links for 2008-07-03
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“Phony “ghetto” names were printed under a yearbook photo of Black Student Union members…”Tay Tay Shaniqua,” “Crisphy Nanos” and “Laquan White” were among the nine names placed next to the club’s photo in Charter Oak High School’s yearbook”
Carmen Van Kerckhove is co-founder and president of 
Brian wrote:
I don’t even know how to respond to this. This is appalling on so many levels as to make me sick. Who would think this was funny? If the official response to this student or students AND whatever administrators oversaw the yearbook (whether they knew or not, they have a responsibility for whatever comes out of the group’s work) is not to the full extent of the school board and law’s power, justice will not be done. It is incidents like this that can be so damaging to the psyche of children of color. And when their is not a firm response that this will not be tolerated, we end up with situations like Jena. Anything less will imply approval or acceptance of this blatantly racist act. I hope Racialicious keeps us updated on the facts of the case.
Posted 03 Jul 2008 at 6:39 am ¶
Dan wrote:
BUT RACISM HAS ENDED IN THIS COUNTRY! SLAVERY IS OVER! I VOTED FOR OBAMA!
/sarcasm off
I’m so enraged by this nonsense. Has common sense gone the way of the Dodo in this country?
Posted 03 Jul 2008 at 6:58 am ¶
DiosaNegra1967 wrote:
Dan: Yep…..
And, I’m willing to bet dollar to a donut that once it blows up in the face of the dunderhead that did this….either of the following will be said:
- It’s just a joke!
- There was no harm meant!
- It’s satire!
Ladies and Gentlemen, Parents and Guardians…..may I present the future leaders of our country!
Cr*ptacular!
Posted 03 Jul 2008 at 8:48 am ¶
Brian wrote:
Diosa, if your final comment was meant to scare the “elders” of this nation of the trouble that the “youth” of America will wreak once we are in power, that is a very flawed premise. Where do you think this dodo learned this nonsense? I’m sure his parents and guardians would have found this joke funny, if this is the kind of BS he’s up to. Perhaps you meant otherwise, but the comment SEEMS aimed at young people, which I think is unfair. This was not a “youthful indiscretion” (another term sure to come out); it was bigotry, racism, ignorance, etc. And that knows no age.
Posted 03 Jul 2008 at 10:07 am ¶
Sanguinity wrote:
@DiosaNegra1967: When the story appeared in the online version of the local paper, all those were being said in the comments by the yearbook staff and more. It appears that it wasn’t done deliberately, but that somebody (the printer or the final proofer, unclear) “just” screwed up and printed what were “just” place-holder pages instead of printing the real pages.
I never saw a hint of anyane getting through to the people who were using that “defense,” that “the caption was supposed to be private, the BSU kids were never supposed to hear about it” doesn’t make it all better.
Posted 03 Jul 2008 at 10:11 am ¶
Mickey wrote:
Something is rotten in the state of Denmark….
I was on the yearbook in high school. Everything had to be proofed by our advisor, ya know, that adult at the front of the classroom.
The editor should have to issue a formal apology and the yearbook advisor needs to be formally reprimanded, if not fired.
Posted 03 Jul 2008 at 10:57 am ¶
Elise wrote:
@ Mickey
I was on yearbook too and thought the same thing. Pages go through more than one edit and are seen by so many people. But this just ‘happened’ to slip by?
And when we did need place holder captions, we used blah blah blah blah or a variation thereof. Someone had to sit and think that up. and it is absolutely unacceptable.
Posted 03 Jul 2008 at 11:07 am ¶
sylvie wrote:
the students behind this obviously make me sick, but I also wonder about this advisor who perhaps didn’t even blink at these fabricated “ghetto names.” had s(he) never had contact with ANY of the black students at this school before?
Posted 03 Jul 2008 at 1:09 pm ¶
Mary wrote:
That is absolutely outrageous - humiliating young people in their own yearbook. It’s really heartbreaking because that damage will never be undone no matter how harshly the people responsible for those nicknames are dealt with. (Which isn’t to say they shouldn’t be dealt with harshly.)
Posted 03 Jul 2008 at 2:10 pm ¶
Nicole wrote:
Social conditioning sucks! What is so wrong with having a name that is not standardized? Why are black, so called, names given a negative connotation? What makes a name “funny” to folks in other racial groups? What if it were black students targeting Latino students or Asian students? I just don’t get why anyone would find something to “slur” in a person’s name? The student’s and teacher in charge of this yearbook should do community service for being so ignorant?
Posted 03 Jul 2008 at 2:21 pm ¶
Renee wrote:
I take issue with the term “ghetto names”, black people have taken to giving children unique names to make up for what has been lost to our culture due to slavery. While do recognize that in this case these names were meant to demean this students, by owning that stigmatization are we not agreeing with the racist that there is something to be ashamed about in black culture?
Posted 03 Jul 2008 at 3:17 pm ¶
deb wrote:
Why am I not surprised?
One year my high school printed a picture in its yearbook with the heading “Me and My Shadow.” It was a picture of two girls in their modern dance/gym class. The girl in the foreground was white. And, well, you can guess what color “the shadow” was.
And this was the early 80’s, in Brooklyn, NY!
Posted 03 Jul 2008 at 5:01 pm ¶
Merri Lee wrote:
What if it were black students targeting Latino students or Asian students?
Then they would deserve the same punishment. If a black editor of the yearbook used “Ching Chong Lee” as a placeholder for an Asian student, he should be suspended/punished as well.
Do you think any white students would be called “Tayquan Jenkins?” of course not. That’s what makes it racist.
Posted 03 Jul 2008 at 5:34 pm ¶
Fransky wrote:
This story hurt my heart. “Accident” or not the actions of students & staff were so utterly racist, hurtful & unfunny I wonder really what is going on at that school. No wonder Dead Prez said the following in their song They Schools:
“But if education aint elevatin me, then you knowhatimsayin it aint Takin me where I need to go on some bullshit, then fuck education knowhatimsayin?”
Not all schools are like this but it’s crap like this that may keep some kids away from schools.
~F
Posted 04 Jul 2008 at 2:04 pm ¶
browne wrote:
In Los Angeles this story was painted very, very different via TV. It was said that some students were named Crispy Nachos.
This is very odd, how they would change it and take out the fact that it was directly to the BSU and it was mocking of African-American names….
Browne Molyneux
Posted 05 Jul 2008 at 6:48 pm ¶
browne wrote:
I have to agree I also didn’t like the “ghetto” names description by MSNBC. How about call it racist names, since that’s what it was, what is the deal with people trying to make the mainstream comfortable….
Browne
Posted 05 Jul 2008 at 6:50 pm ¶
Stacey wrote:
I’m still trying to figure out what “ghetto” names are.
Posted 06 Jul 2008 at 3:44 am ¶
eric daniels wrote:
I am not surprised, in the 1980’s white kids at my school wanted to perfrom the Jackson 5 “I want you Back” in blackface and saw nothing wrong with it.
Posted 06 Jul 2008 at 6:27 am ¶
edub wrote:
Ghetto names are the names that will get your resume/application tossed in garbage as soon as the the image associated with it–the finger snapping, neck rolling, Colt-45 drinking, three kids and four baby daddies, food-stamp selling, black person flashes across their mind.
This is too stupid for me to even be concerned beyond writing this post. I say this because for so long, these things used to enrage me, now…not so much. I’m tired of spending precious emotions on something that will in no way hinder me from handling my business. Obviously they are not sorry so why should they apologize and more importantly, why should we demand one?
Posted 06 Jul 2008 at 3:50 pm ¶
DiosaNegra1967 wrote:
@ Brian:
Diosa, if your final comment was meant to scare the “elders” of this nation of the trouble that the “youth” of America will wreak once we are in power, that is a very flawed premise.
>it was not meant to “scare” anyone….let alone “elders”….it was a comment on the state of education…and those who are supposed to provide it….not to mention my snarkiness at American “culture”….
Where do you think this dodo learned this nonsense? I’m sure his parents and guardians would have found this joke funny, if this is the kind of BS he’s up to. Perhaps you meant otherwise, but the comment SEEMS aimed at young people, which I think is unfair.
>”this dodo” most likely learned this “nonsense” from their parents….that’s a no-brainer….i’m also willing to bet that it ain’t just his parents/guardians who find this type of thing funny….
This was not a “youthful indiscretion” (another term sure to come out); it was bigotry, racism, ignorance, etc. And that knows no age.
>very true….however, there are many who feel we have progressed beyond incidents like this ….and, unfortunately….it seems we have not.
@sanguinity: “It appears that it wasn’t done deliberately, but that somebody (the printer or the final proofer, unclear) “just” screwed up and printed what were “just” place-holder pages instead of printing the real pages.”
>ok…those were place-holder pages? what the hell happened to quality control? why would someone even have that mess on “place-holder” pages in the first place?
hey edub: move over on your bench…..things like this used to enrage me as well….
i’ve always said: “…you can put laws on the books, but you cannot change what is in a person’s heart and mind….”
Posted 07 Jul 2008 at 9:27 am ¶