When we look back at some of the advertising campaigns from the 1950s, it's hard not to cringe at the blatant racism and insensitivity that was often displayed. One such example is an advertisement that appeared in a Jackson, Tennessee, newspaper in 1953, advertising Nigger Head Oysters for a mere 45 cents a can.
What's even more shocking is that this was far from an isolated incident. Nigger Head Oysters could be found on the shelves of many stores across the country, particularly in the Southern states. This product name was deemed so offensive that it sparked outrage among civil rights activists, who were just beginning to make their voices heard.
Thankfully, pressure from organizations like the NAACP eventually led to some changes. In August 1955, the Aughinbaugh Canning Company of Biloxi, Mississippi, changed their brand name from Nigger Head Oysters to Negro Head Oysters, as a result of this public outcry.
Sadly, this wasn't the only product to use such offensive marketing tactics. In 1878, the B. Leidersdorf Company in Milwaukee began producing Nigger Hair Smoking Tobacco, complete with a packaging design that featured a caricature of "the head of a negro surmounted with a copious crop of wool, and having a large ring pending from the nose and another from the ear."
Unsurprisingly, this product also faced criticism from civil rights groups, and was eventually renamed Bigger Hair in the 1950s.
Looking back at these examples from our history is a sobering reminder of how far we've come in terms of racial sensitivity and awareness. While it's easy to dismiss these ads as relics of a bygone era, it's important to remember the impact that they had on people at the time, and the ongoing fight for equal rights and representation that continues today.
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