Response to Sean Tully's Query: "The Flying Squirrel" comment

Sean Tully, I hope this answers your questions regarding why I think the comment was inappropriate with respect to Gold Medal winner Gabrielle Douglas. Thanks for asking.

You wrote:

Doni,

Point 1:  I have wracked my brain but I just can't find any reference in history to black people being called " squirrels" as a  derogatory term.  Maybe you can enlighten me on that one.

Point 2:  So far, from the evidence I've heard, Trayvon Martin was not killed because of his race.  Perhaps you can enlighten me on that one too.  I am not saying the killing was justified at all, but I don't think Zimmerman acted based on the race of Martin.  He didn't even know his race when he called 911.

Point 3:  You state, "Sadly, the whole world observed as the young African American girl – one of whom received a smidgeon of the accolades compared to her white counterparts – sprang into history."    Maybe you are basing that statement on a limited view of cable TV or something.  Did you watch the nightly news?  Read the papers?  Here is a NY Times article:  http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/05/sports/olympics/gabby-douglas-gold-medal-gymnast-rockets-to-stardom.html?pagewanted=all

Piont 4:  You state, "...congrats to the first African American woman gold medalist in the history of the Olympics.".    Someone should tell Alice Coachman to return the Gold she won in '48.

__________________

#1 - No, there is no place in history that comes to mind.
It's about cultural sensitivity, and a flying squirrel is simply not how you
refer to a person. I've heard Gabby likes the term; however, possibly she is
too young to understand how the rest of black America sees it. It's
inappropriate. Why? In a lot of black folks' mind, it's just a matter of time
before blacks are called other names. Couple that with the culturally lacking
news coverage of the Olympics - and it just adds to a mountain of reasons
African Americans often view the Olympics through a separate pair of glasses
than does the rest of America. Bottomline: Poor choice of words unbefitting a
person - let alone a champion. The people I've talked to don't like it and find
it disgusting. To better understand my angle, I encourage you to talk to some
black people yourself - a nice cross section. Younger black folks aren't as
astute, possibly, to racism and to structural racism - less overt yet more
institutionalized and therefore just as deadly as lynching. Further, if you saw the little monkey commercial preceding the TV clip on her victory, I don't think you'd have asked this question. 

2. I really don't know what to tell ya. If it walks like a
duck, quacks like a duck, acts like a duck - common sense leans towards ... a
duck. Here's a dose of American reality for ya: had Zimmerman been a black man
stalking a white kid and was ultimately responsible for his murder, he'd be
waiting on the chair by now. Look at how Sanford police handled things: if you
cannot see where race is a factor, again - I suggest you ask more black people
about their sentiments. And I do commend you for even asking. (Hopefully, I am
being helpful).

#3 My comments were based on the television coverage most
Americans watched - not anything else. As an African American who works in media,
I can say that I was disgusted at the television coverage. American media blew
many chances to show a better America. Instead, some people are so clueless as
to the impact they have - they probably ought not be in media. If you think,
for instance, that black America doesn't see through the chicanery of America's
dirty little secret - you may want to go and ask some black people their
thoughts in-person. Lexington Market would be a good place to pose your query.
As a media professional, you should know the tone of what you are saying and
how your audience will likely perceive it. If you are insensitive to others,
you shouldn’t be in media. If you cannot rise above parochial and narrow
thought, you should try being an accountant. Certainly, feeding the American
spirit requires cultural sensitivity. And that is exactly why I love media –
for its ability to help make the world a better place for all. I have found
that America touts the principles of freedom and democracy, yet we incarcerate
at a higher rate than any nation on earth. And guess who is the number one
customer: black men. So, you’re not getting a pass on America’s crimes against
non-black people from me. I have seen her ways – and they are too often wicked,
senseless, and based in – from what I gather – nothing more than ignorance and
fear.



#4. The point is taken. I should have written in gymnastics. Have a beautiful
day, and be sure to go to a place where black folks and white folks dwell
together and pose your queries in-person.