Newspaper Page Text
4A
MARCH 4, 199§
Racist memorabilia
is reminder of struggle
®Local merchant
gathers strange fruit
— collectibles that
perpetuate racial
stereotypes.
AUGUSTA, Ga.
(AP) Racist ashtrays and shot
glasses are among the items
Vincent Hamilton bought and hid
during years gone by to prove that
such items once existed as a way to
fuel and perpetuate racial biases.
Now, Hamilton uses his collec
tion of blackface minstrels and
mammies during lectures about
the influence the memorabilia had
on society and race relations.
“This is unspoken history that
no one wants to entertain,” the 40-
year-old book store owner said. “It
helps to understand how images
affect opinions. We now have two
generations of people who don’t
know about this stuff.”
Hamilton said he was offended
the first time he saw the items but
realized they had an affect on opin
ions during the time and were yet
another hurdle blacks had to
struggle to overcome.
“These things were symbolic of
how America felt about blacks,”
Hamilton said. “It affected social
and political and economic oppor
tunities for blacks.”
For example, the Sambo charac
ter perpetuated theidea thatblacks
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People
were not intelligent enough to
make decisions or lead, Hamilton
said.
Most of the more offensive items
were taken offthe shelves after the
1964 Civil Rights Act. Once taken
offthe shelves, Hamilton said, they
became increasingly valuable.
Hamilton now scavenges flea
markets and antique stores for
the merchandise. He also fre
quents the cereal aisle of grocery
stores, where he searches for posi
tive images of blacks on cereal
boxes.
He says advertising that fea
tured blacks in stereotypical
roles, such as Aunt Jemima, the
black butler on cans of Tom’s pea
nuts and the black “Gold Dust”
twins, has become very popular.
And Hamilton says in the past
five years, collecting the memo
rabilia has become more accept
able from the black perspective.
Oprah Winfrey, Billy Dee Will
iams and Whoopi Goldberg are
among the collectors.
“Everybody wants it,” he said.
“People want to be able. to tell
their kids, ‘This is what we had to
overcome.”
Vincent Hamilton: “These
things were symbolic of how
America felt about blacks,”
Hamilton said. “It affected
social and political and eco
nomic opportunities for
blacks.”
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. Across from Old Town Plaza Windsor Spring Rd.
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2022 Gordon Hwy. 3217 Wrightsboro Rd. 3836 Washington Rd.
Across from Across from In front of
Bob Richards Chevrolet Pizza Hut K-Mart Pharmacy
Radisson to host members of
Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.
Avgusta
- The Radisson Riverfront Hotel
is the setting for the Southern
Regional Convention of Alpha Phi
Alpha Fraternity, Inc. March 11-
14, 1999.
Members of the oldest college
fraternity in the U.S. for African
Americans will examine ways to
improve its role of leadership and
public service, which it provides
to the world. 1999 marks the 93
anniversary of the fraternity.
Alpha Phi Alpha was founded
December 4, 1906 at Cornell Uni
versity in Ithaca, New York by
seven young men known as Jew
els. The Jewels are Henry A.
Callis, Charles H. Chapman, Eu
gene K. Jones, George B. Kelly,
LNathaniel A. Murray, Robert H.
Ogle and Venter W. Tandy. The
membership has grown toinclude
over 150, 000 men, with over 700
chapters in the Bahamas and the
Virgin Islands. The Corporate
Headquarters located in Balti
more, Maryland.
The members gathering in Au
gusta for the regional convention
represent the seven southern
states of Alabama, Florida, Geor
gia, Mississippi, North Carolina,
South Carolina and Tennessee.
Alpha is a showcase of men about
lthe business of improving the
Augusta Focus
is our newspaper. E-mail
your thoughts, comments
and concerns to us at:
augustafocus@mindspring.cqp;ii;
quality of life for humankind,’”
uplifting youth, sponsoring schol-'*
arship programs and encourag- "'
ingmeritorious achievement. The "'
National Programs of Alpha Phi
Alpha are Project Alpha, Go-to-,"
High School, Go-to-College and A ~
Voteless People is a Hopeless''
People. .
The Convention events will in- *
clude a Public Program, Step,.
Show, Miss Black and Gold Pag-2
eant, Collegiate Scholars Bowl
and Scholarship Dance that are*
open to the public. Business ses-~
sions, training workshops and+
luncheons are planned for the
brothers. A special agenda is
planned for the ladies and chil
dren in attendance.
For all that attend, this will
certainly be an educational, in
formative and excitingexperience
of southern hospitality. The op
portunity to experience the
unique culture and attractions in
Augusta will provide an added
benefit to the well-planned con
vention agenda. For more infor-.\
mation and event tickets, contact™
Ellis Albright or David Butler,&
Sr. of the local alumni chapters,,';n‘
Alpha Chi Lambda and Eta Al-::
pha at (706) 798-5994 or (706).
798-6470.