I am offended

Yeah, this is debate material. I can see why different perspectives can cause some to be offended while others don't even notice it. For example, if you look at this quote from a biblical perspective (gasp!) it's not "correct" because from a biblical perspective, woman was created for man...to be a helpmate.

Carolyn, I award you cool points for handling it so sweetly. :)
 
Trish,

I don't think the quote was used "out of context" and I feel that your friends and you both have misunderstood its meaning.

And as others have said, the term African-American cannot be applied to all black people, since they are not all American. Walker is not just talking about American blacks in her quote, which is why her saying "black people" is appropriate.

Carolyn is my sister, and as you said she didn't mean any harm. She was quite shocked when I called her and alerted her that you were accusing her of being racially offensive. She has the flu by the way so I felt terrible telling her something that would make her feel even worse. She has apologized to you and I stand behind her for that. She is a kind and considerate person and simply decided it wasn't worth keeping a quote that you didn't like. No big deal. But I have to admit that I'm a bit upset that you singled her out like this, and I would suggest that you consider apologizing to her for taking the quote wrong and implying that she is racist or racially insensitive.

Amy
 
I was trying to not comment on this, but I have to support Amy here. I think it was unfair to publicly call poor Carolyn out on the quote. A private PM would have been a much better course of action and would have saved face on both sides. This post also had no place on the “Ask Cathe” forum.

I don't feel that the responses were filled with "rage" though - just annoyance with what appeared to be the original poster's ignorance of the material she was complaining about. And the statement about ALL black wanting to be called "African Americans" came off frankly as ignorant and un-informed as well - and in a word - offensive. Poor Carolyn has removed her quote though so I say we drop it for her sake.

p.s. I hope Carolyn feels better soon!!!
 
Trish:

It's unfortunate that the circumstances that brought Alice Walker to write the way that she did makes you uncomfortable. It is however the way she said it or it wouldn't be a quote. Instead it would be a paraphrase. In order to keep literary integrity, we need to read/hear things the way they were really written or said. That way the quote opens our minds to ask "what was going on to make them polically incorrect??" It makes us think. It makes us remember. What we should be celebrating is the way it should be interpreted. I think Carolyn meant it the way it should be interpreted and celebrated.

God Bless,

BLZ
 
Just got to say something. So, no matter where you live in the world or where you were born, if your skin colour is black, you are African-American? Interesting ...
 
In my opinion the quote is fine, even more so it came from someone who is in fact black. I dont see what is so wrong about calling someone black. I refer to people as white and and no one seems to take offence. Especially when I'm watching a reality tv show and I couldnt be bothered with learning their names. I use black and white when referring to the characters.

Plus not everyone is African American. They can be African Polish/English/Spanish etc. Plus I have a number of black friends and only two of them actually came from Africa. Now they can be referred to as African. The rest are Canadian.
 
I know this thread should die, but since Carolyn has come to my defense before, I feel that it is my place to come to hers.

As an admirer of both Alice Walker AND Carolyn, I have to say that I completely understand the quote and know that it was neither said nor quoted in a negative or racist way.

Hope you feel better soon, Carolyn. :)
 
Lighten up people!!!!! We had to revise the name of our Iron Pig teams mascot. A 5yr. old won a contest naming the mascot PORK CHOP. This offended the local latino population (UH?) and they had to change the name...lte's all grow a little backbone here people!!!!!!!!!
 
I am a black woman. A strong one I might add. I don't have a problem with the quote. Yep I said BLACK, becaue African American takes to freakin long to type . I sometimes say white, again Caucasian takes to long and I probably spelled it wrong too !!! :)

I have never been offended by Carolyn's quote. Never bothered me, still doesn't bother me. Takes a lot to offend me. I learned long ago to overlook many things , as I am in an interracial marriage. ;-)
 
Just a couple of comments from me. I am from the UK and I am a white woman married to a black man. He is in no way African-American, he is actually British and that is how he would describe himself. If he was to refer to his colour he would say that he was "black".

Also, surely if all black people are supposed to be offended by this quote, then shouldn't all women also be offended?

Emma
 
The quote addresses humans seeing certain groups of humans as 'others', in the same way they treat animals as 'others' unworthy of their compassion, and shows that this behavior is wrong in all cases. It does make one think.

I see nothing offensive in it (and quite a few "African Americans" call themselves "black", including Alice Walker, the author of the quote).

As a woman, I do not find it offensive to women (though I definitely understand that we were once considered--and sometimes still considered--inferior to men and of use only as their adjuncts).
 
>May I respectfully point out that not all black people are
>African-Americans? And not every black person living or
>present in the United States is an American. Some may be
>Jamaican nationals or of Caribbean descent, for example, and
>it is therefore presumptuous to refer to them as African
>American.
>
>It has been my experience that some black people do not wish
>to be referred to as African American.
>
>For what it is worth, I find it best to refer to people the
>way that they wish to be referred to. If I am not sure, I
>like to play it safe. Therefore, I refer to black people as
>black, unless they advise me that they wish to be called
>otherwise. :)


Juice you are absolutely correct!!! I am BLACK and prefer to be called Black and I am also a civil rights attorney. There is nothing offensive about the post at all. In fact it made a very good point. I do not reply to posts often; however, I had to weigh in on this one. At my job we ask people how they identify themselves and address them as they identify themselves. I would also like to point out that Charleze Theron was a native born African and now she lives in America... I guess that would make her African-American????

ETA: I am not at all offended and think it is a great quote and observation.
 
Ya know, whenever I see a female referred to as "A Woman of Color", it makes me feel even more freckle-y, pasty-white and untanned than I did before :-( I guess I'm just all color-less, like cellophane.....
 
Dear Carolyn,

Please don't remove the quote from your signature.
This is a free forum, we leave in a free country and also you have the right for the free speech.
I think as long your signature is not obscene you can put there whatever you want to. There are several members on this forum and only one had problem with this. Why even be bothered with it? If she doesn't like it, well she will not read it.
Trish posted the original topic yesterday. She got quite few replies, all saying that the quote is ok. The topic was removed by the webmaster and now there she is again. Actually she put it back to the “Ask Cathe” site too.
I wonder why?

For me the most interesting from Trish that she calls every black people African-American. I think that is offensive.
Trish,
There are other black people and they are not from America. Black people can be called African-American in the US but there are other countries around us. Please do not forget about them!


Krisztina
 
<<I do not think that it is appropriate to place a race in the same <<sentence as animals.


My cat would no doubt agree. :p
 
Alice Walker is a "African American", or "Black American"

"I do not think that it is appropriate to place a race in the same sentence as animals."
I would bet she feels it's appropriate.

"all black people are called African Americans"
Not true, I call my friends by their name, they prefer that. One friend said he was born in Oklahoman not Africa, so you can call him a "Oklahoman American". "Okie" is ok too....
 
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