During the 20th century, there were few opportunities for Black people to work in the newspaper and even fewer for women. Despite that, Zelda Jackson Omes, better known as “Jackie,” became the first Black woman to be a syndicated cartoonist.
In May of 1937, Jackie released her first comic strip, Dixie to Harlem, introducing readers to Torchy Brown, a Black teenager from Mississippi who moved to New York during the Great Migration to be a singing show star at the Cotton Club.
While presenting a comical and optimistic story to readers, Jackie was able to reflect the struggles of people who moved from the South to the North. Jackie even touched on segregation by having Torchy choose between sitting in the “White” or “Colored” section of the train she took to New York due to her being “White-passing”.
Courtesy of The Philadelphia Courier
The strip was eventually featured in over 15 Black newspapers across America, leading her to become the first Black syndicated cartoonist.
“We think it’s really important to have someone who paved the way in the ways she did. She set the tone for some amazing artists who continue to work today,” said Jennifer, a Dreamers and Make-Believers staff member.
“In 2023, there was a documentary created about Jackie and was filmed on location. I got to know so much about her and learned how progressive it was for a Black woman to be a representative for Black and other marginalized voices during that time,” Jennifer continued.
Jackie was born in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, on August 1st, 1911. It is said that she drew and wrote throughout her adolescence. She was even the arts editor for the Monongahela High School Yearbook for the 1929-1930 academic school year.
Her start in journalism was as a proofreader for the Pittsburgh Courier, one of the more popular Black newspapers in the 1930s. During her time there, she also worked as a freelance writer and editor.
Jackie‘s cartoons became very inspiring and created many positive role models for Black families. In her comics, the characters she created were witty, intelligent, classy, and strong women who lived luxurious lives. These characters helped to change the narrative of how Black people were depicted within comics.
In 1936, Jackie married Earl Omes and eventually relocated to Chicago. In Chicago, she became a cartoonist for the Chicago Defender, another popular black newspaper. During her time there, Jackie featured a new character, Candy. She was a very intelligent housemaid who was featured in news strips for months.
Eventually, Jackie and her husband moved back to Pennsylvania, and she started working for the Pittsburgh Courier again. In 1945, she introduced readers to a new series, “Patty-Jo and ‘n’ Ginger”, which would run for 11 years.
Jackie created Ginger as a pin-up girl well into fashion and Patty-Jo as a very outspoken child. The imagery she used helped to further dissociate Black women from being viewed as uneducated mammies and young Black girls as pickaninnies.
As time went on, Jackie’s comic strip led her to collaborate with the Terri Lee doll company in 1947 and create a Patty-Jo doll. Unlike the Black dolls that were produced during this time, the Patty-Jo doll had a wardrobe set, accessories, and even hair that could be styled. Jackie sought to change the narrative of Black children and create something that spoke life into the children of those times.
While Jackie retired from cartooning in 1956, she remained a prominent figure within the artist community throughout the rest of her life. She served on the board of directors of the DuSable Museum of African American History and Art, produced murals, and was involved in many artistic communities.
In 1985, Jackie died from a cerebral hemorrhage. Shortly after her death, Jackie was inducted into the National Association of Black Journalists Hall of Fame, where she will be forever remembered for being a pioneer for future Black cartoonists.