Episode 91: Cracking the Jemima Code

This week on A Taste of the Past, Linda Pelaccio is joined by food writer and journalist Toni Tipton-Martin for a discussion on imagery, stereotypes and African American cuisine and culture as it relates to the famous and controversial image of Aunt Jemima. Learn more about the history behind the trademarked character and hear what Toni thinks soul food actually means in the context of African American cooking. This program was sponsored by Fairway Market. There is quite a bit of debate now over whether the woman being depicted as Aunt Jemima ever existed at all. I think theres an expectation as an African American cook or chef to conform to an image that has been constructed in the trademark of Aunt Jemima. Soul Food is a definition that emerged out of the Civil Rights struggles of the 1960s, at a time when African American dance, music and other artistic expressions were being reclaimed and identified by the term soul. For that particular period of time, [soul food] is a suitable definition for what was coming out of the kitchen. Im hoping we can look at these women free of gender and racial biases and just look at the work they did at the time. --Journalist and Author Toni Tipton-Martin on A Taste of the Past