Test question racist?

[tar heel]

Given how unusual the name is, it feels racist to me.

 

[JennyMominRI]

Hmm. I wonder if this depends where you are from? I'm also from New England, I'm pretty well schooled, I watch CNN & MSNBC most often... and I have never heard of any such connotation... I'm under 40, so I don't know if my age has anything to do with it... It's really unfortunate that we have these sensitivities out there in the year 2006 It makes me very sad

I'm also from New England and i'm amiliar with the stereotype

 

[Free4Life11]

Condolezza, federal building, watermelon? Not a coincidence. Very poor taste.

 

[Laur*Tink*85]

YES. That is absolutely racist.

When you read the name Condoleeza, who did you think of? Particularly with the notation that it was a "Federal building". There is a long-standing and very ugly stereotype about blacks liking watermelon.

lol, i agree this is obviously trying to make fun of condoleeza rice in a racially insensitive way, but ugly stereotype? is it really that bad to liek watermelon? it is a stereotype indeed that black people like to eat things like watermelon and fried chicken, but ive never heard a black person get extremely offended about things like that, its not like the question was used truly ugly sterotypes involving crime or drugs or something like that. Most of my black friends make fun of themselves about the food they eat. Same way i make fun of myself adn get made fun of for eating "gravy adn meatballs" b/c im italian. yes it was inappropriate for a college environment, but i dont think its an "ugly" stereotype. and for those of you who dont get it, it woudl be the same deal reversed if the question read " George W. is holding his golf club over a federal building..." illustrating the stereotype of rich white guys like to golf... there are stereo types about everyone, some of them ugly, some not, eating watermelon is not the worst thing that could be said about someone!

 

[va32h]

What if it were a question about a Kennedy and baked beans? Or a Boston cream pie?

Regional stereotypes aren't as insulting as ethnic ones, though.

How about if the question said "Henry Cisneros threw his leaf blower off the INS building..."

Is that somehow not insulting because there are Hispanic yard workers?

The watermelon is native to Africa, and came to the Americas on slave ships in the 17th century. In the Jim Crow era, when whites tried so hard to convince everyone that blacks were happy darkies perfectly content to serve whites and accept their place, illustrations of a happy black boy or man, barefoot, wearing a straw hat and eating a big slice of watermelon, were commonplace.

Here are some quotes from articles about the watermelon stereotype:

When we got to the image that associated black people with watermelons, he asked, "Oh yeah, why are they always smiling like that, with those big red lips?" I told him that whites used to malign black people as watermelon and chicken thieves. They would say that during the night, when it was pitch dark, black people would go to the masters field to steal watermelons, or, like foxes, to the chicken coop to steal chickens. But supposedly, these black people were always betrayed by their white teeth and white eyes which shone in the dark like lightning. So they could not hide, even in the darkest of nights, even though they were so black. That was why their smiles were cut like slices of watermelon and they were considered, like chickens, to be cowards.

-from The Blackface Stereotype by Manthia Diawara


or this one:

Since the earliest days of plantation slavery, the caricature of the dark-skinned black child, his too-red lips stretched to grotesque extremes as they opened to chomp down on watermelon, was a staple of racism's diet. Over time, the watermelon became a symbol of the broader denigration of black people. It became part of the image perpetuated by a white culture bent upon bolstering the myth of superiority by depicting the inferior race as lazy, simple-minded pickaninnies interested only in such mindless pleasures as a slice of sweet watermelon.

from journalist Keith Woods

 

[Poohgirl]

But it wasn't a cantaloupe. The writer of the test question specifically chose a watermelon. For a reason. To make a stupid bigoted joke.

We went through this a few months ago over lawn jockeys. If you've never heard of these racial stereotypes, good, but plenty of other people have. And the people trading in them know exactly what message they are trying to send.

Oh boy, dare I? Why is a lawn jockey considered racist? I have seen them many times on exremely well manicured lawns as "art" pieces. Boy am I getting an education today!

 

[WIcruizer]

The teacher has apologized and requested cultural sensitivity training, the college said.

This point seems to have been missed. If she apologized and requested sensitivity training, seems like she knew she did something wrong. Of course we don't know if she was encouraged to apologize.

For those of you who have read my posts in the past, I am FAR from politically correct. But common sense tells you Condaleeza, Federal Bldg, and watermelon together is supposed to be a racial joke. Not much reading between the lines is needed.

I'm curious as well about how the whole "watermelon thing" got started.

 

[Holly]

This point seems to have been missed. If she apologized and requested sensitivity training, seems like she knew she did something wrong. Of course we don't know if she was encouraged to apologize.

Good point.

 

[RitaZ.]

Honestly, I wouldn't be insulted in the least. The same way I wouldn't be insulted if the question was about Rita who likes to eat black beans and rice. I'm hispanic and I wouldn't be insulted by a math problem worded that way. Hispanics do eat black beans and rice, nothing untrue or demeaning about that.

I think people waste, not spend, too much time dissecting these alleged insults. If that time was devoted to worthwhile issues and causes, our country wouldn't be as divided as it is.

I'm sure the flames will follow shortly... After the week that I'm having, I couldn't care less!

 

[JoyG]

lol, i agree this is obviously trying to make fun of condoleeza rice in a racially insensitive way, but ugly stereotype? is it really that bad to liek watermelon? it is a stereotype indeed that black people like to eat things like watermelon and fried chicken, but ive never heard a black person get extremely offended about things like that, its not like the question was used truly ugly sterotypes involving crime or drugs or something like that. Most of my black friends make fun of themselves about the food they eat. Same way i make fun of myself adn get made fun of for eating "gravy adn meatballs" b/c im italian. yes it was inappropriate for a college environment, but i dont think its an "ugly" stereotype. and for those of you who dont get it, it woudl be the same deal reversed if the question read " George W. is holding his golf club over a federal building..." illustrating the stereotype of rich white guys like to golf... there are stereo types about everyone, some of them ugly, some not, eating watermelon is not the worst thing that could be said about someone!

Here's why it's an UGLY stereotype:

"Since the earliest days of plantation slavery, the caricature of the dark-skinned black child, his too-red lips stretched to grotesque extremes as they opened to chomp down on watermelon, was a staple of racism's diet. Over time, the watermelon became a symbol of the broader denigration of black people. It became part of the image perpetuated by a white culture bent upon bolstering the myth of superiority by depicting the inferior race as lazy, simple-minded pickaninnies interested only in such mindless pleasures as a slice of sweet watermelon. -Keith M. Woods, journalist"

Whether people understand why is besides the question. It is offensive to many and the math question was insensitive.

 

[TnKrBeLlA012]

Wow! To use a the word watermelon in the same sentence with someone who is black, is wrong??????? That is reallllly sad. So if a black person wants to buy a "watermelon" at store should they fire the cashier if she says," Do you want your watermelon in a bag." Give me a break! Everyone needs to get of their high horse!

 

[mickeyfan2]

I believe it is the reference to a watermelon and an AA women. They should have just said a person threw a ball and it would have been fine question.

 

[CheshireVal]

Here's why it's an UGLY stereotype:

"Since the earliest days of plantation slavery, the caricature of the dark-skinned black child, his too-red lips stretched to grotesque extremes as they opened to chomp down on watermelon, was a staple of racism's diet. Over time, the watermelon became a symbol of the broader denigration of black people. It became part of the image perpetuated by a white culture bent upon bolstering the myth of superiority by depicting the inferior race as lazy, simple-minded pickaninnies interested only in such mindless pleasures as a slice of sweet watermelon. -Keith M. Woods, journalist"

Whether people understand why is besides the question. It is offensive to many and the math question was insensitive.

Very true. Also, from what I was able to find this afternoon, the watermelon was actually brought to America from Africa. Slaves would also plant and snack on watermelons as an afternoon break while working in the fields. That's probably why blacks became associated with watermelons, and the stereotype grew from there into something generally understood to be degrading and offensive.

 

[jgmklmhem]

Doesn't anyone remember Fuzzy Zoeller's comments after Tiger Woods won the Master's? Something about now great the champion dinner will be watermelon and fried chicken. There was a big uproar over that one. I like others here am pretty anti PC but I can definately see the problem here. I also grew up in the south so that might make the issue seem more astute.

 

[Holly]

Doesn't anyone remember Fuzzy Zoeller's comments after Tiger Woods won the Master's? Something about now great the champion dinner will be watermelon and fried chicken.

Ouch.

 

[Rajah]

I'm very anti-PC (doesn't mean I think people need to go around purposely insulting each other, just that it's gotten way out of hand), and it takes a lot for me to recognize something as being racially insensitive.

This was racially insensitive.

Was it meant to offend and be bigoted? I don't know, I doubt it -- I suspect it was intended to be funny. But was it wrong to do? Yep.

 

[DVCLiz]

But it wasn't a cantaloupe. The writer of the test question specifically chose a watermelon. For a reason. To make a stupid bigoted joke.

We went through this a few months ago over lawn jockeys. If you've never heard of these racial stereotypes, good, but plenty of other people have. And the people trading in them know exactly what message they are trying to send.

Well said. I'm astonished at how many people on this thread profess ignorance of this ugly stereotype, or try to make it something other than what it is.

 

[Crankyshank]

Hmm. I wonder if this depends where you are from? I'm also from New England, I'm pretty well schooled, I watch CNN & MSNBC most often... and I have never heard of any such connotation... I'm under 40, so I don't know if my age has anything to do with it... It's really unfortunate that we have these sensitivities out there in the year 2006 It makes me very sad

I'm under 40, well schooled, politically aware, from New England, and I'm aware of this connotation. And about lawn jockeys as well..

 

[palmtreegirl]

Condoleezza, Federal Building, watermelon...

It's not a coincidence. Someone knew what they were doing.

I agree.

 

[princesspumpkin]

I don't necessarily think it's racist. However, the watermelon/African American association is an old and well-known stereotype. Condoleezza is an unusual name. Probably the only Condoleezza most people have ever heard of is Condoleeza Rice, who is African American.

It's certainly not very PC to have a watermelon reference in a question with that name, but that doesn't mean there were necessarily bad intentions there. Could be innocent, could be intentional. Probably not very smart on the teacher's part, either way.

My sentiments exactly.