"I Too Am Harvard"

Parents Forum
441

<p>My point exactly.</p>

442

<p>This is my problem with African-Americans
And this is not your personal forum to stereotype and blast. You are a high school kid, right? Your own opinions may be nothing more than a reflection of your own thoughts and experiences. No matter what those are, they are not universals or truths. </p>

<p>The point of this thread was to examine stereotyping and how it affects those you expect to “put up with it,” because it doesn’t bother YOU. Think. </p>

<p>I suggest this thread be closed- some of you will have more tread on the Race and College Admissions thread. </p>

443

<p>Just . . . wow. A quick google image search will tell you that it is still used in an intentional and quite personal derogatory way. I came back because I thought of a example that under rock dwellers might at least have seen. I don’t even know how to address the above comments so I’ll just let them sit as a living example. </p>

444

<p>You are correct, saintfan, but as you can see there is a lot confusion here. Many people had no clue about the negative watermelon association and would just think of it as regular food, or perhaps soul food. Some African-Americans posting are saying they don’t think it’s a problem to serve it to blacks. I just don’t think people can just throw around a charge of racism when there such a lack of clarity. </p>

445

<p>Completely disgusted by the narrow-minded, “I don’t understand it therefore it doesn’t apply” attitude in the above posts. Do a little research, as the schools should have done to see WHY such things are considered derogatory, rather than base your opinions on anecdotal experience.</p>

446

<p><a href=“http://www.thewire.com/culture/2014/02/heres-why-your-fried-chicken-and-watermelon-lunch-racist/357814/”>http://www.thewire.com/culture/2014/02/heres-why-your-fried-chicken-and-watermelon-lunch-racist/357814/&lt;/a&gt;
<a href=“Watermelon: Symbolizing the Supposed Simplicity of Slaves - Sociological Images”>http://thesocietypages.org/socimages/2012/12/26/slavery-and-the-watermelon/&lt;/a&gt;
<a href=“African Americans and the Watermelon Stereotype | HuffPost Latest News”>HuffPost - Breaking News, U.S. and World News | HuffPost;
<a href=“File:1904 Watermelon Coon Card 1.jpg - Wikimedia Commons”>http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:1904_Watermelon_Coon_Card_1.jpg&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

447

<p>An institution having an event related to black culture is in a different category than an individual having a picnic in his back yard. I have attended barbecues hosted by African-Americans that served watermelon. So I if I invited them to my home and I also served watermelon, would I be racist? </p>

448

<p>No. My husband is black, my kids are biracial, watermelon was never an issue. It’s a matter of an institution using certain foods (clothing, activities, whatever) to celebrate a specific culture on a certain day without checking into historical significance. </p>

449

<p>Interesting quote from one of Sue22’s links, above:</p>

<p><a href=“http://www.thewire.com/culture/2014/02/heres-why-your-fried-chicken-and-watermelon-lunch-racist/357814/”>http://www.thewire.com/culture/2014/02/heres-why-your-fried-chicken-and-watermelon-lunch-racist/357814/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

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<p>When some Black people today don’t know what is offensive to Blacks, it is obvious that it is not always obvious what is considered offensive anymore.</p>