Racist (?) Teacher Suspended

Post by **Sylvus** » September 23, 2003, 12:58 pm

http://www.cnn.com/2003/EDUCATION/09/19 ... index.html

CNN.com wrote:LONGVIEW, Texas (AP) -- A white school administrator who referred to "Little Sambo" while leading a teachers' workshop was placed on paid leave for a week.

It's a couple days old, but I was reminded of the article with something I saw on TV last night. I was watching Reno 911 and the one white cop said something about how he hadn't done whatever in "a coon's age". The black cop looked at him like "WTF?" I had heard that expression before and didn't ever even consider that it had its roots in racism, I guess I must have just naively thought they were referring to a raccoon or something. It's also entirely possible that R911 was just playing a joke on me about sensitivity and political correctness and it went over my head.

Similarly, I was completely unfamiliar with Little Sambo, I don't think I'd ever even heard that name until I saw this article on CNN. Provided that this is the story they speak of, I can see where it could be possible that the lady wasn't meaning it in a derogatory way. It just made me think about how pervasive racism is in our culture when people can be being offensive and not even realize it. Am I the only one who never really thought about that before?

What do you crackers think?

Aabidano · Post by **Aabidano** » September 23, 2003, 1:01 pm

Sambo's (now Denny's?) was a great resturaunt.

Voronwë · Post by **Voronwë** » September 23, 2003, 1:22 pm

absolutely that teacher should be fired.

that is baffling that she would use that type of language to describe a student.

Dexail · Post by **Dexail** » September 23, 2003, 1:32 pm

I would think that the saying "a 'coons age" actually did refer to a raccoon (I don't have any historical data to back that up). I've been hearing it since I was young. The fact that it is sometimes used as a deragotory name for black people lends itself to making fun of the political correctness trap that America has fallen into.

I think your second take of R911 taking a potshot at the growing P.C. vortex is dead on. But then again, I'm a white southern male, and everyone knows we're evil incarnate.

Marbus · Post by **Marbus** » September 23, 2003, 2:30 pm

I think people blow this shit out of proportions. In a "coon's age" does refer to a racoon. At least that has always been my understanding and I live freakin' Arkansas. The KKK summer camp is about 90 miles North of here... "and sometimes I wonder why my black friends don't want to go hunting with me up in that part of the state"... However I have heard the word "coon" used as a racist statement MANY times by ignorant people so I can see why the other officer did a double take, his friend should just TELL him what he meant.

That is the problem, if you think someone is racist, freakin' ask them, bow up on or something IMHO. Most of these people who are probably don't understand reasoning that well anyway or they WOULDN'T be racist.

At the same time I sick of people whining. It bothers me to think of all the women who have probably REALLY been sexually harassed but didn't say anything because of the rash of whiners screaming because they overheard a dirty joke in the hallway.... just makes me sick.

Same thing with racism, how many time is it ignored because of a few stupid people. Like those two women a couple of months ago that sued an airline because the Stewardess sang a tune which "reminded" them of something racist.

Sylvus had never heard the term Sambo before... Hell we use to eat at Sambos every Sunday before Church. The Syrup bottle was a little black boy with big eyes. Was it racist... yea probably was. But even back then when I would ask WHY he looked that way, because I had black friends and they didn't look that way, I was told that we was a make-believe character from a book. That was ok with me... Of course as I got older I realized with my parents guidence that while it was fiction too many people took it literally... anyway, point is sometimes people don't KNOW they are being racist, if you tell them "hey that is offensive and why" they will probably stop. Look at the cartoons those of us in our 30s grew up with? Many of those pushed this "mentality" that is why they aren't shown anymore. I personally belive is OK to make fun of anyone or anything but people have to realize its a joke... when it becomes reality or percieved reality, we have a problem... hence the Sambo.

If the teacher made a mistake I would punisher her and let it go. However if this has been or is a continual problem because the is racist and is promoting her vews at work, fire her. Remember it was in front of other adults, not the children.

Marb

Morgrym · Post by **Morgrym** » September 23, 2003, 2:52 pm

There once was a book called "Little Black Sambo" The reference and resturant gimmics probably stem from this short story. I remember reading it when I was like 6 or something. Pretty funny tale about butter and junk like that.

Canoe · Post by **Canoe** » September 23, 2003, 2:53 pm

The term "coon" has been around for ages as a derogatory term for black people.

I "believe" it's mean to insinuate that in the dark a black person looks like a raccoon (whites of their eyes with darkness all around).

Disclaimer: Please note the above is not my personal opinion, I am merely stating a fact of my experiences and knowing that the term "coon" is a derogatory statement for a black person in some areas.

Ceredwin · Post by **Ceredwin** » September 23, 2003, 2:56 pm

The context she used that in was racist and an apology is not enough, they should fire her. Had she been discussing old stories and referred to "Little Sambo" would be different.

Morgrym · Post by **Morgrym** » September 23, 2003, 2:58 pm

Funny thing is, how many times do we watch old Loony Toons reruns and hear the term "Cotton Picking"? That is pretty damn racist as well..hell, lets go sue Warner Brothers

Fucked up world we live in

Raistin · Post by **Raistin** » September 23, 2003, 4:39 pm

Wait a cotton picking minuit I say!

Kelshara · Post by **Kelshara** » September 23, 2003, 4:51 pm

You know, sometimes I truly wonder how many "racist" terms I use out of ignorance since it is not my primary language.. kind of scary when I think of it. I might say something without having a clue of how something can be taken as racist and end up getting my ass handed to me heh.

Kylere · Post by **Kylere** » September 23, 2003, 4:51 pm

“A COON’S AGE – Meaning ‘a very long time,’ a coon’s age is an Americanism recorded in 1843 and probably related to the old English expression ‘in a crow’s age,’ meaning the same. The American term is an improvement, if only because the raccoon usually lives longer -– up to 13 years in the wild – than the crow.” From the “Encyclopedia of Word and Phrase Origins” by Robert Hendrickson (Facts on File, New York, 1997), Page 168.

More on the use of “coon” based on an observation of the animal and its habits:
“ ’COON or COON: 1. N. raccoon (Procyon lotor.) ’coon skins…2. v.t. to steal. ‘I had to coon an ace of hearts’…3. v.i., to creep like a coon, clinging close. ‘I cooned acrost on a log.” From “Smoky Mountain Voices: A Lexicon of Southern Appalachian Speech” by Harold F. Farwell, Jr., and J. Karl Nicholas, editors. (The University of Kentucky Press, Lexington, Ky., 1993), Page 45. This book is based on a lifetime of work by Horace Kephart among the people who lived in or near the Great Smoky Mountains in North Carolina.

As you may know, the “coon” came to mean a whole different thing unrelated to expression “in a coon’s age.” Coon was first a term for a white person from the country, then it became an insulting term for a black person. “A coon’s age” was recorded in 1843 (but I am sure it was in use decades earlier) but the word “coon” didn’t become a racial slur until 20 years later. Here’s an entry on that:

“coon was orignally a short form for raccoon in 1741…then by 1832 meant a frontier rustic, and by 1840 a Whig. The 1834 song ‘Zip Coon’ (better know today as ‘Turkey in the Straw’) didn’t refer specifically to either a White or a Black and the ‘coon songs’ of the 1840s and 50s were Whig political songs. By 1862, however, coon had come to mean a Black and this use was made very common by the popular 1896 song ‘All Coons Look Alike to Me,’ written by Ernest Hogan, a Black who didn’t consider the word derogatory at the time.” From “I Hear America Talking” by Stuart Berg Flexner (Von Nostrand Reinhold Co., New York, 1976), Page 54.

Xzion · Post by **Xzion** » September 23, 2003, 5:10 pm

speaking of racism did anyone who lives in the orlando area taht listens to the keith and tony show in the morning hear when they called the 20 year nascar fan? they told him they were gonna take the dead guys car # out of retirement and give it to a new Kenyan racer, the guy went fucking apeshit for 20 minutes
THIS IS FUCKIN NASCAR NOT NASCOON,WHAT THE FUCK DO THEM NIGGERS RIDE IN FUCKING KENYA? FUCKIN TIGERS?!
they great thing is he gave out his name on public radio,and i htink where he lived id love to see what happend to him that night

Fallanthas · Post by **Fallanthas** » September 23, 2003, 6:14 pm

"a coon's age" has nothing to do with any race. Raccoons are bastards to kill and can live off just about anything. The expression means ' a long time', nothing more than that.

The Little Sambo reference is so far out of line I wonder what kind of people thinkl they can get away with such things in conversation.

Deijah Vu · Post by **Deijah Vu** » September 23, 2003, 6:42 pm

It makes me sick that those holier than thou people act like they've never said or done anything wrong. What a hoot! She said she was sorry and admitted her ignorance at the words meaning. You can fault her, yes for being ignorant, but she didn't do it out of cruelty! If you don't want to hear negative connotations or euphamisims stay your ass in your own house where you can control what you hear and see. Other wise grow a spine!

Fairweather Pure · Post by **Fairweather Pure** » September 23, 2003, 9:06 pm

There once was a book called "Little Black Sambo"

I had the '45 sing-a-long version. I loved it as a child. Hell, I can still hum the tune.

Krimson Klaw · Post by **Krimson Klaw** » September 24, 2003, 9:03 am

Xzion wrote:speaking of racism did anyone who lives in the orlando area taht listens to the keith and tony show in the morning hear when they called the 20 year nascar fan? they told him they were gonna take the dead guys car # out of retirement and give it to a new Kenyan racer, the guy went fucking apeshit for 20 minutes
THIS IS FUCKIN NASCAR NOT NASCOON,WHAT THE FUCK DO THEM NIGGERS RIDE IN FUCKING KENYA? FUCKIN TIGERS?!
they great thing is he gave out his name on public radio,and i htink where he lived id love to see what happend to him that night

Typical rednecks sporting their 30 iq's. Yea they ride tigers in Africa, and polar bears, and Bison, and tasmanian devils, and dinosaurs too...

Kilmoll the Sexy · Post by **Kilmoll the Sexy** » September 24, 2003, 9:06 am

Isn't racism just a wonderful thing? I do love how teachers can get fired for anything they might say about any race except for American Indians. For fucks sake, they actually sit in the classrooms and teach kids complete and total lies about the history of the country and the Indians and not a word is said. Something is definitely fucked up in this country.

kyoukan · Post by **kyoukan** » September 24, 2003, 9:16 am

indians are crazy. they sold all of manhattan for like a dollar!

Aabidano · Post by **Aabidano** » September 24, 2003, 9:41 am

American Indians gave the world tobacco, they're still ahead in the death toll at a guess...

Kelshara · Post by **Kelshara** » September 24, 2003, 10:37 am

Yea they ride tigers in Africa, and polar bears, and Bison, and tasmanian devils, and dinosaurs too...

..I have actually been asked if we got polar bears walking the streets and wether we live in igloos or not in Norway..and it has happened more than once.

Kilmoll the Sexy · September 24, 2003, 10:38 am

kyoukan wrote:indians are crazy. they sold all of manhattan for like a dollar!

At least they got a dollar. The rest of the land was just stolen outright.

vn_Tanc · Post by **vn_Tanc** » September 24, 2003, 10:56 am

Isn't racism just a wonderful thing? I do love how teachers can get fired for anything they might say about any race except for American Indians. For fucks sake, they actually sit in the classrooms and teach kids complete and total lies about the history of the country and the Indians and not a word is said. Something is definitely fucked up in this country.

Well you do have a very public, multimillion dollar company called the "Washington Redskins". 'Bout time they renamed those like they did the Mississipi Niggers, the Boston Honkys, the Frisco Chinks and the Toronto Eskimos

masteen · Post by **masteen** » September 24, 2003, 11:38 am

Kelshara wrote:I have actually been asked if we got polar bears walking the streets and wether we live in igloos or not in Norway...

So do you?

Forthe · Post by **Forthe** » September 24, 2003, 11:59 am

vn_Tanc wrote:
Isn't racism just a wonderful thing? I do love how teachers can get fired for anything they might say about any race except for American Indians. For fucks sake, they actually sit in the classrooms and teach kids complete and total lies about the history of the country and the Indians and not a word is said. Something is definitely fucked up in this country.
Well you do have a very public, multimillion dollar company called the "Washington Redskins". 'Bout time they renamed those like they did the Mississipi Niggers, the Boston Honkys, the Frisco Chinks and the Toronto Eskimos

Edmonton Eskimos are still around.

Post by **Sylvus** » September 24, 2003, 12:12 pm

While I can see where the Redskins would be offensive, are the Kansas City Chiefs and their arrowhead logo offensive?

Zamtuk · Post by **Zamtuk** » September 24, 2003, 12:19 pm

no

That having been said, it should probably be the next lawsuit against the NFL. BTW, speaking of racist lawsuits on the NFL whatever happened to Johnny Cochran's crusade against the evil racist owners?

Skogen · Post by **Skogen** » September 24, 2003, 12:25 pm

kyoukan wrote:indians are crazy. they sold all of manhattan for like a dollar!

I think they actually sold it for a trunk full of shiny marbles & trinkets!

Kilmoll the Sexy · September 24, 2003, 12:58 pm

I don't know of anyone but overly PC white people who have had problems with the names of Chiefs, Braves, etc. Eskimo is not an offensive term as it is nothing more than the name of the people, not a derogatory term. If they had a team named the Nebraska Sioux, I doubt you would get any opposition. The Redskins are going to end up being forced to change the name at some point, I can guarantee you that.

Chidoro · Post by **Chidoro** » September 24, 2003, 1:23 pm

I still can't watch St John's games. I shudder at the very name Red Storm

Sionistic · Post by **Sionistic** » September 24, 2003, 2:50 pm

Xzion wrote:speaking of racism did anyone who lives in the orlando area taht listens to the keith and tony show in the morning hear when they called the 20 year nascar fan? they told him they were gonna take the dead guys car # out of retirement and give it to a new Kenyan racer, the guy went fucking apeshit for 20 minutes
THIS IS FUCKIN NASCAR NOT NASCOON,WHAT THE FUCK DO THEM NIGGERS RIDE IN FUCKING KENYA? FUCKIN TIGERS?!
they great thing is he gave out his name on public radio,and i htink where he lived id love to see what happend to him that night

heh that was here? I have that thing downloaded on my pc, soooo fucking hillarious, i think the bleeping actually makes it funnier

Xzion · Post by **Xzion** » September 24, 2003, 4:35 pm

they called him on the morning show, but i think the guy lived in some backwater alabama town or something

Krimson Klaw · Post by **Krimson Klaw** » September 24, 2003, 4:37 pm

Someone link the Nascar redneck.

Sionistic · Post by **Sionistic** » September 24, 2003, 4:55 pm

i dont think its work safe, a lot of bleeped out curse words and racist remarks
http://www.ebaumsworld.com/nascarprank.html

Voronwë · Post by **Voronwë** » September 24, 2003, 5:14 pm

roflmao

kyoukan · Post by **kyoukan** » September 24, 2003, 5:35 pm

I would laugh at that if that guy wasn't indicitive of your average nascar fan.

Voronwë · Post by **Voronwë** » September 24, 2003, 5:51 pm

trust me Kyou, 1.2 miles from my house there are a bunch of rebel flags at this one store. so i know about these idiots.

that makes it even funnier for me =)

Krimson Klaw · Post by **Krimson Klaw** » September 24, 2003, 5:52 pm

The Soul Glow hook from Coming to America had me in tears, especially when they called him back and played it first off. Thank you for the laughs.

And you are right kyou, we better not dare! taint the holy grail of Nascar.

Xzion · Post by **Xzion** » September 24, 2003, 9:25 pm

np

if you have XM radio or live in orlando, keith and tony are usually funny as hell

Kaldaur · Post by **Kaldaur** » September 24, 2003, 9:38 pm

A raccoon is most definitely used as a racist object when referring to black people. I live in Illinois, and a few farmboys from my class hung up a skinned raccoon on a tree outside the school one day with a note saying "This is what happens to coons who go where they don't belong." So don't worry! Racism lives on in ignorant 18 year old hicks.

Sionistic · Post by **Sionistic** » September 24, 2003, 11:30 pm

What station are they on? i usually never turn mine from 101.1, unless of course the radio is off, which it usually is
Gotta love the Fiasco

Xzion · Post by **Xzion** » September 25, 2003, 10:57 pm

105.9(o rock) in the morning, same stuff pretty much, 101.1s morning show isnt as good imo

Marbus · Post by **Marbus** » September 25, 2003, 11:22 pm

I didn't have a chance to listen to this until now, my wife though something was wrong I was laughing so hard "democat ball-sucker" HAHAH...

The company I use to work for provides phone service to like 70% of rural Georgia. They did a survey one year to find out the most read magizines by their customers. They TOLD everyone that it was Hot Rod, Southern Living and RedBook. However those of us who did the DB work on it know it was really Hot Rod, Hustler and Southern Living... the NASCAR magizine was ranked 5th... LOL the next year the company sponsored a freakin' CAR! HAHAHA Cool thing was it worked

I actually had a person ask me once if the person they just spoke with, the person who had transferred them to me was "colored." I had to put them on mute I laughed so hard. I told him that I didn't know (he had been transfered from our help desk - which Seeber ran at the time BTW). A few weeks later someone called and got transferred to Seeber who was very angry and wanted to know where we were. I think Seebs said... well Arkansas sir, to which the guy said "GDamnit why can't I ever speak to an American then!" Not sure how the call ended but you get the just... ah how interesting it was

Marb

Sionistic · Post by **Sionistic** » September 25, 2003, 11:47 pm

jesus, how can you stand o rock? i can hardly stand 101.1, but damn

Xzion · Post by **Xzion** » September 26, 2003, 5:13 pm

i dont listen to the music, just the morning show