Does it Help to Cancel and Erase Aunt Jemima?

Jesus sat down opposite the place where the offerings were put and watched the crowd putting their money into the temple treasury. Many rich people threw in large amounts. But a poor widow came and put in two very small copper coins, worth only a few cents.

Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said, “Truly I tell you; this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others.  They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything—all she had to live on.”

Mark [12:41]-44

I recently read that Quaker Oats was eliminating the Aunt Jemima brand and was going to change the name on the syrup and other products that the name promoted. I wondered to myself, is this fair to the families of the woman who originally was used to create this image? As well as, was this just another one of those all too familiar, quick fixes to solve a problem? A ready, fire and then aim approach to addressing a problem

On the surface, this name and image represent a strong connection to slavery and racism. Aunt Jemima represents the prototype of a Mammy from the 19^th century. A black slave cook for white families. It is clearly a name and image that represents the extraordinarily unfair treatment of our African American brothers and sisters.

But who was the first Aunt Jemima? And why are her relatives so upset with this decision by Quaker Oats. Well, she was Nancy Green, born into slavery in 1834. After the Civil war, in which she lost her husband and children, she moved to Chicago with the family that she had become their cook.

At the age of 59, Judge Walker whom she cooked for, recommended to the R.T. Davis Milling Company that she be hired to represent their brand. Thus, Nancy Green became their image to promote their product, pre-mixed pancake mix. At the same time, Ms. Green became the first African American corporate spokesperson. As well as, one of the first female corporate spokesperson.

At the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago, she became an instant hit. Setting her off on a career promoting the brand. She was given a lifetime contract and she was the hit of many fairs, food stores, and festivals. Often promoted on large billboards with her picture.

Despite her lifetime contract, she was replaced because she refused to travel to Paris to promote the product. In 1910, at the age of 76, she was back working as a housekeeper. She died in 1923 in a bad car accident.

But there is far more to this woman when you dig deeper. She co-founded the largest African church in the United States, Olivet Baptist Church. Using her stature she became a spokesperson and activist in Chicago for equal rights and to end poverty. She lived not angry at her treatment but always trying to help others out.

You also should know that when she died, she was buried in an unmarked grave in Chicago’s Oakwood Cemetery. Thanks to a local Chicago historical society, in March 2020, she finally received her headstone.

When family members heard about the decision to eliminate her from the brand, they were upset. Feeling that important family history was being eliminated. African American YouTube star, Anthony Brian Logan, has called this decision an insult to black history.

I point this out because it isn’t clear that eliminating Aunt Jemima has widespread support. In fact, many disagree. Making we wonder; instead of eliminating Aunt Jemima, perhaps we should consider a way to recognize and honor her. After all, she was America’s first African American corporate spokesperson. More importantly, she was a very early civil rights activist and she helped start the largest African American church in the United States.

My thinking here is that while she used to portray a dark side of American lore, she did far more good. And how does canceling Ms. Green recognized this good? I agree with her family, it would be a shame to erase her from history. Instead, shouldn’t we lift up a woman who did so much good.

Instead of dressing her up like a mammy, why doesn’t Quaker Oats create an image of her as an early civil rights activist and call their brand; Ms. Green’s. And at the same time create a marketing campaign that explains why the change. Quaker Oats has made significant profits off of Nancy Green, perhaps they could share some of these profits to support Ms. Green’s causes.

Now you might think these are radical ideas, they aren’t. Think about how Jesus would want her honored. Perhaps the same way he honored the widow, in the Parable of the Widow. A woman who had been mistreated in the world, but still gave all she had to make the world a better place. Jesus certainly would want the world to know about the good Ms. Green did, as he did with the widow from today’s verse.

In the age of Cancelling, we should change to being an age of Correcting. Just because something is fashionable, like the current fad of canceling, it doesn’t mean it’s right. It is not hard to be brave when it is the fashionable thing to do. Real bravery is thinking things through and then acting, instead of being fearful of backlash and reacting.

Nancy Green gave all she had and died pennilessly. Canceling her solves little. Instead, let’s rejoice at what she accomplished and use her example to follow in our lives. That’s what Quaker Oats should do, rebrand her as the champion she became.

Jesus wants us to honor heroes, not cancel them.

Blessings, until next time,
Bruce L. Hartman

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Jesus’s Lesson About Freedom Through Prayer

“Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors. Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil..”

Jesus of Nazareth

Matthew 6:9-13

Jesus’ followers had a simple request, and from that request, we have a prayer that has lasted centuries all over the earth. Simple, yet complex.

You see, this prayer shows clearly our inter-dependence on God’s providence to achieve a true independence from the trials and evils of this world. Reliance on God provides the strength to work together to achieve freedom like no other.

And working together means working with all people. Not just the ones we choose. We will never have true freedom until all people are given their daily bread.

As we celebrate our freedoms in this great experiment called America, let us become even more aware of our dependence on one another and the positive results that occur when we work together in faith!

God Bless America!
Praying for you!

Pastor Lou

Photo by Geetanjal Khanna on Unsplash

Our Hearts Are Connected to God

For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you in profess your faith and are saved….”

Romans [10:10]

What do you believe in your heart?  Can you easily differentiate right from wrong, or has society or social media changed the way you look at things?  Tough questions that require deep thought and honest answers.

It is our hearts, that when inflamed by the Holy Spirit, give us our faith and truth. Through our hearts, God speaks to us.

As I search my own heart and rely more on God’s message, I  hope to be more tolerant and accepting as I search for the goodness in others and myself.

My prayer today is for us all to discern the message we receive from God through self-reflection and compassion. And if we all search deeply;

“What a wonderful world it could be..”

Praying For You

Pastor Lou

Photo by Debby Hudson on Unsplash

Jesus is True Reality

Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”

John 14:6

As our country has become embroiled in the search for racial justice, reality has become extraordinarily elusive. As I watched the Ulysses S Grant’s statue pulled down by a mob out to destroy all symbols of racial injustice, I wondered what was the purpose behind pulling down this particular statue. Did pulling this statue down move our country closer to racial equality? Especially when you consider Grant’s involvement in emancipation and reconstruction efforts.

No individual during and after the Civil War did more for the cause of freedom for slaves than Grant, except Lincoln. A fierce advocator for the right to vote for all people and a demander of equal treatment for black soldiers. As our president, he staunchly remained committed to ensuring that former slaves be allowed to benefit from the rights we all enjoy through the constitution. His record on ending slavery and trying to create equal opportunity Post-Civil War was admirable.

However, Grant and his wife, both had slaves prior to the Civil War, only to release them from bondage just before the Civil War. His record for dealing with Native Americans was suspect. He forced many Native Americans to live on reservations and instigated an illegal war against the Lakota nation.

So as we look at Grant’s history, we find an extremely complicated situation of good and bad. Some will say, because of his efforts to free the slaves and provide an equal future, his statue should stand. While others can point to his treatment of native American’s and say it should be toppled. Raising the question, are we to judge other people based only on their mistakes? And are any of us completely free from poor life decisions?

Does honoring or dishonoring Grant help create a world of equal rights for all people? Does this debate around Grant move us forward in complying with Jesus’s command of love for all people?

Around dinner tables, bars, and gatherings; there are so many opinions about so many things from our historical past. Feelings get hurt and others seeking personal relevancy push their cause. And from where I sit, I see the good and bad in all these arguments.

History has always benefited from the point of view of the victor. They are the ones that write history. Making history always somewhat suspect. Human history itself is always inherently flawed. And so are all of our opinions. Finding and grasping the completeness of history is a daunting task, with none of us, are ever truly have all the facts.

It seems to me that the debate about what is real history is a distraction to helping us live up to our responsibilities to serve Jesus and love our neighbor. History is elusive and often bent to support a particular point of view, making it unreliable in dictating our conduct.

Debating history won’t always help the need to feed the poor. History will not always salve the wounds of modern-day injustices. History will not always help us do that which we ought to do. It is not that history isn’t important, rather history is elusive and if our desire is to be a good world citizen, than history is a somewhat unreliable compass.

I know for the great teachers and students of history, this is a difficult message. And my point isn’t to discredit their efforts, it is more to refocus how we let history affect our behavior. If we want to know the history and its lessons, it has to be studied without prejudice. And we have to be willing to discover the real truth. This in itself is a difficult task and can be distracting to our goals of helping make the world a place of equality.

What single mother of three, living just below the poverty line is helped because Grant’s statue was torn down? How does arguing about an obscure figure in history like Francis Scott Key protect youths from being accidentally shot walking home from school? How does a teen learn about and have access to the bounty of America through mobs burning buildings and toppling statues?

If we want to fix what is wrong and help those underserved, it is our uplifting actions that will provide a lasting solution, not toppling statues because of our view of history. By staying riveted to the lessons of Jesus we can make real change.

Through following Jesus, we can be certain of our path and what is a true reality. In the Gospel of John, we get a quote from Jesus that gives us this direction, where it says; Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” A clear and simple message of what should occupy our minds. Not that of pursing frail and fragile human truth, rather a life that focuses on a sacred truth by following Jesus.

This path is very hard to follow. And on many days we will fall short of truly living this way. We will all become desirous of giving our opinions or become overly bothered by the headlines of the day. Jesus asks us to follow him and through this activity, we become much more productive in helping out in an unequal world. Over time we will discover a more soothing path. A path that removes us from what falsely seems permanent to a sacred purpose.

The world is filled with glimmering nuggets that attract us, only to be disappointed when we grab a hold of them. History is filled with them, never satisfying, and always attracting our thoughts. Following Jesus is quite different, all that He said is true and beneficial.

Today, spend time with Jesus and ask for His insight, what seems illusive will become real.

 

Blessings, until next time,
Bruce L. Hartman

Photo by Chris Karidis on Unsplash