We’re So Post-Racial [Presidential Racism Watch]

by Latoya Peterson and Carmen Van Kerckhove

Welcome to “We’re So Post Racial,” a reoccurring feature that looks at racism aimed toward The White House.

In today’s edition, we have a double. The first, following on the heels of the NY Post controversy is a creatively rearranged storefront:

According to the Defenders Online:

Yes the photo is authentic. And yes the incident did happen at the Coral Gables, Florida store. But it turns out that it was a cruel joke by a customer and not a decision made by the store.

“This was not a company driven decision,” Edgar Chang, the store manager, said in an interview with TheDefendersOnline. “We are not sure how the book got in the window, but we believe it was put there by a customer who didn’t like the fact that Obama won the election.”

The store is located in the Miracle Mile Mall on a busy stretch of highway. The display windows face that highway. While customers walking in or by can clearly see titles in the window, somehow the store’s manager and employees did not notice the monkey book for three or four days.

Our second entry, which was predictable considering the ribs and watermelon newsletter, is a picture of what? Watermelons at the White House:

Renee at Womanist Musings notes:

Of course Grose didn’t intend to offend. How was he to know that putting watermelons on the White House lawn could possible be offensive to blacks? That poor, poor man. In his emailed apology according to Mecury News he pleaded ignorance of the racialized nature of his offence.

“Bottom line is, we laugh at things and I didn’t see this in the same light that she did,” Grose told the AP. “I’m sorry. It wasn’t sent to offend her personally—or anyone—from the standpoint of the African-American race.”

I suppose we are to believe that it was just accidental that he chose watermelons instead of say pumpkins on the lawn. It just happened to coincide with the election of the first black president. Anyone have swampland for sale because this man is clearly pitching bullshit? If he didn’t know of the racist connection of African Americans and watermelons why did he choose to create this e-mail in the first place?