Current Events > Was this Florida teacher's birthday song a racist move or just stupid?

(+) Yeah! (+)

https://www.reddit.com/r/CringeTikToks/comments/1o1jwll/hell_no_lawsuit_immediately/

I don't understand how a grown professional would not see a problem here.

I don't think it is inherently racist, back in like kindergarten and early grades I heard songs like that between classmates (and actually I don't recall any Black classmates).

I can see how it's construed as racist, though, and I can see how it is unprofessional for a grown adult to be singing that to a child. It's not like... super offensive but it does include name calling and it's generally just childish.

Anyway it's Florida so she's probably going to be the superintendent of that school district next year.

Yeah, this does come across as just genuinely ignorant and dumb rather than racist.

Like she sent the video to the kid's mom directly.

That's either good old fashioned dumb or Grand Wizard level of audacity.

I think it was unintentional. Thats a very common parody version of the song, or at least it was when I was a kid. (Like the Batman smells song). And I had no idea that monkey was racism related until the past few years. Its entirely possible this teacher didnt know either.

pegusus123456 posted...

Yeah, this does come across as just genuinely ignorant and dumb rather than racist.

Like she sent the video to the kid's mom directly.

That's either good old fashioned dumb or Grand Wizard level of audacity.

If her judgement is this bad she probably shouldn't be teaching young kids imo. I wouldn't send that to the mom of any kid. You don't know how people will react these days or if they're familiar with that version.

MarshMellow posted...

If her judgement is this bad she probably shouldn't be teaching young kids imo. I wouldn't send that to the mom of any kid. You don't know how people will react these days or if they're familiar with that version.

Sorry, my point isn't that she didn't make the connection between the song and the slur. I think she just didn't know people used monkey as a slur at all. I don't think I knew about it until that stuff with Roseanne.

I don't get the impression that there was any racist intention. The teacher thought they were being fun and silly.

But it was a gross error of judgement. I'm sure they are mortified now they have had time to reflect.

Its a commonly used song that I used plenty of times as a kid. I dont see it as being racist, but in the moment, the kid may have been hurt by it (any kid may have regardless of race, just due to being singled out like that with the insults and not understanding the playful nature of the song).

If there is proof that this teacher has used that song for other students, then I think you have a pretty open and shut case that racism was not the intent. If this was a one-off joke that has never been used to another student I still dont think it had racist intentions, but certainly some bad in-the-moment judgement.

Im also torn about the parent taking this to a local news channel and it being run as a story. I can understand the parents frustration, but is shining such a large spotlight like that on the teacher an overcompensation for the issue? Not saying it isnt. - Im just torn. I can see both sides of the parent outrage and the very potential innocent side of a lighthearted song used in a wrong situation.

Its Florida, so

The_Popo posted...

Its a commonly used song that I used plenty of times as a kid. I dont see it as being racist, but in the moment, the kid may have been hurt by it (any kid may have regardless of race, just due to being singled out like that with the insults and not understanding the playful nature of the song).

If there is proof that this teacher has used that song for other students, then I think you have a pretty open and shut case that racism was not the intent. If this was a one-off joke that has never been used to another student I still dont think it had racist intentions, but certainly some bad in-the-moment judgement.

Im also torn about the parent taking this to a local news channel and it being run as a story. I can understand the parents frustration, but is shining such a large spotlight like that on the teacher an overcompensation for the issue? Not saying it isnt. - Im just torn. I can see both sides of the parent outrage and the very potential innocent side of a lighthearted song used in a wrong situation.

Since she's requesting therapy for the kid, there's probably some monetary compensation as well. Gong public can further those things along.

I'm honestly surprised some people didn't know it was used as a racial slur or insult. In America anyway it seems like common knowledge but I guess not.

"I didn't know it was racist" shouldn't be a thing nowadays tbh

Eh, its a super common version of the song and, in a perfect world, would just be a silly little ditty designed to make kids laugh. The teacher just didnt exercise common sense, but I dont think this warrants more than a slap on the wrist, if that.

Hopefully she has other videos of her singing that version to her white students, so she can avoid whatever the parents try to bring down on her.

Definitely not racist. That's a pretty old version of that song. Kids used to sing it all the time. Teacher was definitely out of touch with the modern world, as I suspect modern day parents wouldn't have heard of it. That said, the implications of singing it to a Black child should've been obvious.