"'Uppity' slur still haunts African-Americans"

[Pirate Smile]

'Uppity' slur still haunts African-Americans

By Goldie Taylor

Let the record show, Joseph "Son" Robinson was an uppity Negro. In 1933, it near about cost him his life. Son wasn't a schoolboy as his nickname infers. He was grown, 34 years old, and he was my grandfather.

-snip-
"Yessir," he responded.
Still not satisfied that granddaddy had been sufficiently submissive, he grew angry. "You'll do it now!"
Before Son could explain who was first, second or third, the customer drew his horsewhip and snapped it. Granddaddy caught the leather strap with his gravedigger's hands. "I don't want no trouble now Mister," granddaddy said staring him in the eye.

"Uppity ni**er!" the man yelled.
And there it was.
In 1933, the word "uppity" meant nothing short of a death sentence for African-Americans living in the South, and my grandfather had been publicly marked for death. My grandparents heeded that warning, packed up and hit the railroad line north before the sun went down.
First used around 1880, uppity was a word used to describe someone who was prone to "taking on airs" or "assuming liberties beyond one's social station". By the early 1900s, the term was almost exclusively used to describe black people who did not show the appropriate level of deference with whites.

Forgetting to address someone as "sir" or "ma'am", or having the audacity to look a white person in the eye, were all signs that you were getting too big for your britches. Attempting to get an education or enunciating your words were also frowned upon. Blacks needed to step off the sidewalk, if need be, the let whites pass freely. Jim Crow is dead, but unfortunately some of those social constructs live on.
To have some tell it, President Obama is an uppity Negro too. For too many, he is an "elitist" with an inflated self-esteem who doesn't deserve to live in the White House. First lady Michelle Obama has been chided for everything from her choice in shoes to the garden she planted on White House grounds.

-snip-
Let's be clear, the word "uppity" has become nothing more than synonym for a "ni**er" that doesn't know his or her "place". For me, it's an ugly reminder of what America used to be and, in some quarters, still is. When they say they want their country back, it isn't a silent dog whistle. It's a demand.
Much in the same way that the customer in the pharmacy demanded that my grandfather keep his place even at the snap of a horsewhip, so then do some believe President Obama should be deferential and humble himself before them. It is no accident that a political pundit called him a "dick" on live television because he dared speak his mind on the issue of the day.

http://www.thegrio.com/politics/uppity-slur-still-haunts-african-americans.php

[FrenchieCat]

1. Ugly habits die hard.....

Respecting those who have earned it....
for some, is even harder still.

Many just can't do it,
because they feel like
treating someone kindly and respectfully, takes away from them...
when that couldn't be furthest from the truth.

Sad, truly.

[ZombieHorde]

2. Thank your for posting this. I was wondering about the "uppity" slur,

but I was hesitant to ask because I knew many of my fellow DUers accuse me of racism.

[femrap]

22. Oppressors use

'uppity' against women of all colors as well.

[freshwest]

24. Yes, they always have. A form of projection from those who regard themselves as superior.

[ZombieHorde]

31. I did not know that. nt

[femrap]

36. If women got too

uppity, they were claimed to be witches and burned at the stake. Estimates are 6 million uppity women turned to ashes.

[MayHamm]

38. Big deal.

Uppity used against women will NEVER have the impact it has when used against Blacks. Never. And pretending it does will not change that.

[bluestateguy]

3. There are some people who will never accept a black man in a position of authority

Fortunately their numbers are fewer with each generation. Father Time is a very good thing here.

[freshwest]

23. The old ones were spiritually depraved but the media is promoting it for younger generation.

When I saw the Palin rallies in the south in 2008, it was like going back to a nightmare, I actually got physically ill. I thought these bigots had learned better after years of struggles.

Now they openly say things on the radio and television that they only said at their secret meetings. It's as if the civil rights era and the work of generations has been forgotten.

I am sick of people putting down Obama for his race and hiding it in other arguments. The OP has described the problem perfectly.

[dipsydoodle]

4. This is US only

I would doubt there are adverse connotations elsewhere. We've got Mr Uppity in childrens books here in the UK.

[chalky]

5. The comments at that link made me want to tear my hair out.

Are these thugs organized enough to have a bot that seeks out any article that mentions race, and then send out a designated squadron to crap all over it? I guess the klan has moved on to on-line cross burnings.

[Pirate Smile]

7. I know. Disgusting. I wonder who linked to it to send all that racist scum over there because there

is no way that they were just reading 'The Grio' and happened upon it.

[GoCubsGo]

11. There are links to share the story on Facebook, etc.

No doubt somebody posted the story on their Facebook page, and their asshole republican brother-in-law got a hold of it. That's how they get wind of stories like this.

[GoCubsGo]

13. BTW...

Many of these assholes have multiple log-ins. So, it's likely a handful of people making all those comments. A lot of them are being paid by the post to go onto message boards of all stripes to spew their venom, and to stir up shit. Multiple log-ins allow them to make more money by commenting to themselves as if they were actually different people agreeing with each other.

[great white snark]

16. Disgusting and it is amazing the damage just a few can do.

I'm not religious but I do hope there is a special place in hell for them.

[freshwest]

25. Yes, they do have bots and they do shell postings that overcome most website filters.

[NYC Liberal]

40. I have an Extension for my web browser that hides all online

comment sections - on YouTube, news websites, everywhere. It's heaven because otherwise I'm too tempted to scroll down and peek.

[Empowerer]

6. Many of the responses to her piece prove her point to a tee

"Half of all American Black Teen Girls have a Sexually Transmitted Disease"

"Why do Asians succeed but blacks cannot? Answer - because they work hard and don't whine about their victim status. Blacks - try working instead of whining and you will get ahead."

"Black people complain so much because they do not want to work. All other races in our country have suffered thru problems, yet they eventually succeed. Why can't the black man succeed? Why does he constantly whine about racism? Why not try working to get ahead instead of taking government handouts?"

"This is a divisive article. Every nationality that came or lived in the United States has gone through this bigotry and it is the fact or future fact that our ability to live together and help each other today through the problems that congress and the presidents have credited and are creating will get us forward again. After the revolutionary war, the English were harassed, feared and demeaned. The Germans who fought with the English were treated badly. Today everyone looks at the Muslims as they are the devils. In the history of the United States at one time or another the Chinese, Japanese, Irish, Catholics, Jews, Italians, Russians, Germans, English, Latins, Native Africans, Vietnamese, Hindus, Armenians, Native American Indian, all were put down, expelled from, prohibited from entering or disparaged because of their ancestors. But articles like this belong in the trash."

"I am so tired of people of color finding a reason to be the victim everywhere they turn. Are black people unable to write a normal, mainstream story? Why do so many find little niches writing about how bad white are? I find that there are a fairly equal number of racists on both sides of the black-white divide, so it's nothing special to find a racist comment here or there in the media. What would be special is if black people would just look away instead of continuing to give racists power by repeating and complaining ad naseum."

"It's difficult for you to accept the reality that, on average, black brains are inferior to those of other races. Of course, just because the average is lower doesn't mean there are not very intelligent black people."

"We acknowledge your victim status Goldie. We pity you."

http://www.thegrio.com/politics/uppity-slur-still-haunts-african-americans.php?page=2

[Ishoutandscream2]

8. Wow.

The responses, I guess, are really not surprising.

[Pirate Smile]

9. I saw that. Sometimes there are thoughtful comments but OMG! it is like a klan meeting set up shop

in the comments. Toxic.

[GoCubsGo]

10. That's how it is all over.

I see that kind of shit everywhere from my local fish wrap's web site to those of all the major newspapers and news networks. Yahoo's comments sections absolutely putrid, and I will not read them. Even Huffington Post's comments are predominately from right wing trolls these days. And, it's amazing the nasty, racist shit that their moderators let through on some days. It's sickening. I used to go there to slap them around, but I no longer bother. Let 'em stew in their own echo chamber, because that's what most comments boards have become.

On edit: I meant to post this "BTW" here: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=433&topic_id=821551&mesg_id=821576

[treestar]

19. Every nationality lived through this bigotry -

like every nationality that came here was forced here, enslaved and then subjected to law specifically meant to keep them down. :sarcasm:

And these morons always invoke Asians in that way. Like they don't get the difference - they may just be that ignorant.

[Blue_Tires]

30. the funny part is that isn't even original

it's a very slightly altered standard cut-and-paste...I first saw it on newspaper sites 7 or 8 years ago, and it's even been posted on DU by some one-post wonder trolls...

[Irishonly]

12. I always hope he will be fired but he never is

I felt sick to my stomach when I heard it.

[GoCubsGo]

14. I can't believe Armed Forces Radio still hasn't dropped him.

Especially after this latest display.

[Irishonly]

17. Me either

I don't know how he can live with himself. I remember reading an entry on HuffPo written by "liberal" cousin that he is a very generous, kind person. I didn't believe it then and I don't believe it now.

[Pirate Smile]

18. That is an angle that we should push. There is no reason he should be on AFRadio.

[certainot]

34. AFR fianlly got thom hartman on. i think limbaugh can be beaten by pressuring universities that

broadcast sports on his stations. they give him community cred and bring in local ad money to those stations. many couldn't survive without those associations, IMO. MANY big RW radio stations piggyback uni sports.

see my post below---- they would be forced to find balance (progressives) or find another format.
universities need to be shamed by students and faculty and communities until they break their contracts. free speech my ass, they are requiring their students to listen to RW radio stations for their sports if they don't pay more money for tv or high speed.

[jberryhill]

15. If they don't like being called that, then they should keep to their place

</redneck="on">
---
Hey Willis, ain't it just like an uppity one to complain about being called uppity?

Next thing you know, they done won't let you call a spade a spade anymore.

They are always saying they want to be equal, but they keep passing laws that say we gotta treat 'em whiter than white folks. Like, there ain't no law that says I gotta serve white folks in my restaurant, but they get a law saying I have to serve black folks. That ain't equal, it's "special rights" that white people don't have. Now I know they let Bill Oreilly eat at that black restaurant in Harlem, but that's only because Al Sharpton was with him. My cousin told me that a friend of a friend of his went to that chili dog place in Warshington - that one that Obama's always going to, and eatin' chili dogs while telling us all that we ain't feedin our kids right. Okay, so he goes in there, cuz he was walking the wrong way lookin for that theater where John Wilkes Booth shot Lincoln, and he didn't know that was right next to the black section of Warshington (and there's, like, a couple of really big black sections in that city). So he walks in there and they all start lookin' at him like "Whatchu doin in here?", right. And he looks around and sees that they're all black, so he says, "Hey, I'm in the wrong place, does anyone know where Lincoln got shot?" And this girl name Tameeka or Taquanna or some crap like that gets up in his face and says, "Yeah, he was shot in the haid by some white motherfucker.". And everybody in the place starts laughin' and sayin' "Dat's right, it was some white mofo done shot Lincoln." And then this really big one, who looks like he'd been workin out in prison for years says, "Why? Was he a friend of yours?"

But they get a law the says I'm supposed to treat them white if they come to my place.

----

</redneck="off">

[treestar]

20. Tough darts, racists

There is a black man in the top job. Get over it.

You're the ones being "uppity" now.

[Skittles]

21. CORRECT

[The Wizard]

26. This coming from guys who think

fucking farm animals is acceptable behavior. No one cares what Republicans have to say unless it's under oath, and even then no one but other bigots believes them.

[lunatica]

27. I think the word "uppity" meant something different outside of the South.

I've heard it used many times to describe people who put on airs, and that has nothing to do with race. I've heard it used much more as a class distinction argument. In my youth my experience was that it's much more about people feeling entitled to special treatment because of some self-perceived superiority. I've also seen it used against new management when people are promoted out of the ranks of workers. Or by educated people against the uneducated.

Now, with the internet mixing it all up our awareness of what it means has become narrower as its racial uses have become known.

Believe it or not there was a time before the internet when our global awareness was much more limited and the South was really not understood nor cared about unless you were from there. Outside of slavery and the Civil War and racism virtually no one cared about it or was interested.

But now that our awareness is expanded, or narrowed around this descriptive term it behooves us to change our behavior

[bigwillq]

28. I have to agree.

I've only ever used the word to describe a white person. I've only used it as a class distinction.

[uppityperson]

29. My username came from "uppity b*" term. My apologies if it is seen as nasty

otherwise. I decided on "person" because wanted to be seen as gender neutral, and figured they wouldn't let me have b* as part of my name.

[treestar]

32. But we can bet El Rushbo knows exactly what meaning

applies when he applies it to Mrs. Obama.

[lunatica]

35. Oh yeah! He's more than proven himself to be a racist and a misogynist

So he hates Michelle Obama even more than he hates Barack Obama. She's a feminazi too and everyone knows how uppity he thinks feminazis are what with synchronizing their menstrual periods and all in order to terrorize men!

[mucifer]

42. That's useful info I live in Chicago. I have only heard it used against African Americans

[certainot]

33. limbaugh calls her that from 600 radio stations, many shamefully endorsed by universities

that give them community credibility by broadcasting sports on those stations.

those universities need to break their contracts and dissociate themselves with those limbaugh stations for not only that but a long pattern of racism, sexism, misogyny, global warming denial and partisan lying.

none of the many universities supporting limbaugh and other RW radio stations can justify those continued associations unless they repudiate their mission statements.

[roseBudd]

37. That was Mark Halperin that called Obama a dick, video here

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/06/30/mark-halperin-calls-obama-a-dick_n_887604.html

[Butch350]

39. But you doesn't have to call me johnson...

a word will only hurt you if you let it. The "N" word or uppity has no meaning to this Black/Armenian male.

But...lift your hand or a buggy whip to me and I will be all over you like the color you were born with.

Signed,
"uppity me"

[Empowerer]

41. You ability to threaten to "be all over you like the color you were born with"

is due in large part to the sacrifices of those who came before us who did not have the power to make such threats and endured beatings and mutilations and lynchings - and sometimes just packed up and left town.

So, while it's nice that you can talk this kind of smack now, I hope you don't think that it means that you are stronger or tougher or braver than men and woman like the OP's grandfather - to whom the "N" word and "uppity" had considerable meaning and to whom we ALL owe a debt of gratitude.

[Cigar11]

43. Personally, someone saying an ignorant word or phrase has never “Haunted” me at all.

It had always reflected more on the person saying it. I’ve been Black for more than 40 years and as far as I can remember I can only remember hearing a few people ever say “Uppity”; Clarence Thomas and Rush Limbaugh. Now given that fact, I’ll simply consider the source and give it it’s just due.

[Karenina]

44. I have never been "haunted" by being called "uppity"

It always meant a recognition that I had exceeded the expectations of the dominant culture. ;-) :spray::rofl: