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The sentimental child as an essential representation of American childhood came to dominate children’s literature in the late nineteenth century, a legacy indelibly tied to Little Black Sambo. Sentimentality allows for the reader to…

In this 1926 version of Helen Bannerman’sLittle Black Sambo, Sambo and his mother, Mumbo, differ aesthetically from the more abundant racist tropes of pickaninny and mammy. Sambo and Mumbo each have distinct tribal dress, pointing to the…

Historically, Moors of North African origin were visually depicted in Spanish paintings as servants and pages. The presence of black children signaled the prestige or social status of wealthy white Europeans, manyofwhomwere interested in the…

Throughout much of the first half of the film,Watermelon Man’smain character, Jeff Gerber, struggles to deal with his new transformation from white to black. Two scenes are of particular importance, as they demonstrate Gerber’s attempts…

In this advertising supplement forWatermelon Man, the film’s leading actor, Godfrey Cambridge, is pictured on the right, with accompanying critic reviews to the left of the page, and the movie’s title and “logo” pictured…

This page of aWatermelon Manpressbook features two images of watermelons filled with text. The one near the top of the page features critic reviews intentionally placed and colored in order to reflect the pattern of the American flag, while the…