An individual darker than a brown paper bag was denied privileges.
"The brown paper bag test" is a term in African-American oral history used to describe a racist discriminatory practice within the African-American community in the 20th century, in which an individual's skin tone is compared to the color of a brown paper bag. The test was used to determine what privileges an individual could have; only those with a skin color that matched or was lighter than a brown paper bag were allowed admission or membership privileges. The test was believed by many to be used in the 20th century by many African-American social institutions such as sororities, fraternities, and social clubs.[1]
The term is also used in reference to larger issues of class and social stratification and colorism within the African-American population. People were barred from having access to several public spaces and resources because of their darker complexion.[2] The test was used at the entrance to social functions wherein a brown paper bag was stuck at the door and anyone who was darker than the bag was denied entry.
Color discrimination
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Black athletes with various skin tonesPrivilege has long been associated with skin tone in the African-American community, dating back to the era of slavery. Mixed-race children of European American fathers were sometimes given privileges ranging from more desirable work, apprenticeships or formal education, to allocation of property or even freedom from enslavement. African Americans "contributed to colorism because they have benefited from the privilege of having a skin color closer to that of European Americans and have embraced the notion that privilege comes with having light skin in America".[3] Lighter-skinned people were afforded certain social and economic advantages over darker-skinned people, even while suffering discrimination. According to Gordon, "light-skinned blacks formed exclusive clubs" after African slavery was abolished in the United States.[4] Some clubs were called "Blue Vein Societies", suggesting that if an individual's skin was light enough to show the blue cast of veins, they had more European ancestry (and, therefore, higher social standing).[4] Such discrimination was resented by African Americans with darker complexions. According to Henry Louis Gates Jr., in his book The Future of the Race (1996), the practice of the brown paper bag test may have originated in New Orleans, Louisiana, where there was a substantial third class of free people of color dating from the French colonial era.[5] The test was related to ideas of beauty, in which some people believed that lighter skin and more European features, in general, were more attractive.
From 1900 until about 1950, "paper bag parties" are said to have taken place in neighborhoods of major American cities with a high concentration of African Americans. Many churches, fraternities, and nightclubs used the "brown paper bag" principle as a test for entrance. People at these organizations would take a brown paper bag and hold it against a person's skin. If a person was lighter than the bag, they were admitted.[6]
There is, too, a curious color dynamic that persists in our culture. In fact, New Orleans invented the brown paper bag party — usually at a gathering in a home — where anyone darker than the bag attached to the door was denied entrance. The brown bag criterion survives as a metaphor for how the black cultural elite quite literally establishes caste along color lines within black life. On my many trips to New Orleans, whether to lecture at one of its universities or colleges, to preach from one of its pulpits, or to speak at an empowerment seminar during the annual Essence Music Festival, I have observed color politics at work among black folk. The cruel color code has to be defeated by our love for one another. —Michael Eric Dyson, excerpt from Come Hell or High Water.[7]
The Brown Paper Bag Test was heavily documented and normalized with historically black fraternities and sororities (especially among sororities) and some historically black social clubs founded before 1960, whose members selected others who resembled themselves, generally those reflecting partial European ancestry.[8][9] Some privileged multi-racial people of color who came from families freed before the American Civil War attempted to distinguish themselves from the mass of freedmen after the war, who appeared to be mostly of African descent and from less privileged families. New York City's infamous Cotton Club required black female entertainers to pass the Brown Paper Bag Test to be hired and perform for its mostly wealthy white male clientele.[10]
It is rumored a few private historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) used color tests as a way to critique candidates for admission.[11] For instance, Audrey Elisa Kerr refers to private colleges such as Howard and Spelman requiring applicants to send personal photos.[12] However, archive pictures of private HBCUs that formerly required personal photos for admission have dark-skinned black students and faculty easily found in respectable numbers.[13][14]
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The big brown paper bag has a long, interesting history.
Brown paper bags have become a fixture in our daily lives: we use them to carry groceries home, tote our department store purchases, and pack our kids’ lunches. Retailers use them as a blank canvas for their branded product packaging. Creative trick-or-treaters even wear them as masks for Halloween. It’s easy to forget that someone, long ago, had to invent them!
As with the best inventions, the paper bag filled a need people didn’t know they had. Before the paper bag, baskets, bowls, and other containers were the main storage solution in every home and store. You can imagine, then, that the creation of a convenient, disposable container was revolutionary. Business owners could stock stacks of these bags at their stores, and their low cost and ease of use made them widely accessible for shoppers of even modest means.
So, just how did this seemingly ordinary invention earn its place in the hearts (and hands) of the everyday consumer? A glimpse back at the history and evolution of the paper bag offers a clue.
For centuries, sacks made of jute, canvas, and burlap were the primary method of holding and moving goods throughout the British Empire. The main benefit of these materials was their sturdy, durable nature, but their production proved both time-consuming and expensive. Paper, on the other hand, could be produced at a much lower cost, and soon became the preeminent material for portable bags along trade routes.
Since its introduction in the 1800s, the paper bag has undergone numerous upgrades thanks to a few clever innovators. In 1852, Francis Wolle invented the first machine to mass-produce paper bags. While Wolle’s paper bag looked more like a large mailing envelope than the grocery store mainstay we know today (and thus could only be used to tote small objects and documents), his machine was the catalyst for the mainstream use of paper packaging.
The next important step forward in the design of the paper bag came from Margaret Knight, a prolific inventor then working for the Columbia Paper Bag Company. There, she realized that square-bottomed bags, rather than Wolle’s envelope design, would be more practical and efficient to use. She created her paper-bag making machine in an industrial shop, paving the way for the widespread commercial use of paper bags. Her machine proved so profitable that she would go on to found her own company, the Eastern Paper Bag Company. When you bring food home from the supermarket or purchase a new outfit from the department store, you’re enjoying the fruits of Knight’s labor.
These square-bottomed bags were still missing a classic component of the paper bag that we know and love today: pleated sides. We can thank Charles Stillwell for this addition, which made the bags foldable and thus easier to store. A mechanical engineer by trade, Stillwell’s design is commonly known as the S.O.S. bag, or “self-opening sacks.”
But wait — there’s more! In 1918, two St. Paul grocers by the names of Lydia and Walter Deubener came up with an idea for yet another improvement to the original design. By punching holes into the sides of paper bags and attaching a string that doubled as a handle and bottom reinforcement, the Deubeners found that customers could carry almost 20 pounds of food in each bag. At a time when cash-and-carry groceries were replacing home delivery, this proved a crucial innovation.
So just what materials is a paper bag actually composed of? The most popular material for paper bags is Kraft paper, which is manufactured from wood chips. Originally conceived by a German chemist by the name of Carl F. Dahl in 1879, the process for manufacturing Kraft paper is as follows: the wood chips are exposed to intense heat, which breaks them down into solid pulp and byproducts. Then the pulp is screened, washed, and bleached, taking its final form as the brown paper we all recognize. This pulping process makes Kraft paper particularly strong (hence its name, which is German for “strength”), and thus ideal for carrying heavy loads.
Of course, there’s more to picking the perfect paper bag than just the material. Particularly if you need to carry bulky or heavy items, there are a few other qualities to consider when selecting the product that will best serve your needs:
Also known as grammage, the paper basis weight is a measure of how dense paper is, in pounds, related to reams of 500. The higher the number, the denser and heavier the paper.
A gusset is a strengthened area where material has been added to reinforce the bag. Gusseted paper bags can accommodate heavier items and are less likely to break.
Made by twisting natural Kraft paper into cords and then gluing those cords to the insides of the paper bag, twist handles are typically used with gussets to increase the weight a bag can carry.
While Wolle’s envelope-style bag was later improved upon, it’s still very useful for certain businesses and widely used in our postal system. If you’re looking to accommodate larger items, Knight’s square-bottomed paper bag may be a better fit for your needs.
The design of the paper bag has come a long way since Francis Wolle, continuing to evolve to meet consumer demands for a more streamlined, easy-to-use product. Here’s a taste of the wide selection of paper bags that are available for business or personal use:
Designed by Stillwell, S.O.S. bags stand on their own while items are loaded into them. These bags are school lunch favorites, known for their iconic Kraft brown tint, though they can be dyed a variety of colors.
With open-mouth designs, pinch-bottom paper bags stay open just as S.O.S. bags do, but their base features a pointed seal similar to an envelope. These bags are widely used for baked goods and other food products.
Merchandise bags are usually pinch-bottom paper bags and can be used to hold everything from craft supplies to baked goods and candy. Merchandise bags are available in natural Kraft, bleached white, and a variety of colors.
For added sophistication, the Euro Tote (or its cousin, the wine bag) comes decked out with printed patterns, embellished glitter, corded handles, and lined interiors. This bag is popular for gift-giving and special packaging at retail outlets and can be outfitted with your brand’s logo through a custom printing process.
Similar to pinch-bottom bags, bakery bags are ideal for food products. Their design preserves the texture and taste of baked goods, such as cookies and pretzels, for longer.
Celebrate a birthday or special occasion with an attractive, fun party bag filled with candy, mementos, or small toys.
Francis Wolle’s original envelope-style bag is still used today to protect mailed documents or other small items.
For the environmentally minded, the Kraft bag is an obvious choice. These bags are generally composed of anywhere from 40% to 100% recycled materials.
Throughout its history, the paper bag has passed from one innovator to another, improved again and again to make it easier to use and cheaper to produce. For a few savvy retailers, however, the paper bag represented more than just a convenience for customers: it has also become a highly visible (and highly lucrative) marketing asset.
Bloomingdale’s, for example, breathed new life into the classic with its take, known simply as the “Big Brown Bag.” Marvin S. Traub’s twist on the Kraft bag was simple, attractive, and iconic, and its creation transformed the department store into the behemoth it is today. Meanwhile, Apple opted for a sleek, white version embossed with the company’s iconic logo (so groundbreaking was the design, they ventured, that it deserved its own patent).
Even as plastic floods the market, paper bags have stayed the course and proven their value as a dependable, cost-effective, and customizable solution for small businesses and behemoths alike. Feeling inspired? Create your own customized paper bags with Paper Mart today!
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