Who's Afraid Of Aunt Jemima Analysis

Intersectionality: Women of Color and Feminism

What representations of women of color do you see throughout history? Can you think of any artists who are women of color? Why is it that these women are not often represented and what actions have activist and feminist done to help point out these problematic differences in color? In some cases people do stand up against this oppression. But often there are times when feminists forget that the fight is not just for white middle-class women. Woman of color are often represented poorly when referring to mainstream feminism; in response to this injustice, bringing awareness to this issue and teaching others about feminist artists of color will help others understand and learn to include all oppressed

This quilt was Ringgold’s first quilt that told a story. She wanted to tell her story because no one had done it yet so, she felt the need to do it (Thompson). Not only was this art piece made in an untraditional way, which was textiles, Ringgold also gave a better and more respectable depiction of Aunt Jemima. It talks about both sides of her oppression. The previous idea of her was a caricature of a housemaid that took care of a family’s kids, cleaned and cooked. Ringgold goes into Jemima’s history and brings the caricature meaning. This quilt not only addresses the racist issues surrounding Aunt Jemima but also the one-sided depiction of women being used as objects. She does this to make a representation of someone who is part of her culture be seen as more than a thing to sell. It makes people think about how they view people of color in shown as social icons and just in the media in general (Thompson). This can incite change in

She is a fairly modern artist who explores ideas of race, gender, violence, and identity through silhouettes. Born on November 26,1 969 in Stockton, California, Kara walker eventually graduated and started making art (Shaw). Her work (fig. 2) is very simple and clean, but looking closer you find the images she makes are very horrifying. Walker often in her work plays with the abject. She draws her creativity from the history of the American south. Her story references within her work are form firsthand accounts of slave testimonials and history books (Shaw). These works often show images that are either violent of sexual in some way. Walker does this to make the viewer feel uncomfortable and uneasy. The images draw you in with it’s stark black on white and clean lines. But as you look closer the viewer is forced to face the ugly truth these images show. Walker’s work in whole is about racism in the present day and the huge inequalities within social classes (Shaw). She is a person that is working towards representation and understanding through her work. Walker wants her viewer to know that in America there is still economic and social inequalities that are often driven by underlying racism. By making her work, she is changing the perception of black people in history and the