"H" is for Harrington, Anna Short [ca. 1897-1955]. Portrayer of Aunt Jemima. A native of Cheraw, Short’s family moved to North Carolina where Anna married. She and her spouse were sharecroppers and lived bear Rockingham until he left his family. In 1932, she moved to New York—near Syracuse. She first lived with the family as a cook, but in the early 1930s took a job as a cook for several fraternities at Syracuse University. The students’ favorite meal was pancakes. Harrington’s reputation spread throughout the state and she was featured in numerous media interviews. Eventually Quaker Oats Company hired her to portray “Aunt Jemima” and market their products nationally. Anna Short Harrington became quite wealthy and at the time of her death the former sharecropper enjoyed a lifestyle that eluded most Americans—be they black or white.
“H” is for Harrington, Anna Short
