a biracial slave society. The boundaries have been defined of the acceptable and unacceptable black female behavior. However, since time has elapsed the image of the Mammy has turned into a very negative one. It has become a difference of whites and blacks, for blacks it is apart of who they are and where they have come from and for the whites it is an image that is used in entertainment productions. The Mammy has a very unique physical appearance, has justified the racist economic system and has become an important staple of literature and television. Is she a simple depiction of an African American housekeeper or is she a racist stereotype perpetuated throughout popular culture from the times of slavery?

First, the Mammy image is one that will never be forgotten. Her physical presence suggests bodily strength and power, evidenced by her ability to work hard yet show no signs of fatigue. She is usually very fat, very dark, and wears a bandanna and a beaming smile as a sign of how much she enjoys her oppressed position. The Mammies appearance dignifies who she is and what she represents. Developed after the World War I, the Mammy became the historical figure of the African American woman (Rhodes). She became a symbol of "oppressive social relations based on race, gender, and class,"(Thomas).

One of the most important aspects of the Mammy figure is her submissiveness and docility. The Mammy was a slave who posed no threat to the White family or to the power structure of slavery. She is conventionally valued for her reassuring gentleness, as an armed warrior. Along with a mop in her right hand, she holds a weapon in her left hand. She is someone who will do what she is told to do. She is very easy to be taught certain skills and will follow through to the fullest extent. She is the faithful, asexual, obedient, servant happy to serve white people and care for their children. She could sometimes be strong-willed, domineering and bossy, but she is easily put in her place by a glance or a verbal warning.

Second, the image of the Mammy justified the racist economic system that relegated black women to positions as domestic servants. She was often shown as deeply committed to the white family and especially caring of the children. The image conveniently ignored the fact that black women were denied the ability to nurture their own children either because they had to work long hours in the master's house or because their children had been sold. Although times have changed since slavery has been abolished the idea of a slave has not. "It's been more than 130 years since slavery officially was abolished in the United States, but visions of slavery live on for many southern women who are descended from free and enslaved people," (Edwards). It is the Mammy and her role in society that has continued the idea of slavery. She has dignified every black woman of a time that became a very biracial slave society.

Finally, the Mammy image has been a staple of radio and television sitcoms, appearing in such shows as The Trouble with Father, Gildersleeve, When a Girl Marries and The Beulah Show. The Beulah Show (1950-53) typified the image of the Mammy with Beulah spending time fretting over the life of her employers, the Hendersons, and helping them overcome their problems. Throughout all producers and directors looking for someone to play the role of the Mammy, they do have the eye for understanding that they all have a better place. These characters also include some who have achieved a great deal in their lives, such as Oprah Winfrey. "All large, nurturing black women are "mammies," mere recapitulations of Hattie McDaniel and Beulah. This type includes even Oprah Winfrey, whose inspiring success is thereby rendered suspect," (Bogle).

Seen in television and radio, the Mammy character is well described in this description of the first television show in which she appeared, The Beulah Show.

"The television version of Beulah, by contrast, was a glum and sodden affair, even for television of that era. The black character who had been largely at the center of the action in the radio show now took second place to the anodyne comings and goings of the white family for whom Beulah worked, which was even more disturbing considering that the family managed to out-Wonder Bread even the stock families that were then the rule in the sitcoms. Today Beulah's sidelining is especially hard to watch for its implication that these automatons are more interesting than she. The show went through no fewer than three (large) black actresses