Watermelon Is A Racist Term In America.

originally posted by: alldaylong
I never knew that. You learn something new everyday.

So to use the word " Watermelon " toward a black person in America is both racist and derogatory.

The Boston Museum of Fine Arts has apologised after a teacher said her group of pupils suffered racist language and treatment during a visit. Marvelyne Lamy said staff had followed the black and other minority 12 and 13-year-olds, yelling at them not to touch exhibits while ignoring white groups. She said staff told the group: "No food, no drink, and no watermelon." The term dates back to the US civil war and is considered derogatory when used in relation to the black community

www.bbc.com...

So bearing this in mind, a question. When you are in a restaurant in America, can a waiter ask if you would like your coffee black or white ?

This sounds like it was made up a fake incident

a reply to: BrianFlanders



Probably one of the best takes on this whole issue.

It's like Hawaiian people don't want to hear pineapple

originally posted by: Edumakated
I'm black... and I love fried chicken (and watermelon).

The issue is that depending on the context, it could be considered racist (or tone deaf) and you have to tread lightly. The problem is that there have been a lot of negative images using watermelon to demean blacks. So obviously, black folks are sensitive to it as you don't know if someone is trying to take a subtle dig at you....

Would an Italian be insulted if someone was saying No Spaghetti?

The problem with the whole thing is that while I get the negative stereotypes associated with both watermelon and fried chicken, they are both considered soul foods if you go looking. Not to mention, the entire world loves both dishes to such an extent that you can find a version of fried chicken in just about every cuisine, and the Japanese love watermelon so much, they've bred a square variety for easy stacking at supermarkets.

So I get the racial sensitivity, but at the same time, at this point the odds are very, very good that the rest of the world is just eating food.

originally posted by: watchandwait410
True story, I just had watermelon today for the first time since last summer. It was good.

My kiddo keeps wanting some, and we keep telling him to give it another month or so and then we'll have a bunch because they'll be really, really good.

originally posted by: Fisherr
Next thing you know coconut will be racist.

Oh wait.
www.bbc.co.uk...

It was racist back in the 80s too, same as Bounty Bar. Maybe, like an earlier poster wrote, us old'uns take for granted what you young'uns have yet to learn.

a reply to: TheConstruKctionofLight

While we're on the topic on US and UK variance, what about the word "trump"?

originally posted by: alldaylong
I never knew that. You learn something new everyday.

So to use the word " Watermelon " toward a black person in America is both racist and derogatory.

The Boston Museum of Fine Arts has apologised after a teacher said her group of pupils suffered racist language and treatment during a visit. Marvelyne Lamy said staff had followed the black and other minority 12 and 13-year-olds, yelling at them not to touch exhibits while ignoring white groups. She said staff told the group: "No food, no drink, and no watermelon." The term dates back to the US civil war and is considered derogatory when used in relation to the black community

www.bbc.com...

So bearing this in mind, a question. When you are in a restaurant in America, can a waiter ask if you would like your coffee black or white ?

a reply to: alldaylong

It is possible that someone has already mentioned this to you as it was quite well known a long time ago.
Watermelon used to be a high labor product. Large heavy melons that could beak easily in picking and in transport.
The pickers and handlers were most often people of African descent who worked the farms both during slavery and afterwards as well.

Because of the high breakage percentage and the people doing the harvesting were most often poor people, those broken watermelons would amount to a fair portion of their daily diet. Hence the connection between black slave pickers and their affinity to watermelon.

This of course did not go unnoticed by the slave owners and other whites. These people turned black people eating watermelon into a pejorative equating it as an unnatural desire for the melon by those people. It became a standard angle of racist jokes for over a century after the civil war.

But you knew that from the post you quoted.

To answer your question, '' is it ok to ask if you would like your coffee black or white in America?
Have you ever been asked if you want your coffee black or white? I have not and I most always have a coffee in a restaurant. If there is no cream on the table already, usually the waiter asks if we would like cream.

So when the group of black children were warned against no food or drink and specifically adding the watermelon jab, that was a racist comment. It might have been ''chicken'' as well. If the children had been Italian and the warning had been against spaghetti, or if Chinese chow mein, those too would have been racist.

Italians and spaghetti, Chinese and chow mein, Irish and potatoes or beer, etc are all stereotypical connections that are used to defame people of other origins. Another such racist joke is calling white people ''white bread'' because for a a long time that food was the predominant type of bread that was popular in America.

This world is going down the tubes with all of this political
correctness bull.It is getting to the point where you had better
keep your mouth shut and your eyes looking downward.These may
be the best ways to avoid offending someone and a law suit.

a reply to: mamabeth

In the old days, before political correctness, we called it good manners and consideration. As a result, some of us oldies can manage it without feeling like victims.

a reply to: alldaylong

Sorry but no watermelon is a fruit with a generally green rind and pink flesh on inside. This crap where only people of African American descent like water melon and fried chicken is some stupid crap. I love both as most southern people do . Nothing quite like a nice slice of ice cold watermelon on a hot summer day . Their is no more truth to it being race specific than if a girl swallows the seeds she gets pregnant. It's just a bunch of ignorant people saying ignorant things.

a reply to: proteus33

so you are TOTALLY ignoring the history that others posted about how and why it is racist and it IS racist when used the way it was at the museum

originally posted by: knowledgehunter0986
a reply to: ketsuko

Where does authentic fried chicken even come from?

From a authentic chicken

The museum staff said "NO WATER BOTTLES!"

sheesh

/thread

originally posted by: Whodathunkdatcheese

originally posted by: Fisherr
Next thing you know coconut will be racist.

Oh wait.
www.bbc.co.uk...

It was racist back in the 80s too, same as Bounty Bar. Maybe, like an earlier poster wrote, us old'uns take for granted what you young'uns have yet to learn.

Or maybe the young'uns are actually better off not knowing this particular thing?

Think about it. The only way to get rid of some of these racist things might be to let the next generation grow up in ignorance rather than teach them.

originally posted by: knowledgehunter0986
a reply to: ketsuko

Where does authentic fried chicken even come from?

Sorry, I missed this one, so I'll respond late.

The African-Americans weren't upset at the authenticity of the fried chicken, only its lack; it wasn't being served enough. It was the Vietnamese who were mad that the banh mis weren't being prepared with the authentic ingredients, and the I think the Japanese students were upset that the sushi rice wasn't sticky enough if I recall correctly.

a reply to: DBCowboy

have a black skinned woman I'm seeing you'd be surprised at what I get away with saying.. she knows all the fired chicken and kool aid jokes.. I like those things too damnit I want to be known for it, she eats and drinks other things so she doesn't think much of it... the best is walking by watermelons in the store I say hey I want one she goes ok most the time it puts a smile on me.

Ohhh racism, what would we do without you....

a reply to: alldaylong

Watermelon and fried chicken are used as racist terms. It's sad too because both of them are delicious and everyone in the south actually loves them.