Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

In Our House, Dr. Seuss Was Contraband: My mother went to enormous lengths to protect her family from negative stereotypes of Black people.
The Atlantic ^ | 3/6/2021 | Michael Harriot

Posted on 03/15/2021 2:14:46 PM PDT by dead

My mother had a ban on pork, and I thought she was mad that I broke it. One afternoon four decades ago, when I was about 8, I walked into my family’s house after playing outside and saw my mother sitting in the yellow recliner with a book in her lap. She had found the copy of Dr. Seuss’s Green Eggs and Ham.

I knew that I was in trouble, because normally no one sat in the canary-colored La-Z-Boy, a throne reserved for my grandmother. Another member of the family occupying it automatically meant that something very serious had happened­. Seeing the book she was holding, I briefly assumed that its subject was the problem; consuming unclean swine meats was a sin in our church.

But the real issue, I soon learned, was that Dr. Seuss was on our family’s list of banned authors—for precisely the reason that the famous children’s book author is in the news this week: Some of his works portrayed nonwhite people in a racist way. My mother went to what I now realize were enormous lengths to shield us from negative images of Black people, a seemingly impossible task for someone raising children in 1970s and ’80s South Carolina. The intensity of her displeasure over a Dr. Seuss book being in her home—and not even one of the objectionable titles—speaks to how much labor her plan required.

The book that got me in trouble wasn’t even mine. My youngest sister, Robin, had received it as a gift. But knowing that it was forbidden, my sisters placed it in my care because they were younger...

(Excerpt) Read more at theatlantic.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: blacksupremacist; blacksupremacy; cancelculture; censorship; drseuss; mediawingofthednc; michaelharriot; partisanmediashill; partisanmediashills; theatlantic; whiteness
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-6061-80 ... 101-112 next last
In addition to banning Dr. Seuss and pork-related literature, my mother was very intentional about limiting our contact with white people.

This guy's blatantly racist mother allegedly had a problem with Dr. Suess forty years ago, and The Atlantic thinks that adds a level of respectability to the idiocy.

His attempt at justification is weak, and his story is probably made up.

She informed me that our childhood was part of an experiment she had envisioned before we were even born. “A Black person’s humanity can never be fully realized in the presence of whiteness,” she explained.

If that line is true, his mother had mental illness.

1 posted on 03/15/2021 2:14:46 PM PDT by dead
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: dead

I can smell the bullsh*t from here


2 posted on 03/15/2021 2:17:15 PM PDT by Mr. K (No consequence of repealing obamacare is worse than obamacare itself)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: dead

Hopefully Mom didn’t let the kiddies see any photos or videos of blacks rioting.....

that would be a negative stereotype for sure...


3 posted on 03/15/2021 2:17:58 PM PDT by cgbg (A kleptocracy--if they can keep it. Think of it as the Cantillon Effect in action.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: dead

Guess the “Reverend Jacksonnnnnnnn” has some ‘splainin’ to do.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A1mqg4C0awA


4 posted on 03/15/2021 2:18:52 PM PDT by dfwgator (Endut! Hoch Hech!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: dead

Maybe this is satire?


5 posted on 03/15/2021 2:19:00 PM PDT by BenLurkin (The above is not a statement of fact. It is either opinion, or satire. Or both.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: dead

Because blacks in Africa are pure and have utopia.


6 posted on 03/15/2021 2:19:36 PM PDT by rigelkentaurus
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: dead

Every time, the black activists prove their racism while trying to prove other’s racism.

Every

dang

time


7 posted on 03/15/2021 2:21:27 PM PDT by CrappieLuck
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: dead

Seriously, transpose the word “white” for every recitation of the word “black” and there would be people out calling for this author’s execution. But since he is obviously “black” it cannot possibly be racist.

And “The Atlantic” will not dare let anyone comment on his article, it is gospel now.


8 posted on 03/15/2021 2:23:13 PM PDT by wbarmy (I chose to be a sheepdog once I saw what happens to the sheep.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: dead

the needle on my lie detector just pegged


9 posted on 03/15/2021 2:23:44 PM PDT by Mount Athos
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Mr. K

I am throwing my BS flag on this one!


10 posted on 03/15/2021 2:24:03 PM PDT by MtnClimber (For photos of Color ado scenery and wildlife, click on my screen name for my FR home page.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: Mr. K; All

I agree! It, the story, is rather smelly and opportunistic; a way of building on the current race theory woke fantasies. This writer comers out of no where saying “mom” was anti Suess and “woke” 40 years before it became a thing..
Sure Mack! Sure!


11 posted on 03/15/2021 2:24:44 PM PDT by mdmathis6
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: dead

this sounds like another pile of self-serving BS from one of our professional perpetual victims.


12 posted on 03/15/2021 2:25:00 PM PDT by euram
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: dead

My entire family and extended family is multiracial, multinational and multi-ethnic and has been for better than 4 decades.

This is absolute BS. We read Dr. Seuss to the kids and not one thought it was anything other than a story.

What about the stereotypical cartoons of Cletus Yokel, and the Pogo cartoons which “insulted” an entire class of poor, white Appalachians and southerners?

Pogo had it right: We have met the enemy and it is us.


13 posted on 03/15/2021 2:25:42 PM PDT by OpusatFR
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: dead
Not surprised this product of a racist nutburger ends up writing for The Atlantic and is probably in therapy.
14 posted on 03/15/2021 2:26:36 PM PDT by Apparatchik (If you find yourself in a confusing situation, simply laugh knowingly and walk away - Jim Ignatowski)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: dead

Atlantic publishes Ta-Nehisi Coates who writes similar crazy stuff.

Both seem to be the African American equivalent of red diaper doper babies,


15 posted on 03/15/2021 2:27:33 PM PDT by ifinnegan ( Democrats kill babies and harvest their organs to sell)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Mr. K

Do I need to read this article, I know I should, but is it worth it, I dont feel like killing my brain cells.


16 posted on 03/15/2021 2:28:07 PM PDT by the_individual2014
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: dead

Somebody has to tell me what was wrong with Dr. Seuss! I do not remember seeing anything objectionable in his writings.


17 posted on 03/15/2021 2:28:08 PM PDT by maxwellsmart_agent
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: dead

Sounds like mom was a lunatic.


18 posted on 03/15/2021 2:28:16 PM PDT by Kozak (The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: dead

What a liar.


19 posted on 03/15/2021 2:29:45 PM PDT by Trillian
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: dead

We want fweedum from racust Seuss!


20 posted on 03/15/2021 2:29:49 PM PDT by PghBaldy (12/14 - 930am -rampage begins... 12/15 - 1030am - Obama's advance team scouts photo-op locations.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-4041-6061-80 ... 101-112 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson