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The Straight Story

(48,121 posts) Thu Jul 25, 2013, 12:16 PM Jul 2013

Paula Deen I Did NOT Dress Up Black Chef Like Aunt Jemima [View all]

Paula Deen is calling BS on a former chef who claims Deen made an African-American employee dress up like Aunt Jemima ... claiming the chef is crying racism in a pathetic money grab.

The woman behind the allegations is Dora Charles -- who ran Deen's kitchens for 22 years and helped open Paula's famous Lady & Sons restaurant in Georgia.

Charles spoke with the New York Times -- and claimed Deen wouldn't just use racial slurs in the kitchens, but wanted to dress up her employees as humiliating stereotypes.

Among the allegations, Charles says Deen tried to make her ring a dinner bell for restaurant customers ... something Charles felt was racially charged.

"That's a symbol to me of what we used to do back in the day," Charles said.

Charles also claims Deen tried to make another black female employee, Ineata Jones, dress up in an "old style Aunt Jemima outfit" while flipping hoecakes at a dining station.

http://www.tmz.com/2013/07/25/paula-deen-chef-aunt-jemima/?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

31 replies

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Highlight:

Paula Deen I Did NOT Dress Up Black Chef Like Aunt Jemima [View all] The Straight Story Jul 2013 OP

I call BS on it, too Dreamer Tatum Jul 2013 #1

It took 22 years to come public with all this abuse? I'm snappyturtle Jul 2013 #3

Unless the other employee, Jones, makes the same claim, I call BS... joeybee12 Jul 2013 #22

while flipping hoecakes! bunnies Jul 2013 #2

They're corn pone, made with cornmeal. kestrel91316 Jul 2013 #4

Really? bunnies Jul 2013 #5

Cornbread of a sort, baked on a hot hoe blade out in the fields traditionally. kestrel91316 Jul 2013 #6

we call it "hot water cornbread" in this part of world. nt arely staircase Jul 2013 #13

How the Hoe Cake (Most Likely) Got Its Name1 TexasProgresive Jul 2013 #7

That was so interesting and well written. A joy to read. THANK YOU KittyWampus Jul 2013 #11

1 part hoe, 2 parts cake? DonRedwood Jul 2013 #8

:) bunnies Jul 2013 #9

It's a regional thing. Igel Jul 2013 #12

I probably never would have linked farming tools to cooking... bunnies Jul 2013 #16

I live so far in the Deep South Aerows Jul 2013 #14

ewww. Grits. bunnies Jul 2013 #15

With cheese and Tabasco Aerows Jul 2013 #17

Cheese! bunnies Jul 2013 #18

Cheese and Tabasco Aerows Jul 2013 #19

I'll definitely try them again with your advice. bunnies Jul 2013 #20

You might find that you like them :) Aerows Jul 2013 #21

mmmm. red beans & rice. bunnies Jul 2013 #23

If you like red beans and rice Aerows Jul 2013 #27

lol. I'd weigh 500 lbs if I lived down there. bunnies Jul 2013 #28

It's actually very good for you Aerows Jul 2013 #30

lol. bunnies Jul 2013 #31

And shrimp. Cheese grits with shrimp is amazing. NOT instant grits though. nolabear Jul 2013 #24

Oh Lord Aerows Jul 2013 #25

From the complaint filed in March of 2011 Skwmom Jul 2013 #10

Boy, they very liberally switch from "made" to "tried to make." nolabear Jul 2013 #26

Back in the day.... AsahinaKimi Jul 2013 #29