# Attention white people: ITS BLACK HISTORY MONTH. Think. **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [February 3, 2016, 6:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/attention-white-people-its-black-history-month-think/745036 "2016-02-03T06:55:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 12
**Author:** ![Airbeck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/airbeck/32/6574_2.png) [@Airbeck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airbeck)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2016, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/attention-white-people-its-black-history-month-think/745036/221 "2016-02-04T20:19:34Z")
> [@lance\_strongarm](#): > > My apologies - I mixed you up with andros. The “A” name threw me. Sorry for any offense. > > Back to square one. > > Our conversation had diverged. My comments didn’t necessarily reflect on the OP. Ok fair enough, no worries. I was pretty taken aback when I read that. It makes more sense now. Thanks for the clarification. (edit: also you can ignore the tone in my last response as it was all a result of the mixup.) ---
**Author:** ![lance\_strongarm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/87869e/32.png) [@lance\_strongarm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lance_strongarm)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2016, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/attention-white-people-its-black-history-month-think/745036/222 "2016-02-04T20:20:43Z")
> [@Airbeck](#): > > Ok fair enough, no worries. I was pretty taken aback when I read that. It makes more sense now. Thanks for the clarification. You’re a dick! Oh, wait, sorry again, now it’s out of my system. I hope. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Airbeck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/airbeck/32/6574_2.png) [@Airbeck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airbeck)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2016, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/attention-white-people-its-black-history-month-think/745036/223 "2016-02-04T20:27:25Z")
> [@lance\_strongarm](#): > > You’re a dick! > > Oh, wait, sorry again, now it’s out of my system. I hope. 😃 Well this is the pit after all, so … I know you are, but what am I? Ok, speaking of hijacks, back to the thread. Something something monkeys, New Years, basketball… ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2016, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/attention-white-people-its-black-history-month-think/745036/224 "2016-02-04T20:34:49Z")
> [@Bone](#): > > This guy? > (my bold) > Do you think \*\*russian heel \*\*agrees with my two statements - 1.) Thinking the Chinese Year of the Monkey is racist is ludicrous. 2.) Thinking the Chinese New Year or the monkey symbols associated with it has anything whatsoever to do with Black History Month is ludicrous. From what I can tell, **russian heel** is talking about perceptions in both posts. I see no indication that he actually thinks the Chinese New Year, or the Chinese monkey new year symbol, has anything to do with BHM, or are racist. So I would guess that he thinks the answer is “yes” to both questions, but you’d have to ask him. > [@](#): > > I don’t think I can read your mind - but based on your posts I think I can make a guess as to what your position is regarding specific items. Like this one. You could correct my assumption if you’d like. Do you agree, disagree, or express no opinion, or something else? No need to be coy with questions, make a statement, like I did. I think you disagree with my assertions #1 and #2 above. Am I right? You are wrong. Sorry if I wasn’t clear before – I think it’s ludicrous to believe that the Chinese New Year is racist (and I’ve seen no indication that any poster in this thread believes that the CNY is racist), and I think it’s ludicrous to associate it with BHM, but that doesn’t have anything to do with the OP, as far as I can tell, nor any other assertions by any other posters. I’d advise you, like I advise others, to not try and guess how others feel. The folks who try to guess how I feel are incredibly bad at it, so far. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2016, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/attention-white-people-its-black-history-month-think/745036/225 "2016-02-04T20:41:55Z")
> [@lance\_strongarm](#): > > Yes, but in similar cases it may not be corrected. That’s the point - it wasn’t just an overreaction, it was absolutely absurd, and the fact that it happened in the first place is disturbing enough, even if someone eventually fixed it. It sounds like a rather run-of-the-mill overreaction to me – language can be complicated, and misunderstandings are common. > [@](#): > > I think the mayor heard “racism” and fired someone. He didn’t care what the word meant. It was cowardly. I won’t try and read minds here – I have no idea what the Mayor believed. I don’t think it particularly matters, for this issue. > [@](#): > > It does contradict things you’ve said though. If not, I withdraw that claim. It does not – if you think it does, please cite. > [@](#): > > FALSE accusations of racism are as bad as racism, you mean? Yeah, that’s actually true. I think that’s ludicrous. “Hey, I think that thing you said sounds racist” is as bad as saying or doing something racist? Are you friggin’ serious? Racism leads to mass murder and slavery, along with things like Jim Crow, segregation, redlining, and much, much more. False accusations of racism can sometimes lead to bad things, sure, but nothing even close to mass murder and slavery, or Jim Crow and the rest. A ludicrous comparison, in my view. > [@](#): > > I don’t give a shit if I sound defensive. Accusations of racism (true or false) are also defensive. If you don’t care how others perceive what you say, then I think we’re done here – this whole conversation is about how people perceive certain words and symbols. I care about not saying or doing racist things, and not saying or doing things that others might perceive as racist – if you don’t care about being perceived as racist, then feel free to not take my advice. My advice is only intended for people who don’t want to be perceived as racist. I’ll add that, personally, I’ve seen no posts from you that I recall that seem racist to me in any way. ---
**Author:** ![Bone](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bone/32/407_2.png) [@Bone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bone)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2016, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/attention-white-people-its-black-history-month-think/745036/226 "2016-02-04T20:57:03Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > From what I can tell, **russian heel** is talking about perceptions in both posts. I see no indication that he actually thinks the Chinese New Year, or the Chinese monkey new year symbol, has anything to do with BHM, or are racist. So I would guess that he thinks the answer is “yes” to both questions, but you’d have to ask him. > [@russian\_heel](#): > > …and therefore that is why my racist radar detector goes off when I see a monkey tee-shirt being given out during Black History Month at a basketball game featuring mostly black players: I see the connection other people have made. His racist radar detector goes off when a monkey tee-shirt is given out during black history month at a basketball game. You don’t think that falls under #2, that it has something to do with Chinese New Year or the Year of the Monkey has something to do with BHM? He’s relating the ideas all in one sentence. Sure, he didn’t come out and say specifically, ‘CNY is racist’. Is that a requirement to draw the connection? > [@](#): > > You are wrong. Sorry if I wasn’t clear before – I think it’s ludicrous to believe that the Chinese New Year is racist (and I’ve seen no indication that any poster in this thread believes that the CNY is racist), and I think it’s ludicrous to associate it with BHM, but that doesn’t have anything to do with the OP, as far as I can tell, nor any other assertions by any other posters. Ok. I assumed wrong. Given that you think the association is ludicrous, shouldn’t you dispute what \*\*russian heel \*\*has said? I mean, if those ideas are ludicrous and you agree, then wouldn’t this hold: > [@iiandyiiii](#): > > Okay, so I’ll add that when someone says something totally ludicrous and beyond reason, then I have no problem with questioning or disputing that. ---
**Author:** ![bucketybuck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/898d66/32.png) [@bucketybuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bucketybuck)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2016, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/attention-white-people-its-black-history-month-think/745036/227 "2016-02-04T20:57:51Z")
> [@russian\_heel](#): > > That’s a fair point, but I would hope if I was on the marketing team working on a Year of the Monkey tee-shirt to be given out at the early Feb NBA home game, and then it struck me "WAIT A MINUTE! Thetas Black History Month . . " I could go up to my white boss, close the door and say, "By the way, did you know . . . " without reprisal. Thats because when you see a monkey you think of black people. If I saw that t-shirt I would have thought of monkeys. But maybe I am racist and just don’t know it. Another question, if the marketing people used “I’m a believer” as a theme song during BHM, is that racist? Also, who remembers the old 70’s crappy tv show “Monkey magic”? I just watched a [clip](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JNIXkMgPFjE) and I’m very confused about who its supposed to be racist against? ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2016, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/attention-white-people-its-black-history-month-think/745036/228 "2016-02-04T21:16:28Z")
> [@Bone](#): > > His racist radar detector goes off when a monkey tee-shirt is given out during black history month at a basketball game. You don’t think that falls under #2, that it has something to do with Chinese New Year or the Year of the Monkey has something to do with BHM? He’s relating the ideas all in one sentence. Sure, he didn’t come out and say specifically, ‘CNY is racist’. Is that a requirement to draw the connection? > > Ok. I assumed wrong. Given that you think the association is ludicrous, shouldn’t you dispute what \*\*russian heel \*\*has said? I mean, if those ideas are ludicrous and you agree, then wouldn’t this hold: No, I would have seen the same connection - not that others would think the CNY is racist, but that others might think a monkey t shirt on BHM might be racist, due to not understanding the CNY. If one doesn’t know about the CNY, then thinking that a monkey t-shirt on the first week of BHM might be racist would not be ludicrous, in my opinion. To me the situation is like this: someone wants to have a Hindu cultural celebration. They gather up symbols and decorations, and schedule the celebration in NYC. Sounds great, right? Well, some of the prominent imagery includes swastikas, and they happened to schedule it on Holocaust remembrance day. Someone points this out, and they change the imagery, and change the day. It wouldn’t be ludicrous in my view, to be concerned that some might see those swastikas as anti-semitic, even though they weren’t intended that way, and it’s reasonable to change the day and symbols used. ---
**Author:** ![andros](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e480ec/32.png) [@andros](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/andros)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2016, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/attention-white-people-its-black-history-month-think/745036/229 "2016-02-04T21:18:08Z")
> [@bucketybuck](#): > > Thats because when you see a monkey you think of black people. No. When he sees a monkey, on a t-shirt, intended to be handed out at an NBA game on the first day of Black History Month, he is aware enough of possible perception and history to realize that some people might find it offensive. That awareness provides context to make more fully informed business decisions; if the company or organization then decides to move forward, ok–maybe the risk of offense is low, maybe we don’t care, whatever. But it doesn’t take racism to recognize the power and history of symbols. Or maybe when a banana is thrown at a black athlete, it’s just because of a banana’s inherent aerodynamic properties. ---
**Author:** ![Enderw24](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ba9def/32.png) [@Enderw24](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enderw24)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2016, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/attention-white-people-its-black-history-month-think/745036/230 "2016-02-04T21:18:23Z")
russian heel, Here are the facts: 1. February is the start of the Chinese New Year. 2. This year is the year of the monkey. Given those two facts, what would be your suggestion for an organization that wishes to acknowledge this occasion? I’m serious. ---
**Author:** ![treis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bc79bd/32.png) [@treis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/treis)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2016, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/attention-white-people-its-black-history-month-think/745036/231 "2016-02-04T21:20:59Z")
> [@Bone](#): > > His racist radar detector goes off when a monkey tee-shirt is given out during black history month at a basketball game. One wonders what a gorilla in a basketball suit as a mascot for an NBA team (even during black history month!) does to his racist radar detector. ---
**Author:** ![bucketybuck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/898d66/32.png) [@bucketybuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bucketybuck)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2016, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/attention-white-people-its-black-history-month-think/745036/232 "2016-02-04T21:25:52Z")
> [@andros](#): > > Or maybe when a banana is thrown at a black athlete, it’s just because of a banana’s inherent aerodynamic properties. They are quite a good source of energy. ---
**Author:** ![Airbeck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/airbeck/32/6574_2.png) [@Airbeck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airbeck)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2016, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/attention-white-people-its-black-history-month-think/745036/233 "2016-02-04T21:26:09Z")
> [@treis](#): > > One wonders what a gorilla in a basketball suit as a mascot for an NBA team (even during black history month!) does to his racist radar detector. Did your hypothetical team decide to create this Gorilla mascot and unveil it on the first day of BHM while the players were all wearing BHM T-Shirts? If so, do you not see how this may look a little odd to some people? If not, then how does it relate to this particular situation? Seems totally irrelevant. The timing is the thing here, not the shirt, not the monkey, not Chinese new year, its the timing. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2016, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/attention-white-people-its-black-history-month-think/745036/234 "2016-02-04T21:27:50Z")
> [@Enderw24](#): > > russian heel, > > Here are the facts: > > 1. February is the start of the Chinese New Year. > 2. This year is the year of the monkey. > > Given those two facts, what would be your suggestion for an organization that wishes to acknowledge this occasion? > > I’m serious. I’m no PR specialist, but if they asked me, I’d recommend something like a multiple week long sequence: a week or two of education (the Chinese new year is coming! It’s cool and fun! Every year is a different animal! Look at these cool animals! Which one is your birth year? Find out here!), followed by some carefully constructed imagery (maybe a monkey in traditional Chinese battle armor and other traditional outfits, maybe the monkey defeating the previous year’s animal), along with lots of other Chinese symbols, games, food, and other Chinese cultural stuff. ---
**Author:** ![treis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bc79bd/32.png) [@treis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/treis)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2016, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/attention-white-people-its-black-history-month-think/745036/235 "2016-02-04T21:32:48Z")
> [@Airbeck](#): > > Did your hypothetical team decide to create this Gorilla mascot and unveil it on the first day of BHM while the players were all wearing BHM T-Shirts? > > If so, do you not see how this may look a little odd to some people? > > If not, then how does it relate to this particular situation? Seems totally irrelevant. > > The timing is the thing here, not the shirt, not the monkey, not Chinese new year, its the timing. Being entirely serious, I don’t see why it being the first day of black history month makes a difference. ---
**Author:** ![FuriousGeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ecae2f/32.png) [@FuriousGeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FuriousGeorge)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2016, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/attention-white-people-its-black-history-month-think/745036/236 "2016-02-04T21:44:59Z")
> [@treis](#): > > > [@Airbeck](#): > > > > Did your hypothetical team decide to create this Gorilla mascot and unveil it on the first day of BHM while the players were all wearing BHM T-Shirts? > > > > If so, do you not see how this may look a little odd to some people? > > > > If not, then how does it relate to this particular situation? Seems totally irrelevant. > > > > The timing is the thing here, not the shirt, not the monkey, not Chinese new year, its the timing. > > Being entirely serious, I don’t see why it being the first day of black history month makes a difference. I’m struggling to understand this as well. ---
**Author:** ![Damuri\_Ajashi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/898d66/32.png) [@Damuri\_Ajashi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Damuri_Ajashi)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2016, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/attention-white-people-its-black-history-month-think/745036/237 "2016-02-04T22:21:07Z")
> [@lance\_strongarm](#): > > Yes, exactly. But she learned something about white people and racism that white people already knew and she didn’t. > > I didn’t say being racist, I said being in the group that is racist. You hear other racists talk freely. You know more about how white people think if you’re white, even if you don’t share all of their views. > > This is not only reasonable, it’s consistent with your own ideas. > > I’m not saying white people know more about racism overall - obviously black people have experienced it and whites haven’t. I’m saying that it’s ludicrous to say that whites can have no knowledge of the subject, or that blacks always have better knowledge. Life is more complicated than that. As a model minority I feel like we have a unique perspective. We see the racism that whites exhibit when blacks and latinos aren’t in the room and at the same time we see how unfairly the race card can be used by disadvantaged minorities. Between the two I feel like the hidden racism of white America does more damage to our society than the outrageous claims of the race baiters. ---
**Author:** ![Peremensoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ce7236/32.png) [@Peremensoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Peremensoe)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2016, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/attention-white-people-its-black-history-month-think/745036/238 "2016-02-04T22:36:02Z")
> [@FuriousGeorge](#): > > I’m struggling to understand this as well. The natural human tendency is to associate things that happen in approximately the same time and place, with one another. If they are _presented_ in the same time and place, by the same person or body, all the more so. President Obama can about sports, and he can talk about disasters, but it would look terrible if he did one right after the other at the same press conference. ---
**Author:** ![FuriousGeorge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ecae2f/32.png) [@FuriousGeorge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FuriousGeorge)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2016, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/attention-white-people-its-black-history-month-think/745036/239 "2016-02-04T22:44:39Z")
> [@Peremensoe](#): > > The natural human tendency is to associate things that happen in approximately the same time and place, with one another. If they are _presented_ in the same time and place, by the same person or body, all the more so. > > President Obama can about sports, and he can talk about disasters, but it would look terrible if he did one right after the other at the same press conference. SO in this horrible analogy, of Chinese New Year and Black History Month, which is the sports and which is the disaster? Are we saying that because it’s Black History Month all other cultures are to deign before Black History Month? ---
**Author:** ![treis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bc79bd/32.png) [@treis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/treis)\ **Post date:** [February 4, 2016, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/attention-white-people-its-black-history-month-think/745036/240 "2016-02-04T22:50:42Z")
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