Using Racial Stereotypes as a Business Strategy: Ida Dorsey in Minneapolis

From her first appearance in Minneapolis to her death three decades later, African American madam Ida Dorsey seized public attention and commanded the patronage of a wealthy clientele by creating a narrative for herself and her business. Dorsey crafted her public persona by turning racial stereotypes to her advantage, tempting elite white men into what was seen as perilous forms of vice with black women. She allowed reporters access to her bordello, and in exchange, they obligingly wrote lurid newspaper stories supplying her with just the type of publicity she craved. Dorsey could insult police officers with impunity. She attracted