''Miss Ann'' is an expression used inside the African-American community to refer to a European-American woman (or sometimes a black woman) who is arrogant and condescending in her attitude. The characteristics associated with someone called a "Miss Ann" include being considered "uppity", or in the case of a black woman, "

acting white In the United States, acting white is a pejorative term, usually applied to black people, which refers to a person's perceived betrayal of their culture by assuming the social expectations of white society.

". Like the male counterpart term, Mister Charlie, the term Miss Ann was once common among many African-Americans. It was a pejorative way of commenting on imperious behaviour from white women, particularly when it came with racist undertones. It is seldom used among young African-Americans today, instead the term “

Karen Karen may refer to: * Karen (name), a given name and surname * Karen (slang), a term and meme for a demanding woman displaying certain behaviors People * Karen people, an ethnic group in Myanmar and Thailand ** Karen languages or Karenic l ...

” has come into further usage amongst people of all races in the United States.

In popular culture

Miss Anne: “A White Woman”
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Zora Neale Hurston Zora Neale Hurston (January 7, 1891 – January 28, 1960) was an American author, anthropologist, and filmmaker. She portrayed racial struggles in the early-1900s American South and published research on Hoodoo (spirituality), hoodoo. The most ...

, ''Glossary of Harlem Slang'' Ann; Miss Ann: Coded term for any white female. .e.“His mama washes clothes on Wednesday for Miss Ann.”
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Clarence Major Clarence Major (born December 31, 1936) is an American poet, painter, and novelist; winner of the 2015 "Lifetime Achievement Award in the Fine Arts", presented by the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation. He was awarded the 2016 PEN Oakland/Reg ...

, ''From Juba to Jive: A Dictionary of African-American Slang'' Ann: (1) A derisive term for a white woman … Also “Miss Ann.”
— Geneva Smitherman, ''Black Talk'' Miss Ann and Mister Eddie: Emancipated bluebloods.
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Emmanuel Taylor Gordon Emmanuel Taylor Gordon (April 29, 1893 – May 5, 1971) was a singer and vaudeville performer associated with the Harlem Renaissance in the mid-1920s. He was born in White Sulphur Springs, Montana and moved to New York City at the age of 17 ...

, '' Born to Be'' "I’d remind them please, look at those knees, you got at Miss Ann’s scrubbing."
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Maya Angelou Maya Angelou ( ; born Marguerite Annie Johnson; April 4, 1928 – May 28, 2014) was an American memoirist, popular poet, and civil rights activist. She published seven autobiographies, three books of essays, several books of poetry, and ...

, ''Sepia Fashion Show'' "Oh, oh, oh, Miss Ann, you're doing something no one can…"
–"Miss Ann" song by

Little Richard Richard Wayne Penniman (December 5, 1932 – May 9, 2020), known professionally as Little Richard, was an American musician, singer, and songwriter. He was an influential figure in popular music and culture for seven decades. Described as the " ...

. Here the singer may be referring to the white woman, Ann Johnson, who mothered him as a young teenager, twisting the standard connotation in ambiguous ways.

References

{{African American caricatures and stereotypes African-American slang African-American cultural history Pejorative terms for white women Misogyny

In popular culture

See also

References