jan 1, 1890 - Tom in Advertisment
Description:
Commercial Tom has been used to sell products such as the well-known cream of wheats. The image of an unknown black man has appeared on cream of wheat boxes for decades. The advertisements were racially insensitive as one read “maybe Cream of Wheat ain’t got no vitamins. I don’t know what them things is. If they’s bugs they aint none in Cream of Wheat but she’s sho’good to eat and cheap. Cost ‘bout 1 cent fo a great big dish—Rastus”. The advertisement undermines the intelligence of the black man and incorporates his English slurs.Added to timeline:
Date:
jan 1, 1890
Now
~ 135 years ago