And now:Ish <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes:
From: "CATHERINE DAVIDS" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Organization: The University of Michigan - Flint
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Date: Wed, 28 Jul 1999 16:58:32 EDT
MIME-Version: 1.0
Content-type: text/plain; charset=US-ASCII
Content-transfer-encoding: 7BIT
Subject: Re: Indian Red Crayon
To: Bill Stakelin, CEO
Regent Communications
50 E. RiverCenter Blvd.
Suite 180
Covington, Kentucky 41011
Mark Thomas, Manager
WCRZ Radio Station
G-3338 E. Bristol Rd.
Burton, MI 48529
From: Catherine Davids
Flint, Michigan
Date: July 28, 1999
The last time disc-jockey Rob Prine said something stupid about
American Indian people...specifically Geronimo...I dealt with it locally
by writing a letter of complaint to the radio station manager. No
apologies or acknowledgements were forthcoming to assure that Mr.
Prine had received a courtesy or history lesson. To the amazement
and pain of the American Indian community Mr. Prine opened his big-
mouth this morning once again, displaying ignorance and
insensitivity. Why is he allowed to voice his prejudices on the radio?
The Crayola crayon company changed the name of its "Indian Red"
crayon because here in the United States there are racist, bigoted,
stereotypical, and cruel attitudes based on the redskins, etc. We are
called redskins because of the bounty hunters who scalped
thousands of our people for fun-and-profit. Regardless of the
Crayola company's original intent for naming the crayon "Indian
Red" the impact has been very negative to the American Indian
people. As a child I remember teachers telling us to use that
particular crayon to color the skin of Indians in our coloring books. It
took the American Indian community a long time to educate the
Crayola company, but they had great decency and thoughtful
compassion. They listened to the words of our leaders. They paid
careful attention to the history lessons being offered. They kept their
minds, hearts, and eyes open to all that was said by our community.
They were not concerned about profit-margins because our
community's financial impact on the Crayola company is negligible.
Crayola opted to do the respectful thing...to act on behalf of the
rights of a minority people and to quit acting like a schoolyard bully
as do so many educational and corporate entities within the United
States.
Mr. Prine's snide remarks (along with the derisive mouth-and-nose
mutterings of his partner Chris) this morning were appalling. He
stated, "I'll bet they don't change the name of the black or white
crayons." My response is...why should they? Those colors of
crayons are not named: Irish White, Little Sambo Black, African
Black, or Chinky Yellow. The crayon in question was the only crayon
named that dehumanized a specific ethnic group of people and that
was wrong. It has nothing to do with being politically correct, but
has everything to do with a corporation taking responsibility for its
own bigotry...intended or not. The Crayola Company is to be
commended for its collective and individual courage.
Recently the American Indian community responded quick and fast
when a loud-mouthed ignorant disc-jockey said about a particular rap
artist, "listening to this makes me understand why those guys
dragged a black guy in Jasper." We gave support to the African
American community because that disc-jockey exceeded decent
human behavior as has Mr. Prine. By the way...that disc-jockey was
fired. I am sending this letter to an American Indian electronic
newspaper and to several American Indian leaders in Michigan and
the United States.
Please don't patronize me with blatherings about Mr. Prine's First
Amendment rights. Along with the various freedoms we supposedly
enjoy in this country comes a responsibility to be properly educated
in order to avoid making ignorant biased prejudiced remarks that can
hurt people and inflame racism.
Reprinted under the Fair Use http://www4.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.html
doctrine of international copyright law.
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
Tsonkwadiyonrat (We are ONE Spirit)
Unenh onhwa' Awayaton
http://www.tdi.net/ishgooda/
UPDATES: CAMP
JUSTICE http://shell.webbernet.net/~ishgooda/oglala/
&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&
