# Why is Little Black Sambo racist? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [September 10, 2008, 6:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-little-black-sambo-racist/462908 "2008-09-10T06:37:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 3\ **Page:** 6
**Author:** ![tomndebb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b9e5f3/32.png) [@tomndebb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tomndebb)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2014, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-little-black-sambo-racist/462908/101 "2014-06-26T01:57:09Z")
> [@Bert\_Nobbins](#): > > The story in this book sounds completely unacceptable. We’re not short of butter, but we are short of tigers. Ghee. Ya think? ---
**Author:** ![Lasciel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e79b87/32.png) [@Lasciel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lasciel)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2014, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-little-black-sambo-racist/462908/102 "2014-06-26T02:43:29Z")
Another retelling of the story that is well regarded is a ‘retaking’ edition called Sam and the Tigers by Julius Lester and illustrated by Jerry Pinkney, two respected black folklorists and artists. The issue around the names is gotten around by naming everyone in the family ‘Sam’ and having the rest of the cast as human-like animals (Mister Elephant, Miss Ostrich, etc). I love the illustrations, and I especially love that I can enjoy the damn story without feeling guilty that a favorite story from my way too innocent childhood is a horrible racist mess. ---
**Author:** ![Darth\_Panda](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ee7513/32.png) [@Darth\_Panda](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Darth_Panda)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2014, 1:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-little-black-sambo-racist/462908/103 "2014-06-26T13:11:24Z")
Ah, yes, the old “tigers versus butter” model. How quaint. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-little-black-sambo-racist/462908.md?page=5)