Difference between revisions of "The Story of Little Black Sambo"

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[[File:The Story of Little Black Sambo 1899 First Edition Cover.jpg|thumb|307x307px|The Story of Little Black Sambo 1899 First Edition Cover]]
 
[[File:The Story of Little Black Sambo 1899 First Edition Cover.jpg|thumb|307x307px|The Story of Little Black Sambo 1899 First Edition Cover]]
''The Story of Little Black Sambo'' is a children's book written and illustrated by Scottish author Helen Bannerman and published first by Grant Richards in England in October 1899 and then in the United States the following year. Bannerman wrote and illustrated this book as a gift for her two little girls.  
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The Story of Little Black Sambo is a children's book written and illustrated by Scottish author Helen Bannerman and published first by Grant Richards in England in October 1899 and then in the United States the following year. Bannerman wrote and illustrated this book as a gift for her two little girls.  
  
''Little Black Sambo's'' publication in 1899 earned Bannerman recognition as an innovator in picture books. At that time her bright, unrefined illustrations, suspenseful narrative, and rhythmic, repetitive sentences were considered unique. The small size of the book, also a new feature, made it easy for children to hold in their hands.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20070515142643/http://www.pancakeparlour.com/Wonderland/Highlights/Thefuture/Short_Stories/Bannerman/bannerman.html Helen Bannerman On The Train To Kodaikanal]. Retrieved on December 22, 2020</ref>  
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The book's publication in 1899 earned Bannerman recognition as an innovator in picture books. At that time her bright, unrefined illustrations, repetitive sentences, suspenseful narrative, and rhythmic, were considered unique. Because of the small size of the book, which also considered as a new feature, made it easy for children to hold in their hands.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20070515142643/http://www.pancakeparlour.com/Wonderland/Highlights/Thefuture/Short_Stories/Bannerman/bannerman.html Helen Bannerman On The Train To Kodaikanal]. Retrieved on December 22, 2020</ref>  
  
 
However, it became an object of allegations of racism in the mid-20th century, due to the names of the characters being racial slurs for dark-skinned people, and the , fact the illustrations were in the [[wikipedia:Pickaninny|pickaninny]] style, storybook which was hurtful to Black children, and gradually the book disappeared from lists of recommended stories for children.  
 
However, it became an object of allegations of racism in the mid-20th century, due to the names of the characters being racial slurs for dark-skinned people, and the , fact the illustrations were in the [[wikipedia:Pickaninny|pickaninny]] style, storybook which was hurtful to Black children, and gradually the book disappeared from lists of recommended stories for children.  

Revision as of 04:20, 23 February 2021

The Story of Little Black Sambo 1899 First Edition Cover

The Story of Little Black Sambo is a children's book written and illustrated by Scottish author Helen Bannerman and published first by Grant Richards in England in October 1899 and then in the United States the following year. Bannerman wrote and illustrated this book as a gift for her two little girls.

The book's publication in 1899 earned Bannerman recognition as an innovator in picture books. At that time her bright, unrefined illustrations, repetitive sentences, suspenseful narrative, and rhythmic, were considered unique. Because of the small size of the book, which also considered as a new feature, made it easy for children to hold in their hands.[1]

However, it became an object of allegations of racism in the mid-20th century, due to the names of the characters being racial slurs for dark-skinned people, and the , fact the illustrations were in the pickaninny style, storybook which was hurtful to Black children, and gradually the book disappeared from lists of recommended stories for children.

Plot

The Story of Little Black Sambo tells the story of a little boy who is forced to surrender his clothing and his umbrella to four tigers so as to avoid being eaten by them. After Sambo saves himself by giving each tiger an article of his gaudy outfit, eventually the tigers begin fighting among themselves and ultimately chasing each other around a tree until they are blur into butter. Not only does he recover his possessions, his mother, Black Mumbo, uses the butter to make pancakes for the entire family. In fact, in the French-language edition of Bannerman’s book, Sambo Le Petit Négre (1948), the little boy is depicted eating tiger-striped pancakes![2]

Controversy

Story of Little Black Sambo Cover First US Publication

Although this book is widely popular among children, this book came under attack in the United States during the 1960's for what many people claimed were racist illustrations and generally negative portrayals of black people. In late 1964 a Nebraska school superintendent removed Little Black Sambo from the open shelves of libraries in his school system, on the grounds that it was inherently racist. After the book was placed on reserve and made available only as optional material, it faded from circulation.

In 1972, shortly after Bannerman’s book was republished in England, The London Times published an essay discussing censorship of children’s books that were charged with fostering undesirable viewpoints. The Central Committee of Teachers Against Racism complained that Sambo depicted a stereotypical image of African American gluttony because of a scene in which Sambo eats 169 pancakes. Right-wing activists insisted that the book did not patronize or degrade blacks despite stereotypical illustrations of flashy multicolored clothing, bare feet, and grossly exaggerated physical features.

By the 1970’s Bannerman’s book had disappeared from public and school library shelves. Many of the arguments for and against Little Black Sambo formed the basis of guidelines for determining racism and sexism in children’s books. These guidelines generally included examination of the illustrations, storyline, lifestyles portrayed, relationships described, and racial or ethnic identity of the heroes and heroines.[3]

Additionally, the term “Sambo” had already gained currency in America as a black archetype, particularly, a black servant who was “loyal and contented” (Pilgrim). This was by no means limited to the United States. In 1974, a West Indian factory worker in Britain charged with assaulting his co-worker for calling him “Sambo” was informed by the presiding judge that “Sambo” was nothing more than a playful term used between workmates and hardly justified assault.[4]

References

  1. Helen Bannerman On The Train To Kodaikanal. Retrieved on December 22, 2020
  2. Jeyathurai, Dashini (2012). The complicated racial politics of Little Black Sambo. Retrieved on December 22, 2020.
  3. eNotes Editorial (2018). Little Black Sambo. Retrieved on December 22, 2020
  4. Jeyathurai, Dashini (2012). The complicated racial politics of Little Black Sambo. Retrieved on December 23, 2020.