Playdate: Anti-Racist Parent Offers Philosophical Commraderie and Practical Advice
After reading about the horrific cartoon depiction of Barack Obama as the chimp who wrote the stimulus bill in the New York Post this morning, I was gripped again with the odd paradoxical feeling Obama’s presidency gives me as the mother of African American children. On the one hand, I feel the visceral opening of possibilities previously cut off from my girls by virtue of race–and more importantly, racism–and its place in American culture. On the other hand, I am terrified by the new daring racism popping out of the woodwork of our society, now that the true, self-conscious racists have such a clear target for their animus.
Add to this a third feeling of itchy annoyance whenever anyone suggests that racism–even race itself–is “over” now that the United States has a Black (biracial!) president and now I’m so conflicted and bothered I can barely get out of bed.
What’s a parent who believes in racism and is passionately committed to its eradication to do on such a morning? Click immediately on my browser’s “ARP” bookmark. Anti-Racist Parent is a group blog dedicated to parents of all races with children of all races who want to take positive action to eliminate racism from their lives and their society. ARP is no place for the “color blind,” the believers in a “post-race” society; the singers of kumbaya. It is a place instead that looks race and racism squarely in the eye, meets its logic with intellectual rigor and offers experienced opinions and practical advice to all who’d do the same.
If you are devoted to an anti-racist stance, but are not sure what to do or where to start when it comes to educating your children in same, Anti-Racist Parent is a great place to get started and meet some like-minded peers.
See also:
Sharing African American History and Culture Through Kids’ Books: Preschool Edition
Sharing African American History and Culture Through Kids’ Books: Elementary Edition
No Great Outpouring of Support for Sudanese Mother of Quints
Morgan–
Referring to Bush as a monkey might be demeaning, in a sort of silly way, but it’s not racist. There is a long history of referring to Black people as monkeys to make them seem less than human. So yes, calling Obama a monkey is worse than calling Bush one.
Racism is a very tough cookie to crack. George Bush was often portrayed as some type of primate, usually with an emphasis on his “large” ears. But, since he was white, this was seen as a perfectly acceptable form of a satirical cartoon.
In contrast, the NY cartoon, which was also referring to the pet monkey that was put down earlier this month by the police (which is why it was literally a monkey, instead of Obama made to look like a monkey…and also why it was shot), is seen as racist.
Look at the political cartoons involving Bush, then pretend they were made about Obama. Somehow the same cartoon is racist for Obama and perfectly legitimate for Bush…sorry, but no dice.
http://politicalhumor.about.com/library/images/blbushmonkey3.htm
http://www.cartoonstock.com/newscartoons/cartoonists/kni/lowres/knin305l.jpg
Great post, Shannon! Thanks for sharing ARP – what a great resource. Did you see Eric Holder’s speech about racism that he made a few days ago? He used some pretty aggressive terms, but I thought he made some good points about the importance of dialogue on racial issues.