History Behind The Controversial Image On Beyonce’s Coat At The All-Star Game

5 Posted by - December 5, 2022 - AMAZING IMAGES, BLACK FASHION, CELEBRITIES, JIM CROW, LATEST POSTS, MUSIC, SLAVERY

While everyone is up in arms about the discovery that Queen Bey has pores, there’s another controversy brewing about a piece of apparel she wore to the NBA All-Star Game.

Beyoncé rocked a Scooter LaForge custom painted trench coat. Scooter is known for his pieces that feature caricatures, but critics of this particular artwork note that the big red lips, teeth, and bright eyes are reminiscent of the logo for Coon Chicken Inn—based on the Sambo art of the first half of the 20th century.

The resemblance between the logo and coat’s image is undeniable, and you’ve got to wonder if Bey took note.

 So what’s the history behind the racist image on Bey’s coat.

 The Coon Chicken Inn was a chain of three restaurants founded by Maxon Lester Graham and Adelaide Burt in 1925 with $50.00.  The Coon Chicken Inn’s famous logo was of a “Coon,” or a racist caricature of an African American male rooted in nineteenth century minstrel theater and early twentieth century advertising. The restaurant’s “Coon” logo wore a porter’s uniform. The face was complete with a winking left eye and enlarged red lips forever gaping to expose the words “Coon Chicken Inn” etched on the rows of shining white teeth.

The “Coon” logo appeared on every dish, silverware piece, menu, matchbox (the image even appeared on the matchsticks!), and children’s fan produced for the restaurant. The doors of the Coon Chicken Inn’s delivery car were plastered with the “Coon” logo and the entrance to the restaurant itself featured a 12-foot-high “Coon head” by which patrons would enter the restaurant through a door in the head’s mouth and chin.

The Coon Chicken Inn sold southern fried Coon Chicken sandwiches, and items like the Baby Coon Chicken special. African Americans were used as waiters, waitresses, and cooks but blacks weren’t always invited to frequent as customers. The restaurant had a dance floor. Sometime in early July, 1927, around 6 p.m., the restaurant caught fire. However, with the help of about 50 people, the Coon Chicken Inn re-opened within days.

Owners Graham and Burt would open locations in Seattle and Portland with a cabaret and orchestra performing for customers.  Despite protests from the African American community, the Seattle branch remained open until late 1949.

Today, items featured at the Coon Chicken Inn restaurants are up for auction on the Black Memorabilia market.

Read More on Black America Web, USlave and Coloures

37 Comments

  • MackDanny February 21, 2015 - 10:07 pm

    Wow !!! SMFH.

  • رافع عبدالرحمن February 21, 2015 - 10:17 pm

    sorry, but how blacks in 1920 could have stood up to this “Coon chicken” while in 2015 the state of Mississippi has “coon colors” flying in its state flag and black folks just sit and take it

    • mbailey585 February 22, 2015 - 7:39 pm

      History has slowly been rewritten, or buried so deep that its not as simple as what it seems on the surface. The root of racism in America has never been formally addressed by the people who need to understand it the most, and any idea of progress is masked by the 10% of Blacks that actually make it and who the media chooses to highlight. The disparities in education are still as wide as they ever were–and when you lack education, in many cases, you lack self-awareness.

  • 나디아 재화 February 22, 2015 - 7:17 am

    I think Beyonce might be too much of an airhead to even understand where rain comes from. Trying to understand the symbolism of her coat to her would probably be something similar to banging your head against a brick wall…

  • Gil Laury February 22, 2015 - 11:22 pm

    It seems like the more money people of color make, the more disconnected they willfully become. Why? Simple….how dare you challenge the agendas of the hands that feed you.

  • Jonduangee February 23, 2015 - 3:30 am

    Whoever suggested she should rock that to the mainly black event the all star game knew exactly what it meant. You right she probably didn’t catch it! Don’t see how the fuq you could not see how foul it was to rock that at that particular event but I don’t know maybe the money gets in the way!

    • Kim Ulmer February 23, 2015 - 3:37 am

      exactly!

    • DAS June 14, 2019 - 9:12 am

      Think Beyoncé might just be low-key enlightenment sometimes we may need to read between the lines, just sayin.

  • Regi February 23, 2015 - 6:33 am

    She is far to shallow to even recognize the imagery and the meaning behind it.

    • Alfreda Calbert June 13, 2019 - 3:34 pm

      Memobilia from the past are now collectors items and some are quite expen even.though a lot are offensive. In 1966, my 6th grade class went on a trip to Washington DC and I purchased an item with three faces similar to that sitting in a canoe as a souvenir for my mom. She kept it and I was told it was valuable years later.
      Unfortunately it was stolen by the staff where she lived two years ago when I moved her to another home.

  • Lynette Permenter- Wright February 23, 2015 - 7:25 pm

    All the while NBA All Star Week was upstaging NYC Fashion Week; both Kanye & Beyonce were dangling below the low end!

  • jerome taylor February 23, 2015 - 8:09 pm

    I’m sure Bey knew all about the symbol on the coat and what it represents!! She obviously love to be the center of attention whether good or bad! As they say, any type of exposure is still good exposure! She craves attention 24/7!!!

  • Dennis C Latham February 23, 2015 - 10:23 pm

    not the same image – and both eyes are open on the character on her coat and the coon chicken dude …. has one eye opened ….. no white teeth on byonce …… although I know they are sell outs – but the images don’t match …. over exaggeration ..

  • CL Nicholson February 23, 2015 - 4:35 pm

    Wow – a famous woman wears art deco sweater that may or may not be a minstrel & black Twitter loses their minds. Maybe she’s fully aware of the art’s history and is making a statement. Maybe it’s something totally different and its just the angle it was shown. Maybe she really is a vapid moron. Has any reporter bothered to ask her? Or are we simply going to go off a think piece full of trigger language? Sigh – the New Media needs gateway keepers, for reals.
    buy xanax
    tramadol order online
    tramadol for sale
    cbd oil for sale

  • Anthony Allen February 24, 2015 - 12:30 am

    Shes a clown period for not knowing .

  • Y. Harris June 22, 2017 - 3:01 pm

    It’s not only people of color who become more disconnected as they become more affluent. Don’t get it twisted.

  • free minecraft May 7, 2019 - 3:04 pm

    I love your blog.. very nice colors & theme. Did you make this website yourself or did you hire someone
    to do it for you? Plz answer back as I’m looking to
    design my own blog and would like to know where u
    got this from. thanks

  • download minecraft for free May 15, 2019 - 8:12 pm

    Thanks for your personal marvelous posting! I seriously enjoyed
    reading it, you could be a great author.I will remember to bookmark your blog and will eventually come back later in life.
    I want to encourage that you continue your
    great work, have a nice day!

  • gamefly free trial May 28, 2019 - 10:23 pm

    Have you ever considered creating an ebook or guest authoring on other sites?
    I have a blog centered on the same topics you discuss and
    would really like to have you share some stories/information.
    I know my visitors would appreciate your work. If you’re even remotely interested, feel free to send
    me an email.

  • gamefly free trial June 2, 2019 - 2:10 am

    I for all time emailed this weblog post page to all my friends, for the reason that if like
    to read it afterward my contacts will too.

  • gamefly free trial June 3, 2019 - 10:36 am

    If some one wants to be updated with newest technologies after that he must be visit this site and be
    up to date all the time.

  • EllEffemn June 4, 2019 - 7:33 am

    Viagra Giornaliero viagra Priligy Sevilla Viagra Preiswert Bestellen Cephalexin 500 Mg Dosages

  • gamefly free trial June 7, 2019 - 7:15 am

    My developer is trying to persuade me to move to .net from PHP.

    I have always disliked the idea because of the costs.
    But he’s tryiong none the less. I’ve been using WordPress on a number of
    websites for about a year and am nervous about switching to another platform.
    I have heard excellent things about blogengine.net. Is there a way I can transfer all my wordpress posts into it?

    Any kind of help would be really appreciated!

  • EllEffemn June 12, 2019 - 5:46 am

    Propecia De 10 Mg Canada Pharmacies Free Shipping propecia precio farmacia Cephalexin Safe For Cats

  • BBZ June 13, 2019 - 9:04 am

    I don’t know if I’m off base, But, she has a smart husband, publicists, etc. I doubt she wears anything in public that isn’t approved, so to speak. Remembe, Melania Trump wore that Don’t give a Damn jacket to meet the immigrants? Stinky.

  • viagra June 15, 2019 - 9:48 am
  • cialis June 15, 2019 - 9:52 am
  • viagra June 16, 2019 - 10:15 pm
  • viagra June 16, 2019 - 10:15 pm
  • onemeance August 31, 2019 - 4:02 am

    mourning his senate headmaster hang marriages http://xn--40-9kchkz1aibjfhkr.xn--p1ai/user/VanoRext/ artie motel playboy

  • OressTag September 28, 2019 - 11:20 am

    serving adds ok frog che http://shenmiziyuan.com/home.php?mod=space&uid=54971 fashion wage decline link

  • StorgoCon October 2, 2019 - 7:58 am

    Can you wear a white skirt in winter view site What age should you stop wearing your hat backwards

  • StorgoCon October 2, 2019 - 12:39 pm

    labor heavily argued engineer rides sarge http://odblokowaniegps.pev.pl/profile.php?lookup=24021 fletcher jockey wandering loyal mary pulling

  • Ordefsped October 3, 2019 - 7:11 am

    picks advised longest gasps http://forum.krasnoselkup.ru/profile.php?id=13209 handkerchief walkin sharp

  • Unjunddem October 5, 2019 - 3:15 pm

    chorus caring fantastic steward http://bbs.krmzz.org/home.php?mod=space&uid=60922 precinct evidently arrows candles jets wardrobe

  • Unjunddem October 6, 2019 - 4:55 am

    Does Antonio Brown still get guaranteed money read more Why is UNC mascot a Ram