http://www.blackvoices.com/blogs/2009/02/12/racist-black-history-month-ad/
A friend of mines sent me this link the other day, it is a grocery store ad during the month of February. The grocery items on sale are quite stereotypical when you think about food that Black people may eat. Amongst the list are ham hocks, greens, chicken, and catfish. Then you have the typical "poor man meal" ingredients of Bologna and Peanut Butter. Me and my bestfriend were discussing whether or not it was offensive. I didn't see it as offensive, I simply thought that it was ignorant to think stereotypical Black foods were a salute to Black History Month. She on the other had was extremely offended, she agreed that it was offensive and ignorant but she also felt that it was poking fun at Black people's lack of healthy eating and the continually practicing the consumption of the worst parts of the animals. To clarify her point, slaves were giving the scraps of the animals that were deemed "unfit" for the slave master. So the slaves made due and ate those parts, i.e. hamhocks, pig ears, frog legs, etc. What do you think?
Saturday, February 21, 2009
Dick Gregory...
Now that Soul Food Dinner is finally over, I can breathe and reflect on everything that has been said and everything that has occurred. First thing I want to say is that it was a success this year! About 200 people were in attendance, ready and willing to hear Dick Gregory give his take on the happenings of what is going on in the world. Overall I have gotten very positive reviews on the dinner and the speaker, many of the people in attendance enjoyed Dick Gregory's keynote because either his views were the opposite of theirs or they finally connected with someone who shared similar views. On the other hand a few students did not really enjoy the presentation, saying that he was too vulgar and his use of the n-word was "too much" for IWU. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion though!
One thing that really stuck out to me that Dick Gregory said was targeted towards the black students at IWU, he stated something to the effect of "How dare you stay at this racist institution and not speak to another black person walking past you on campus?" That struck me, I am completely guilty of this, I chose not to speak to certain individuals because of spats that has happened in the past. In my mind I realized that although I may not like them, it is nothing to speak and say hi to someone, it's called common courtesy.
One thing that really stuck out to me that Dick Gregory said was targeted towards the black students at IWU, he stated something to the effect of "How dare you stay at this racist institution and not speak to another black person walking past you on campus?" That struck me, I am completely guilty of this, I chose not to speak to certain individuals because of spats that has happened in the past. In my mind I realized that although I may not like them, it is nothing to speak and say hi to someone, it's called common courtesy.
Saturday, February 14, 2009
*double gasp* The N-Word revisited
So my previous post was a poem that I had wrote a few months ago about the use of the word nigger/nigga... However you choose to spell it... It is interesting enough that a few days after I posted it I found out that the Office of Multicultural Student Affairs was having a presentation on the history of the N-word. The event was called the Co-oputation of the word 'Nigger'. Of course I was ecstatic and already cleared my schedule to attend.
I for one am happy that I attended the presentation, I learned about the history of the N-word. It intrigues me how it originally was used as descriptive word for people with black skin. Pre-Antebellum period the word would be synonymous to our present day black or African American. It also amazes me how this descriptive word slowly transformed into a derogatory term. Never before did I understand or know the history of the N-word, and because of this presentation it has deepened my disdain for its usage. After hearing the presentation, all I could think about was the film we watched last week, Ethnic Notions. Although as a class we did not see the film in its entirety the film ended with a display of current forms of the mammy, sambo, coon, pickaninny, etc. They showed magazine covers, film cases, and CDs. I did the same thing when I went home. I went through my iTunes and skimmed my Top 25 songs, and never did I think that I listened to so many songs that contained the use of the n-word so much!
I admit that the majority of the music that I listen to is rap so it is pretty much inevitable to hear the use of the word, especially listening to mainstream music. But becoming aware of the historical context and then hearing the word in every other sentence become a bit disturbing. So where do I go from here?
I for one am happy that I attended the presentation, I learned about the history of the N-word. It intrigues me how it originally was used as descriptive word for people with black skin. Pre-Antebellum period the word would be synonymous to our present day black or African American. It also amazes me how this descriptive word slowly transformed into a derogatory term. Never before did I understand or know the history of the N-word, and because of this presentation it has deepened my disdain for its usage. After hearing the presentation, all I could think about was the film we watched last week, Ethnic Notions. Although as a class we did not see the film in its entirety the film ended with a display of current forms of the mammy, sambo, coon, pickaninny, etc. They showed magazine covers, film cases, and CDs. I did the same thing when I went home. I went through my iTunes and skimmed my Top 25 songs, and never did I think that I listened to so many songs that contained the use of the n-word so much!
I admit that the majority of the music that I listen to is rap so it is pretty much inevitable to hear the use of the word, especially listening to mainstream music. But becoming aware of the historical context and then hearing the word in every other sentence become a bit disturbing. So where do I go from here?
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