"Sambos" was the name of a U.S. chain of breakfast houses, similar to IHOP. Once ubiquitous, only one store remains - the original restaurant in Santa Barbara, California, from which the chain sprang. When the owners discovered a book entitled "Little Black Sambo" written by Hellen Bartrum in 1899, in which an East-Indian child is chased in a circle by a tiger until the tiger turns into butter, they decided it was a perfect match, and Sambos restaurants thereafter featured conspicuously mounted placards telling the story, and ultimately relating the butter to the blobs of whipped butter served on Sambo's pancakes.
Whether the chain closed because of concerns relating to "political correctness" is unknown to this author.
Whether the chain closed because of concerns relating to "political correctness" is unknown to this author.
by Rod Brock July 24, 2006
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In modern times, most people know this word indirectly from Helen Bannerman's "The Story of Little Black Sambo", not directly from slave references as several have incorrectly mentioned here. It is controversial because some people feel it was racially motivated.
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