Who Was Jackie "Moms" Mabley?
The woman from Brevard who entertained a nation
Who was the woman who said,
I just tell folks the truth. If they don't want the truth, then don't come to Moms.
Jackie “Moms” Mabley was born Loretta Mary Aiken in Brevard NC in 1897. Both her parents died early in accidents. As the result of two sexual assaults, the first at age 11, she had two children who disappeared, each with their caretaker. When she was 13, pregnant with the second child, “Retta” was ready to leave tragedy behind.
Her grandmother, Jane Aiken Hall, encouraged her:
You’re gonna see the world like your granny never did.
So at age 14 Loretta went off to Asheville to start a career in show business. Eventually she created a character named “Moms”.
Mabley's standup routines were riotous affairs augmented by the aesthetic she presented as being an older, housedress-clad figure who provided sly commentary on racial bigotry to African American audiences. Her jokes also pointed towards a lusty zest for younger men. Yet, belying that persona, offstage she had a glamorous, chic look and was known to be a lesbian.
Where did “Moms Mabley” come from?
A historical marker in Brevard notes that her parents were James “Jim” Aiken and Mary Aiken. The family had 16 children.
Jim was a well-known businessman who, the sign says, “owned a total of six houses”. He was part of “a Committee of Negro men who helped to govern the school,” while it was still in its first public school building, a log cabin.
Mr. Aiken ran the first barbershop for white people, the first café (which was frequented by people from all over the county during Court Week), a bakery that sold apple cider and his mother Jane’s gingerbread, and he also sold caskets.
Jim Aiken was the first person in Brevard to carry US Mail from the railroad depot to the post office on Main Street. He was the only African-American member of the Volunteer Fire Department and died on duty in 1909, during a fire at his cousin’s house. On the way to fire, a chemical tank had built up pressure going down the steep incline of Jailhouse Hill (next to the present Courthouse). At the fire, when Jim tried to attach a hose to the tank it exploded, killing him and injuring several other firemen.
Loretta became “Jackie Mabley” when she was engaged briefly to Jack Mabley, a Canadian comic. Later she modeled “Moms” on her grandmother. She said,
I had in mind a woman about 60 or 65. She’s a good woman, with an eye for shady dealings. She was like my granny, the most beautiful woman I ever knew.
Her “Moms” character allowed her to get away with saying things her male counterparts would not have been able to. In a profile in the Transylvania Times Anne-Monique Ransdell wrote about Mabley,
She used Jackie Mabley’s silly and unattractive image to mock males and discuss taboo topics such as ageism, sexuality, gender stereotypes, and, more specifically, the marginalization and exploitation of black women.
“Jack was my first boyfriend,” Moms said. “I was real uptight with him and he certainly was real uptight with me; you'd better believe. He took a lot off me and the least I could do was take his name.”
Loretta’s career in comedy took her into TV, stage and screen. Sam told me he saw her on the Ed Sullivan show when he was young, and remembers two of her jokes:
Helen Hunt found a watch, so if you lost your watch, go to Helen Hunt!
and,
My mother taught me never to say anything about someone who has died unless it’s good. My husband died. He’s gone. That’s good.
She was the first woman comedian featured at the Apollo Theater. If you had bought a ticket you might have heard her say,
Ain't nothin' an old man can do for me but bring me a message from a young man.
“Moms” Mabley shared her secret for success in spite of the hard knocks of life, when she said,
If you always do what you always did, you will always get what you always got.
Thank you so much for this fabulous post, Deda! I'm going to view Whoopi Goldberg's documentary of "Moms" Mabley.
This was a great post. I recently read all about her. My friend Paula Paddick’s husband Garry planted the beautiful purple and orange tulips on their side yard. There was an article in the T-Times as it was Parkinson’s awareness month about him planting them. When I went by and looked at the tulips the marker was on their yard. I told them they were for “Moms” Mabley as they bloomed in April and she was born in March and died in May. I will forward this post to Paula. Thanks