I wanted to do this post last week but I was just too busy with doing “da life thang” to blog. I was inspired to get it done after reading this post by brotherpeacemaker: The “N” Word.
The Queen-Mother informed me of a news story she saw that in the southern U.S., they are using the term “Canadian” as a code word to refer to Black people. It replaces the publicly unacceptable term “nigger”. Huh!? Apparently in 2003, after a prosecutor in Houston, Texas got a double manslaughter conviction, his boss sent out a congratulatory email to the whole office, commenting that the conviction and stiff sentence was secured although the jury had some “Canadians” who were feeling sorry for the defendant. There were no people from Canada on the jury but there were some African Americans. There was also a story of a Black store clerk who kept overhearing patrons complaining that they were always being served by the “Canadian”. She didn’t know who they were talking about and finally asked a co-worker, who was this “Canadian” she kept hearing about? She was enlightened that it was her and it was a new code word for “nigger”. But why the term: “Canadian”… because Canadians aren’t Americans… they’re “outsiders!” See news story here.
I have also been made aware that another code word for us Black people is “Mondays”. Why “Mondays”? Because people usually don’t like Mondays! I was mistaken to believe this was just an American phenomenon. I was telling a friend who lives in Toronto, Canada about this and she told me of an incident she recently had on the subway. She was standing and holding on to a pole on the train with 4 other white people who knew each other, when one of the guys started talking about “Mondays”. She didn’t know what he was referring to, but she thought it was strange because it wasn’t a Monday. She stated that one of the white women with them gave her a “look” and she felt strange, so she moved. She later came to realize they were referring to her.
WOW! It makes me wonder what other new age references and/or derogatory terms they have for “us”? Ignorance is never bliss!
“Tell me why I don’t like Mondays…. I want to shoot the whole day down.” The Boomtown Rats.
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I wonder if the “Canadian” usuage doesn’t also have something to do with Canada having been a haven for runaway slaves.
Besides, us Canadians want to be known as kind, gentle, fair people, so in the best light, I’d like to thank them for the hidden compliment.
However, hateful wordplay masking ignorance should be countered with infomation and love wherever possible.
Discrimination or harassment–I think that store clerk has grounds for reprisal and shouldn’t let malicious co-workers get away with such behaviour. But she may not know what options are open to her or lack the confidence to defend herself, I don’t know the details, it’s just discouraging and sad.
Thankfully, I know so many open people that I can still believe change is possible and there is a class of well-bred and loving humans out there.
As responsible adults, it is our duty to expose the bigots at every opportunity.
These individuals are not ignorant as this is deliberate discriminatory behaviour and should be exposed.
Asa,
Great post. I have been hearing about this as well and am sickened by it. People want to constantly talk about how racism is dead or that the only racist people are idiots from some backwood area. This just shows what “we” all know that it is alive, kicking and rampant in all types of people from the rich to the backwoods poor.
P.S. What area of Canada are you calling home?
I loved living in Toronto. I loved the atmosphere and people. I loved living in Edmonton and Red Deer yet had some pretty bad experiences there and really longed for Toronto again. Yet we came back to the states and here we are still.
But I think that it is a total insult to all involved, Canadians and blacks. These idiots just don’t know how to stop.
Thanks again for the great post.
Excellent post asabagna!
It is contemptuous of both African American and Canadians. Ignorance is not knowing or uneducated. This isn’t ignorance. This is nothing less than blatant racial hostility and hostility towards non American people. This is the white mindset that proudly wears its racism on its sleeve as it yells macaca on stage during an election campaign. This is the attitude of a government that will wait five days to do anything for the multitude of black people who have lost their homes in a hurricane powered flood but will show up in a tornado ravaged predominantly white community before the winds can die down. This is the white mindset that will deny state sponsored medical coverage to the children in struggling families but won’t hesitate to give the rich tax breaks totaling well over four trillion dollars. This white mindset knows no bounds.
Peace
I ust thank you for postig this information. I did not know these things.
when i was teaching the kids kept me up to date on the ‘latest’ whatever was hapening.
thanks, this is great info to know!