Spelling bee officials confront racist reaction

Minnesota Public Radio News ^ | May 27, 2015 | by Bob Collins

[Oldeconomybuyer]

The National Spelling Bee preliminary round is being held today, and its officials are confronting the racism that has accompanied it in recent years.

Indian American children have won the spelling bee for seven straight years and 11 of the last 15.

Paige Kimble, the Bee’s director, addressed the question last week, partly because of the racially charged tweets that have grown to accompany the spelling bee.

“We certainly followed the coverage last year,” Kimble said, “and we are aware of Twitter posts that are not nice, that indicate that we have a long way to go as a country in embracing all of our immigrant population.”

[V_TWIN]

Thanks. Like I said, subjective IMO. I don’t feel these rise to the level of the evil “R” word. In bad taste sure, but racist, I don’t think so.

[V_TWIN]

“The kids in the spelling bee should only be AMERICAN”

That’s not racist, that’s just plain ignorant.

[TWhiteBear]

Richard Pryor had a great routine about similar tests in academics or psychology.
What is the opposite of white-black.
And then the line of questions goes off track.
Spearchucker was one of the words.
After a while Mr. Pryor was responding ‘Honky’ to each question.
TWB

[Robert A Cook PE]

Bummer.

Blacks have been winning sprint races, basketball, baseball, and most of the “fast” positions in football for decades.

Somehow, “race” has no place when actual talent is measured by winning. And losing.

[ExTxMarine]

Coming soon to your local spelling bee: Affirmative action!

All Americans of India decent must spell words with three or more syllables through ALL rounds of competition. Where as all the other dumba$$ kids only have to spell one syllable words in the first through third rounds, but no more than two syllable words through the championship.

In the event that any American of India decent reaches the top in consecutive years, they must answer at least three ADDITIONAL, five syllable words in order to actually achieve the win. Failure on any of those will automatically give the victory to the next closest minority participant (regardless of how many rounds back they may have exited the competition)!

Problem solved! You are welcome! This plan couldn’t be more fair!

[Red Badger]

They ought to get their own damn spelling bee, if it upsets them that much.

One can just imagine the words.....................

[RoosterRedux]

This is another situation wherein Liberals once again collide head-on with reality.

If Liberals hadn't made life so easy for "minorities" via affirmative action (which makes anyone intellectually lazy) and if they hadn't destroyed the Black family in America with their Great Society, Black kids would be winning their fair share of spelling bees.

And they have the audacity to call conservatives racist.

[SandRat]

[RightGeek]

Fu Manchu is not amused!

[Cincinatus]

I've seen this scene a dozen times but never noticed until now that Spock's head turn is delayed well after the slap.

Fascinating.

[Bloody Sam Roberts]

"...we have a long way to go as a country in embracing all of our immigrant population.”

Is she being literal and means ALL immigrants? Or did she mean only those who are here legally? It is an important distinction.

[stars & stripes forever]

The NBA must also be racist...

as well as discriminatory towards short, small-boned athletes.

[SZonian]

Along the same lines, if they want to “embrace the immigrant population”, why keep calling them hypenated Americans?

They’re either Americans or not...quit pandering to balkanization...oh, wait, that’s part of the strategy.

[blam]

"Typical liberal reaction. As a conservative - I have no problem with smart over-achieving Indian American kids winning the spelling bee."

Yup. I agree.

They show the lazy White kids how to do it.

[SandRat]

It's all-because there were no AfricanAmericams ANYWHERE.

[Safetgiver]

“We need an american to win this spelling bee #tiredofindians”....But African Americans/ Muslim Americans/ Mexican Americans PROUDLY say “I ain’t no damned American”.

[Bloody Sam Roberts]

“We need an american to win this spelling bee #tiredofindians”

They never heard of Rebecca Sealfon?

[driftless2]

I remember some years ago some home-schooled kid from my state of Wisc. won the nat. spelling bee. So a local rag decided to ask a public school English teacher in the area his feelings about the h-schooled kid winning. His answer was that it didn't mean anything.

I've never heard a more petulant, sour grapes response in my life. You can bet that if it were a kid from that teacher's school who won it, he'd be shouting what a great achievement it was.

[JoeProBono]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f6ep8KOR284

[JoeProBono]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tqCtIL9ZPSQ
smart ass spelling bee winner