#6 - "Jockos"

This picture can also be found at http://www.loudounhistory.org/graphics/history-photos/black-jockey-statue.jpg.

The next item that I chose to post on is not necessarily a media item, but more of a popular culture object that exists in certain parts of the country, and more importantly our state. I’ve chosen to write this piece on groomsmen statues (sometimes referred to as “Jockos”), which can still be found on the lawns of families across the south-eastern part of Ohio and down into West Virginia. Although someone may know what they are by name, almost everyone has at least seen the statues that I am referring to. They portray a small black boy (painted black as coal), dressed in slave clothing, carrying a hitching ring (nowadays people place a lantern in his hand). According to some, George Washington created the first groomsman hitching-post, rather that’s true or not they were designed for white men to tie their horses to. This portrayal of Africans as subservient, laborers was, of course, rampant at the time, considering that the slave trade was in its prime. As the years passed, the image of the groomsman changed. He donned a new jockey’s uniform which made his position as a hitching post seem more like a career than slave labor, as if that’s supposed to make its existence more acceptable. Regardless, the sale of these “Jockos” take place on a daily basis at flea markets and they are proudly displayed in gardens across the Mid-Ohio Valley and because I have been exposed to them to the extent that I have, I’ve chosen to write on them in order to make people aware that they still exist.

Of course, it’s obvious to describe how the “Jockos” are related to the Ethnic Notions video that we watched in class. “Jockos” represent a black servitude that has not existed for more than a century, yet their image still exists today in a world that boasts to be more understanding and open to diversity. Many of the “Jockos” also appear with big smiles on their faces, suggesting that they’re more than happy to be in slavery, the exact definition of the sambo character. On a deeper level, the groomsmen relate to Johnson’s descriptions of privilege and oppression. In Chapter 2, Johnson describes how it’s white privilege for white men and women to view the world as having no inequality. It’s not uncommon for the people who own these statues to rationalize their choice to display them by stating that they’re just “cute” lawn ornaments equal to lawn gnomes (trust me, I personally know people that own them). First, how can you seriously believe that they wouldn’t offend people? Of course, that’s just another privilege of “whiteness”. Johnson might say that minority groups are unlikely to rise up to challenge the majority and therefore, white people don’t often have to worry about the consequences of their offensiveness. Secondly, what group would want their ancestors to be compared to a woodland gnome? A symbol of the hardships and control of slavery used as a way to spice up lawns across America.

As I said earlier, I’ve been exposed to these “Jockos” since childhood and actually my grandfather has made them and sold them at flea markets, they’re quite popular. It makes me wonder, what within people makes them want these statues? I have a feeling that the true answer is much more volatile than what people will admit to. The types of people that do tend to desire these “Jockos” are mostly white working class Americans, which makes me think that it is possible that there may be a feeling of worth (mastery) in the ownership of a slave statue. Also, as I stated earlier there is very little diversity in my hometown (making the minority groups even more of a minority), which means there are very few people to express actual distain for the statues, there is very little resistance. “Jockos” have bothered me for a long time but I never really thought of them in terms of prolonging images of slavery before taking this course. When I think about the ignorance that people around my home have, I wonder if they (like me) would be affected by more knowledge about these sorts of things, but more often than not I believe that the answer would be NO.