Meet Mammy' opportunity at Old State Capitol event defended by Louisiana official

An event marking the 25th anniversary of the re-opening of the Old State Capitol after an extensive renovation included an opportunity to “meet Mammy,” but the Secretary of State’s office is defending the event against inference that it could be politically incorrect.

SOS spokesman Tyler Brey said museum staff met the founder of a group called Mammy’s, at a history conference.

“Museum staff had a great conversation with her,” Brey said, and decided to incorporate her historical talk, complete with period attire, into the Sunday event at the Old Capitol. “She came and put on her program and it got overwhelmingly positive results." Mammy" is typically a reference to a historically racist caricature of female slaves pre-Civil War and later black housemaids and nannies to white families during the Jim Crow era.

The Mammy's website describes the organization as an attempt to reclaim the name.

"Mammy was stereotyped as a uneducated, submissive, dark skin, overweight, and very maternal woman," it reads. "Yet, Mammy is so much more than depicted by Hollywood. She is and was a central to the development and success of the community ... Mammy's was created to honor the legacy of those who sacrificed their lives to take care of others."LINK