racist toy in goodwill window

[thespian.livejournal.com]

I was passing by goodwill in davis square tonight, and saw that they have a tar baby doll (black fabric, white button eyes, pickaninny braids, in gingham) in a rocking chair in their front window. I will call to let them know I find it distasteful*, but I do not know that a phone call will be heeded. I suggest anyone who is in Davis tomorrow (and who agrees; if you think I am out of line of course ignore this) might stop in and point out that the doll is an incredibly racist representation.

* I will go in if I have a chance, but I have to find a cherry pitter tomorrow, and davis square does not have a plethora of houseware stores, and I really miss you, Bowl & Board

Comments

[dominika-kretek.livejournal.com]

"Tar baby" isn't exactly the right term. "Pickaninny" or "Pickaninny doll" is really what that doll is. It's a pretty unambiguous example of the racist caricature. If we presume that Goodwill is simply ignorant of the history, then anyone who lets them know of it will be doing them a huge favor, because the controversy is only beginning.

If they're not ignorant of it, well--

[crschmidt.livejournal.com]

That gives me more pointers to look at, but still seems like whether having (or selling) such a doll is racist/offensive is a toss-up in the 50/50 range.

*shrug* I guess I'm simply not an appropriate measure here; even reading everything I can find on the topic, it still seems a bit of an overreaction to me.

[dominika-kretek.livejournal.com]

There are many reasons, some defensible, some not so defensible, why someone might have or sell such a doll. I'm having trouble drawing a line from any of the more defensible reasons to the act of putting the doll in a shop's display window without explanation, but who knows? Maybe Goodwill sidelines in historical artifacts of American racism nowadays.

Anyway, the doll itself is offensive, or to put it another way, extremely racially charged, at least in the United States. Many, many people will experience the sight of that doll as shocking, upsetting, or confrontational. If you're not having that reaction, all I can say is "trust me on this one."

[browngirl.livejournal.com]

This is well and truly said; thank you for saying it.

[browngirl.livejournal.com]

Why is there always someone in these discussions who tries to use the concept of "overreaction" to persuade people to silently acquiesce to racism?

[crschmidt.livejournal.com]

I think my comment wasn't read the way I intended it. My intent was not to offer a suggestion that other people feel the same way I do -- I expect they don't, and for good reason. Instead, I was trying to say "Huh, this whole thing seems weird to me".

So, to clarify: "I'm sure I'm wrong, but I wouldn't have expected this to be an issue with what I currently know and understand."

[ukelele.livejournal.com]

My feeling is, I'm not deeply knowledgeable about the history of dolls like this, but if people who are tell me they're problematic and upsetting, I'm going to defer to them on this.

[halleyscomet.livejournal.com]

"it still seems a bit of an overreaction to me."

Without historical context the doll seems innocent enough. The historical context isn't necessarily something you or I are likely to learn in school or necessarily pick up along the way.

With the historical content, and I'm glad someone brought up Golliwoggs in a link below, the doll becomes more insidious.

Think of all the times George W Bush was compared to a chimpanzee. There was no racial context there. It was rude and juvenile, but not racist. Now look at the people who have compared Barack Obama to an ape. If you didn't know about the history of comparing blacks to apes or chimps as a means of dehumanizing them it would look like more of the same juvenile rudeness. People complaining about Obama being compared to an ape would then be accused of overacting.

A lot of things seem like an overreaction if you don't know the context. How well do you think someone would fare if they posted a job opening with the text "No Irish Need Apply" in the Boston area? Even if they meant it as a joke there would be a lot of Irish Americans who would be justified in getting pissed off.

[crschmidt.livejournal.com]

Hm, I think my statement came off differently than I meant it to. What I meant was more along the lines of "I can understand why someone wouldn't have thought this was a problem" rather than "I think that this is okay."

I trust people who know better than me that there are issues with this; I just don't think that I would have known that ahead of time, or could have learned it even with research.