Oxford English Dictionary lists numerous definitions, and nearly all of them mention the word denotes a man in power. But the word also suggests that a master is a man. The word “master” harks back to the time of slavery in the United States when white male plantation owners were addressed with the term. Meanwhile, an article published by NPR reported that in 1923, a candy made out of Brazilian nuts dipped in chocolate sold under the name “n-’s toes.” Master bedroom But whether Just Born actually invented the name or the treat is still up for debate.Īnd this wouldn’t be the first sugary treat to have a name tied to racism the companies behind Aunt Jemima syrup and Eskimo Pie announced they will rename these products. Just Born, the candy company best known for its Peeps, claims jimmies were named after James Bartholomew, the employee who operated the first sprinkle machine. One article on the history of lynchings states that most of the lynchings from 1880 to 1930 were perpetrated against activists, labor organizers and Black men and women who violated white expectations of Black deference, and were deemed “uppity” or “insolent.” Originally found in Joel Chandler Harris’ “Uncle Remus” books, the word was used among Black people but became popular among white society intending to demean Black folks. Transcendental Graphics / Getty Images Uppityĭefined by the Oxford English Dictionary as “above oneself, self-important,” the word “uppity” has a sordid past when used in reference to a Black individual.
A man in blackface strikes a pose in this cabinet photograph from Delaware, Ohio, around 1890. The actor would dress in fancy garb and use big words, much to the audience's delight. During these shows, the character was played by a white actor in blackface and sought to prove Black people’s intellectual inferiority.
#RACIST VERSION OF EENIE MEENIE MINEY MO FREE#
It's an active debate.”įood Why ice cream trucks could be changing their jingleīrowne was one of many to add new lyrics to “Turkey and the Straw.” Some variations have had silly nonsensical lyrics, while others have mentioned “Zip Coon,” a minstrel show character meant to mock a free Black man attempting to assimilate within high white society. “And there's very convincing arguments on both sides and it's one of the things that I don't know yet the jury is still out for me. “There's no consensus on do we use a word based on its history or do we use it based on how it’s used now,” Wright said. And while some of the words in question aren’t used today with any racist or classist intentions, they still come with the baggage of history. However, Wright added that she is on the side of freedom of expression, meaning that no one’s language should be policed - with the exception of hate crimes.
I think the replication or reification, if you want a term of art for that, is absolutely part of what sustains negative ideology.” “That is a small action we can do every day -every time we pick up a pencil, we type or we talk to someone.
candidate at the University of Michigan who studies how the structure of society affects language use, recently told TODAY by phone. “I think that one of the smallest actions we can do towards creating equity in our time is making our language more equitable,” Kelly Wright, a Ph.D.
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