CQ TODAY ONLINE NEWS
July 13, 2009 – 10:02 p.m.
I Can’t Believe I’m Writing The Word ‘Coon’
By Tracie Powell, CQ Guest Columnist
Following the election for a new Young Republican leader gave me flashbacks.
Fresh out of college and a tad naive on my first reporting job, a small-town politician invited me to go “coon hunting.”
I had NO idea what he was talking about.
Though I attended majority white schools in the South, my parents kept me pretty protected from a lot of that stuff, and I mainly traveled in a circle of academic achievers, friends from orchestra and band class, and those who attended church with me. My upbringing didn’t prepare me to talk about hunting of any kind with the Milledgeville, Ga., city attorney.
That invitation struck me as a little off — he was chuckling as we talked — but I was eager to develop sources so I agreed to join him on his next outing. Back at the office, I asked my white, male editor about killing raccoons, something I wasn’t keen on witnessing. Exactly what would it involve?
The editor, Don Schanche, turned red.
He banged his fist on the desk.
He let loose with ungentlemanly expletives, cursing loud enough to startle everyone in the newsroom. Then he stalked out.
Later, still angry but in a much-lowered voice, he explained that “coon hunting” had nothing to do with raccoons. He apologized, asked whether I was comfortable enough to continue working my city government beat, and cautioned me to keep my distance from City Attorney J.W. Morgan. (Of course I still remember the guy’s name,)
Morgan died three years ago, according to an obituary I found online. But he was vividly brought back to mind by the election of Audra Shays to head the Young Republican National Federation — an election in which the word “coon” played a part.
This being 2009, Shays has a Facebook page. On it, one of her online friends labeled President Obama a “terrorist” and expressed a need to take back the country from “all these mad coons.” To see her reply, zoom in on this screen shot. “You tell ‘em,” she wrote. Where she typed “lol,” that’s shorthand for “laugh out loud.”
Laugh out loud? She found that entertaining?
And now she is one of the elected faces of the party of Lincoln, the party with a national chairman, Michael Steele, who is black.
It didn’t surprise me, nor did it sting or shock, the way that encounter with City Attorney Morgan did so many years ago. I’m more accustomed to the permanence of racism in this country.
Steele must be, too.
Earlier this summer, talking about racially tinged political strategies employed by the GOP in years gone by, he said, “The era of apologizing for Republican mistakes of the past is now officially over.”
The irony, besides the obvious, is that Steele realizes the mistakes of the past are the same mistakes his party continues to make today.
Less than a week ago, The Free Republic — a mainstream conservative blog — ran a photo of the first lady with this caption: “To entertain her daughter, Michelle Obama loves to make monkey sounds.”
On the same day, racial slurs were directed at a separate photo of the Obamas’ oldest daughter. Blog administrators deleted the page two days later, so if you look for it now, it will be as if what had transpired had never happened.
Need more examples? They’re easy to find:
• In June, Rusty DePass, a Republican who served as chairman of the South Carolina Elections Commission, joked on Facebook that Michelle Obama descended from apes. DePass tried, strangely enough, to excuse his behavior by attributing the remark to the first lady.
• An administrative assistant to Tennessee state Sen. Diane Black, a Republican, sent out a racist e-mail depicting Obama “black-face style,” as a pair of cartoonish white eyes protruding from a black background. The assistant was reprimanded but allowed to keep her job; subsequently she apologized for sending it to the wrong group of people, then later tried to place blame on someone else.
• Perhaps the saddest example from the 2008 campaign trail was when vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin paused on a rally stage while one of her supporters yelled racial slurs about Obama. No condemnation, only the tacit approval of silence.
Just like Audra Shays.
I’d like to offer an antidote for all that tolerance of intolerance.
I’d like to say something to the people who think racial jokes are funny or who can reflexively refer to people who look like me as “coons” and think nothing of it.
I have nothing to say to them.
But here’s what my ex-editor said to me: Read this book.
He gave me a copy of “Unbought and Unbossed” by Shirley Chisholm, the first African American woman elected to the U.S. Congress in 1968 and a candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination in 1972.
I came away from an ugly episode with a treasure and a little bit of hope.
Columnist Tracie Powell is a former American Political Science Association congressional fellow who writes regularly on politics and policy.
Comments
unbelievable
Don't you wish to be free from the constant search for things to be offended by? In every conversation with a white person, in every minute of reading or watching TV, the perpetual quest for "racism." What a sad existence. I know that the endless barrage of derisive "humor" aimed at my race by yours does not bother me at all. It's partly because I'm not "entitled" to be offended, but it's mostly because I have more important things to think about than racial issues. Like puppies and lollipops. The hypocrisy is notable, however. Where is your outrage for hideous racists such as Sen. Robert Byrd and Rep. Bobby Rush, let alone the entire Congressional Black Caucus (imagine a Congressional White Caucus for a moment)? Your political hackery is transparent, and hiding behind race is fooling no one.
this is the fruition of Nixon's grand plan. Congratulations, Dick, ruined the country and took the GOP with it.
Sissy you're both ignorant and out of touch - if you want to learn something today try this: no Senator in US history has employed more minority staffers than Senator Byrd, who, like all intelligent people (but plainly not including you) is able to learn from past mistakes. As for Ms Shays Facebook page - only 1185 friends? I can beat that! She's obviously about as popular as Swine Flu and the GOP!
Sissy, ignoring racism does not cause it to go away. Rather, it empowers it because without dissaproval it becomes accepted. I have been under the impression that racism (especially against Blacks) will continue reduce in prevalence as the next generation comes to power. Generation X did not experience the Civil Rights struggles. The wounds are not the same. While we won't and should never be a "color-blind" society, we cn be a society where race is not the source of prejudice. However, with the youth of the GOP still using racism as organization tools to find like minded members, I am worried.
What escapes the first reply is no-one has to go searching for the evil collectvist face of racism. It's made plain in all it's irrational primitivism. Speaking of the 21st century...are we there yet? LOL
Don't blame every Republican for a few that make racial remarks. This is one Republican who is elated that Michael Steele was elected Chairman off the GOP. Politics is not about race it's about philosophy. The philosophy of Republicans and Democrats are at opposites poles. Replublicans are more Capitalist and Democats more Socialist. as noted "The American people will never knowingly adopt socialism. But, under the name of "liberalism," they will adopt every fragment of the socialist program, until one day America will be a socialist nation, without knowing how it happened." I no longer need to run as a Presidential Candidate for the Socialist Party, The Democratic Party has adopted out platform." - Norman Thomas, for many years the U.S. Socialist Party presidential candidate 1944 Under this Administration I believe his predictions are coming true. Socializing medicine etc, hasn;t worked in other countries what make this administration think it will work here. They can't run VA hospitals efficiently and they want to make decisions on mine and yours health care. NO THANKS
WWRD, Not, what would jesus do but rather what would rush do,right sissy?
Nice piece. I sense the current willingness to be so unpleasant isn't just racial, but spills over from the deepening polarization that has made political communication so harsh. The anger on the right towards the liberal push will spill over into incredibly stupid & insensitive remarks b/c so many people just don't practice and think in terms of boundaries. A heated policy fight spills over very easily into other unacceptable language --- liberal becomes socialist, that becomes anti-American, etc.
But, under the name of "liberalism," they will adopt every fragment of the socialist program, until one day America will be a socialist nation, without knowing how it happened." Barbara: I think you are watching too much Faux Noise and listening way too much to Rush Lardbaugh. Sick. Totally sick!
I would love to say this is unbelievable, but it isn't. It's something we live with daily, so much so, that it's casual. Only when it is pointed out so matter of factly, as Tracie has done here, only then do we get ignorant comments. Racism is alive and well in 2009, although not as blatant as it was in 1959. Political correctness disallows blatancy. Those comfortable with the full priveledges afforded to them from racial inequality rarely give credence to its existence. Remarks and slurs are ok to them, unless they are on the receiving end of it. Then it isn't ok. But how often are they often on the receiving end of their mode of living daily being subprime, all on account of something so simple as epidermis? America has always tried to cover it's dirty little secrets, and the fact is there are still those who would prefer blacks to remain unseen and unheard and as free labor rather than as human beings. And at every turn, these same blinded people take their pot shots to make sure we remember our place or to attempt to retain their control over us.
Thank you, Ms. Powell! I'm afraid that with white privilege comes white ignorance: I, too, had no idea what this term meant. The young Republican's Facebook comment is disturbing and I appreciate you bringing it to light.
Tom your dismissal of Barbara's quote shows that you aren't paying attention. In the past few years to Government has already or is in the process of taking over and controlling the banking industry, the automotive industry and now are trying to take over health care. I don't watch Fox News or listen to Limbaugh. I just pay attention to what is going on in this country.
>>Government has already or is in the process of taking over and controlling the banking industry, the automotive industry and now are trying to take over health care.<< So the solution to this problem is for the Republicans to make racial jokes.
I had not heard the exact quotation when it was reported on the news. It was referred to as "a racially offensive term." If we are to have free speech, it should have been reported verbatim. If this is what the person "thinks", let it be broadcasted to the widest audience. Then let the hearer judge the speaker accordingly.
I can"t believe that someone as old as you and all black people claim to have grown up as starving because they were black don"t even know what a coon is ans why do you even question the word? seems to me black people have a complex about everything that doesn"t suit them, good luck.
Racism raises the hair on the back of my neck and raises my temper. I can't believe that people can't see beyond the color of someone's skin or their place of origin. I am Italian, Irish, English but first and most of all I am an American. Maybe If the democrats and republicans could remember that we would get further in our attempts to pull the country back together. Like it or not President Obama is our President and if NOTHING else he deserves respect. Respect is a lost word. Think about today youth, our neighbors, and our selves. If you can't show respect for our President how do you expect to receive respect. Racism has always made me sick., and people who are, are just plain ignorant and have had generations to brain wash them.
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