There is much more, however, to contemplate in this analysis than simply the images of mammy as a cultural icon. The faithful slave in twentiethcentury america, micki mcelya primarily chronicles the early twentieth century legacy of mammy, the fictitious image of an enslaved woman who was devoted to the white family she served and was in return treated with great distinction and affection. The faithful slave in twentiethcentury america and new book liberating beauty. She argues that the figure of the loyal slave has played a powerful role in modern american. Buy clinging to mammy books online at best prices in india by micki mcelya from. Author micki mcelya in her book clinging to mammy observes that the mammy image continues to be popular because it helps whites feel less guilty about slavery mammy as a neutral figure, a bridge between black and white. The book suffers from a lack of consistent editing. In clinging to mammy, micki mcelya uncovers the often astonishing ways white americans have strived to substantiate the myth of the faithful black mammy literally as well as figurativelyin. Titled loyal slave monuments tell a racist lie about american history, halloway specifically references mcelya s research on the largestblack newspaper in dc in the 1920s. Micki mcelya s new book joins the corpus of literature that explores the complexities of mammy and her surrounding myths.
She gives us parlor theatrics, courtroom drama, legislative debate, and movement politics. The faithful slave in twentiethcentury america harvard university press, 2007 on tuesday, nov. Our relationship with slavery october 21, 2007 micki mcelya professor, american studies, university of alabama micki mcelya, professor of american studies at the university of alabama examines why we cling to the notion of mammy. Reviewed by gail murray published on hsawh november, 2008 commissioned by antoinette g. This farreaching image of the nurturing black mother exercises a tenacious hold on. To conclude the chapter, mcelya asserts that montgomery, alabamas domestic workers forcefully rejected the mammy designation when they supported the bus boycott in 1955. Clinging to mammy micki mcelya harvard university press. Loving, hating, pitying, or pining for mammy became a way for americans to make sense of shifting economic, social, and racial realities. Micki mcelya, assistant professor of american studies at the university of alabama, will discuss her new book, clinging to mammy. The books six chapters follow a loose chronological path from the. The faithful slave in twentiethcentury america, and reported the following. Mammy was appealing at a particularly fraught time in national history, says micki mcelya, a historian at university of connecticut and author of clinging to mammy.
Clinging to mammy micki mcelya bok 9780674024335 bokus. This site is like a library, use search box in the widget to get ebook that you want. Msnbc host melissa harris perry recommended this book for anyone who saw the help and couldnt understand why some were so viscerally opposed to the book and film. The book starts with the mammy figure most familiar to anyone who has enjoyed a clinging to mammy explains why that bestseller struck a nerve by painstakingly detailing the sometimes brutally blunt, sometimes nuanced relationship between the black female domestic labor force and the white families they worked for postslavery. Clinging to mammy the faithful slave in twentiethcentury america book. Clinging to mammy the faithful slave in twentiethcentury. While the quality of the whole cannot be ascertained by reading only page 99 of clinging to mammy, it does elaborate an interesting aspect of one of the most. Buy clinging to mammy online of indias largest online book store, only genuine products. The mammy, mcelya observes, is the most visible character in the general myth of the faithful slave, that paternalistic narrative of slavery as reciprocal affection and loyalty. In a time of continued conflict over race and memory, mcelya s conclusion that we are still clinging to mammy.
Buy clinging to mammy book by micki mcelya, 9780674024335. When aunt jemima beamed at americans from the pancake mix box on grocery shelves, many felt reassured by her broad smile that she and her product were dependable. The faithful slave in twentiethcentury america and of the politics of mourning. Clinging to mammy and millions of other books are available for amazon kindle.
Mcelya shows vividly how mammy serves as a perfect archetype for analyzing cultural politics of race and gender, and how they changed. Micki mcelyas clinging to mammy quoted in the nation. In clinging to mammy, micki mcelya uncovers the often astonishing ways. In clinging to mammy, micki mcelya uncovers the often astonishing ways white americans have strived to substantiate the myth of the faithful black mammy literally as well as figurativelyin the twentieth century. Search for library items search for lists search for contacts search for a library. Mcelya s first book, clinging to mammy, won a 2007 outstanding book award from the gustavus myers center for the study of bigotry and human rights. The faithful slave in twentiethcentury america micki mcelya.
Mcelyas book clarifies why we should not expect simple or enduring political alliances based on gender unless and until we have some very. Micki mcelya is professor of history at the university of connecticut. With this book, mcelya joins with scholars such as saidiya hartman. Death and honor in arlington national cemetery, which won the john brinckerhoff jackson book prize and the sharon harris award. Ua scholars clinging to mammy wins humanrights award. Mcelya, micki clinging to mammy the faithful slave in twentiethcentury america. She was named a top young historian by the history news network in 2008. Mcelyas stories expose the power and reach of this myth, not only in advertising, films. Pdf clinging to mammy download full pdf book download.
Micki mcelya is an assistant professor of american studies at the university of alabama. She argues that the figure of the loyal slave has played a powerful role in modern american politics and culture. Click download or read online button to get clinging to mammy book now. Harvard university press, 2007 winner of the 2007 myers center. Ua professor to discuss her book on clinging to mammy. Clinging to mammy available for download and read online in other formats. The authors genius and i dont use that noun lightly in this book is her ability to set familiar events and stories in a broad context of white racial rhetoric, african. Clinging to mammy does not provide a comprehensive history of the use of the mammy image throughout the entirety of the 20 th century, but nevertheless, it is an important work. Assertions of black contentment with servitude alleviated. The faithful slave in twentiethcentury america mcelya. Try searching on jstor for other items related to this book. Clinging to mammy also earned her a place on the 2007 myers center outstanding book awards advancing human rights.
Mcelya eventually left the university of alabama in 2008 to accept a position as an associate professor of history at the university of connecticut. She applied the page 99 test to her new book, clinging to mammy. The faithful slave in twentiethcentury americacambridge. Micki mcelyas new book joins the corpus of literature that explores the complexities of mammy and her surrounding myths. Micki mcelya brings to light a wide array of interlocking connections among wellknown and forgotten uses of the stereotype mammy and its iconography. Clinging to mammy explains why that bestseller struck a nerve by painstakingly detailing the sometimes brutally blunt, sometimes nuanced relationship between the black female domestic labor force and the white families they worked for postslavery. Mcelyas stories expose the power and reach of this myth, not only in advertising, films, and literature about the south, but also in national monument proposals. The faithful slave in twentiethcentury america, from harvard university press african american books native american american life american women books to read my books zane books harvard university press black history. Assertions of black contentment with servitude alleviated white fears while reinforcing racial hierarchy. Micki mcelya loving, hating, pitying, or pining for mammy became a way for americans to make sense of shifting economic, social, and racial realities. Micki mcelya, assistant professor of american studies at the university of alabama, for her book, clinging to mammy. Few american icons have been as comforting or as destructive as.
Mcelya s stories expose the power and reach of this myth, not only in advertising, films, and literature about the south, but also in national monument proposals, child. Ua scholars clinging to mammy wins humanrights award december 12th, 2007 tuscaloosa a prestigious center for promoting human rights has honored dr. Loving, hating, pitying, or pining for mammy became a way for americans to make sense of shifting economic, social, and racial. Following the trajectory from aunt jemima to ronald reagans welfare queen, clinging to mammy traces white americans efforts to define, coerce and reap the benefits of african american womens labor while maintaining a firm grip on political power. Death and honor in arlington national cemetery, which won the john brinckerhoff jackson book prize and the sharon harris award and was a finalist for the jefferson davis award and the pulitzer prize.
Deconstructing the racial ideologies that permeated the twentieth century. Given these details, micki mcelya, author of clinging to mammy. She was everyones mammy, the faithful slave who was content to cook and care for whites, no matter how grueling the labor, because she loved. Clinging to mammy download ebook pdf, epub, tuebl, mobi. She was everyones mammy, the faithful slave who was content to cook and care for whites, no matter how gruelling the labour, because she loved them. Mcelya s stories expose the power and reach of this myth, not only in advertising, films, and literature about the south, but also in national monument. The faithful slave in twentiethcentury america, published in 2007 with harvard university press, was quoted in a recent article by kali halloway.
240 1005 1420 793 1285 340 1095 1250 401 929 1278 310 602 1169 1488 890 629 1265 1244 885 1566 750 97 1065 1176 1391 119 1046 626 1185 1273 1480 917 443 1144 1329 576 1474 400 1248 727 1114