Anti-Black Racism in Food Advertising: Rogers’ Golden Syrup and the Imagery of White Supremacy in the Canadian West

Date

2021-05-01

Authors

Belisle, Donica

Journal Title

Journal ISSN

Volume Title

Publisher

University of California Press

Abstract

Between 1947 and 1958, B.C. Sugar—western Canada’s largest sugar manufacturer—ran six major advertising campaigns that depicted Black people as laborers on sugarcane plantations. One of these campaigns, moreover, played upon offensive stereo types of Black men as happy-go-lucky, childlike, and suited for manual labor. Analyzing the reach, content, and significances of these campaigns, this article suggests that despite increased civil and human rights advocacy in the 1940s and 1950s, at least one major Canadian corporation persisted in distributing anti-Black racist advertising. Such persistence reveals that white supremacist sentiment was entrenched in western Canada during this time. It also suggests that the western Canadian sugar industry particularly, and the North American food industry more generally, have been prone to anti-Black racism within advertising.

Description

Article is made available in accordance with the publisher's policy and may be subject to US copyright law. Please refer to the publisher's site for terms of use. © 2021 by the Regents of the University of California.

Keywords

Citation

“Anti-Black Racism in Food Advertising: Rogers Golden Syrup and the Imagery of White Supremacy in the Canadian West.” Gastronomica: The Journal for Food Studies. 21, no. 2 (Summer 2021), pp. 14-27, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1525/gfc.2021.21.2.14

Collections