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Little Black Sambo

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    Posted 4 years ago

    Toyrebel
    (215 items)

    Picked this up at a yard sale. Published in '55 by The Platt & Munk-Co. inc written by Helen Bannerman with drawings by Eulolie. The character Sambo was not an "African" as is often believed, he was from India. The English called a lot of non-white groups, races , etc "blacks". Americans use the term for African Americans. The interior pictures depict him and his family as Indians. The cover however looks like a derogatory African-American stereotype to me.

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    Comments

    1. Watchsearcher Watchsearcher, 4 years ago
      I remember that book from my early childhood. We didn’t own books but frequently visited the public library. My mother would have checked the book out.
    2. Vynil33rpm Vynil33rpm, 4 years ago
      Beautiful colors
    3. Jade42 Jade42, 4 years ago
      That book is and was meant to be offensive......it shows just how ignorant people can be......so why post that?
    4. Watchsearcher Watchsearcher, 4 years ago
      It’s just part of our history....I don’t take offense from the post. Any number of books could offend someone in one way or another.
      I have African American and Indian friends that I love dearly....this book was read to me as a preschooler and I feel totally non-racist....it was just a story.
    5. Toyrebel Toyrebel, 4 years ago
      Sambo was from India, offensive to Indians? I've seen numerous Black Americana items posted on here. Ferris State University has a Jim Crow museum, with far more racist items, why does an African American run it?
      https://www.ferris.edu/HTMLS/news/jimcrow/collect.htm
    6. AnythingObscure AnythingObscure, 4 years ago
      I'm agreeing with Watchsearcher 100%, Jade42 -- good bad or otherwise it *is* a part of our collective "history", which can now help teach us something about ourselves, esp. in this current moment of societal 'trauma'.

      I too had this book read to me as a child. It was just a story, like Winnie the Pooh & etc. To now assign original "racist" intents to it seems like a stretch (if not an impossibility?) but would take more evidence to convince me.
    7. Toyrebel Toyrebel, 4 years ago
      Great comments, Anything, Watch, and Vinyll.
      Jade, it's history, that's a fact, right or wrong. I see all kinds of jokes, caricatures, cartoons, etv. aimed at southerners, I find some of them funny, not offensive. A KKK book, etc.would not be appropriate and would be offensive to me. The name became an offensive slur later by people thinking the "black" meant an African American. Have you ever read the story?
    8. fortapache fortapache, 4 years ago
      Perfect for my museum of political incorrectness. I missed out on eating at the last Sambo's Restaurant as they changed their name.
    9. clockerman clockerman, 4 years ago
      Piece of history. This story was beloved throughout the world. Quick internet search shows the book (reproduction) can still be purchased on many web sites and stores.
      I understand that the title of the book can be hurtful to some, but it's truly not a "racist" story.
      Great post and thanks for sharing.
    10. Toyrebel Toyrebel, 4 years ago
      Apache/Clocker thanks:
      They had a Sambos here, kinda like Denny's. They had "art" showing the tigers chasing each other around the tree, etc. I used to eat there with a black guy I worked with on the late shift. He never said anything about "racism", he liked the food. I really didn't think anything about it, nobody seemed to care. The name being associated as a "slur" is the only racist component. Sambo was quite ingenious at reclaiming his clothes from the tigers. He wasn't depicted as being simple, stupid, etc. The early edition art evidently had derogatory "picanny" style. I've never seen those editions, might not want to. In my Golden Book pictures it was obvious they were India. I loved the story.
    11. clockerman clockerman, 4 years ago
      I am going to look for this edition of the book and/or an earlier version. The way things are going, this book will be banned sooner rather than later. Good stuff.
    12. Toyrebel Toyrebel, 4 years ago
      Clockerman, I picked this up with other stuff at a yard sale. Better get one before they burn everything.
    13. blunderbuss2 blunderbuss2, 4 years ago
      I like to kid with my local friends with, "Have you ever noticed how all white people look alike ?" Cracks them up. After almost 50 yrs. in the Caribes, white people are beginning to all look alike to me. Not joking !

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