How Watermelons Became a Racist Trope

[sheshe2]

Before its subversion in the Jim Crow era, the fruit symbolized black self-sufficiency.
By William R. Black

It seems as if every few weeks there’s another watermelon controversy. The Boston Herald got in trouble for publishing a cartoon of the White House fence jumper, having made his way into Barack Obama’s bathroom, recommending watermelon-flavored toothpaste to the president. A high-school football coach in Charleston, South Carolina, was briefly fired for a bizarre, post-game celebration ritual in which his team smashed a watermelon while making apelike noises. While hosting the National Book Awards, the author Daniel Handler (a.k.a. Lemony Snicket) joked about how his friend Jacqueline Woodson, who had won the young people’s literature award for her memoir Brown Girl Dreaming, was allergic to watermelon. And most recently, activists protesting the killing of Michael Brown were greeted with an ugly display while marching through Rosebud, Missouri, on their way from Ferguson to Jefferson City: malt liquor, fried chicken, a Confederate flag, and, of course, a watermelon.

https://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2014/12/how-watermelons-became-a-racist-trope/383529/

………..



So tell me again that DSA had no clue it was racist. They put it on a poster for a protest in NY against Hakeem Jeffries, a black man. They never posted that watermelon at any other Palestinian protest, just this one against Jefferies. This is in NY not Palestine and they damn well knew better.

[EYESORE 9001]

1. I agree absolutely that they knew what they were doing

The racists think they are so clever, and perhaps they are, seeing how many have been bamboozled by their lame excuse.

[EllieBC]

2. I just reread this earlier today. Thank you

for sharing it here.

Maybe people will stop acting like a watermelon on a flier for an event to harass an African American member of congress isn’t a big deal.

[sheshe2]

4. You're welcome, Ellie.

DSA knew exactly what they were doing and it pissed me off.
TY

[Cha]

12. Rec.. Look who's Funding the "Pro Palestinian Rage.. "

The American Multimillionaire Marxists Funding Pro-Palestinian Rage

Since 2017, Singham has been the main funder of The People’s Forum, which has co-organized at least four protests after 1,400 innocent Israelis were slaughtered by Hamas on October 7. One rally, in Times Square, happened on October 8 before Israel had even counted its dead.

https://www.thefp.com/p/american-marxists-funding-pro-palestinian-rage


https://www.democraticunderground.com/100218459484

[mcar]

3. Thank you for this, she

I cannot believe the rationalizing of a well-known racist trope I've seen on this site today.

[sheshe2]

5. Unbelievable isn't it, mcar.

SMDH.

[lapucelle]

6. The gaslighting about the watermelon visual will not work.

DSA is targeting both Ritchie Torres and Hakeem Jeffries. They've also gone after Jamaal Bowman for voting for Iron Done. Not a good look for the DSA.

Link to tweet

[EllieBC]

7. And surprise surprise, one the DSA ex members solicited

sex with a minor:

Link to tweet

?s=20

[lapucelle]

19. Ah, yes... the old guilt by association gambit.

[sheshe2]

10. Yes.

[Cha]

11. TY lapucelle.. Look who's Funding the Pro Palestinian Rage...

The American Multimillionaire Marxists Funding Pro-Palestinian Rage

Since 2017, Singham has been the main funder of The People’s Forum, which has co-organized at least four protests after 1,400 innocent Israelis were slaughtered by Hamas on October 7. One rally, in Times Square, happened on October 8 before Israel had even counted its dead.

https://www.thefp.com/p/american-marxists-funding-pro-palestinian-rage


https://www.democraticunderground.com/100218459484

[Axelrods_Typewriter]

16. He hit that ball right out of the PARK!

Swing Ritchie Ritchie swing!

[leftstreet]

8. Interesting article

Thanks for posting. I didn't know some of this

The trope came in full force when slaves won their emancipation during the Civil War. Free black people grew, ate, and sold watermelons, and in doing so made the fruit a symbol of their freedom. Southern whites, threatened by blacks’ newfound freedom, responded by making the fruit a symbol of black people’s perceived uncleanliness, laziness, childishness, and unwanted public presence.

[sheshe2]

9. This too.

For centuries, watermelon has been used alongside negative imagery of Black
Americans.

Watermelon was first seen as a demeaning symbol in the 19th century when freed Black Americans became merchants and sold the fruit.

These stereotypes persisted into the 20th and 21st centuries.

For centuries, Black Americans have had to endure painful watermelon stereotypes. That hasn't changed in recent years.

In May 2022, NBC reported that six Florida middle-schoolers posted a photo of themselves on social media holding up a letter to spell out a racial slur, sparking outrage in the community. One letter appeared to be shaped like a watermelon.

https://autos.yahoo.com/watermelon-stereotype-came-weaponized-against-153000846.html

[yardwork]

22. Jim Crow terrorism was launched in response to Black successes.

The campaign of utter terrorism against Black people in the U.S. was not an immediate response to the Civil War. It came decades later, as a backlash to Black success.

I'm reading Fever in the Heartland now. Very interesting book.

[Cha]

14. "There's no excuse for using it in flyers against a Black New York politician." Or Politiicans!

Link to tweet

Mahalo for your OP, she

I got a 403 Forbidden the first time and 2nd time I tried to post.

[Maru Kitteh]

15. Hadn't heard about this! The DSA can fuck ALL THE WAY OFF. Racist, antisemitic fuckwits.

UnbeLIEVEable.

[electric_blue68]

17. As far as that DSA table in front of the bank is concerned....

Hey, I know that bank! Actually though I haven't used it in years but pass by it on a bus sometimes.

Rep Torres kind of insulted DSA in terms of the white "trust fund babies" comment imho. How would he know. Certainly seems like a blanket statement. Now, I don't have strong feelings either way re DSA. (If they're supporting Hamas I'd condemn that, as well as insulting Rep Jeffries that way). In that photo looks like there 3 people of color there as well.

And as far as a Twitter poster commenting on The Bronx being a high % of Hispanics, which it is (and only 9% white) - Hispanics range from white to black Hispanics. Maybe they meant Non-Hispanic whites?

[yardwork]

24. I know a number of folks in DSA and I've said the same about them.

I don't know exactly what Torres said. In my experience, many DSA members are white privileged do-gooders who have strong feelings about the way the world "should" be and very little deep or practical knowledge about the way things really are.

They have a tendency to lump everything they disagree with into single categories. Hence, Biden and the Democratic Party are "just as bad as Trump and Republicans because they're all capitalists."

I don't agree that undermining Democrats will lead to a glorious socialist revolution. I think it will lead to Trump being re-elected.

[Warpy]

18. I've always resented the hell out of the bigots picking two of my favorite foods

Why the hell couldn't they have stereotyped liver mush? Yellow turnips? Bad casseroles made with cream of mushroom soup?

[EllieBC]

20. Kicking this, she.

Because too many here want to pretend there’s nothing offensive about harassing an African American member of congress and putting a damn watermelon in the flier.

[gulliver]

21. The poor watermelon. This is why race consciousness is so pernicious.

Watermelon as a symbol is, itself, a symbol. Of people's dumbness when it comes to adopting symbols. Watermelon is good. Really good. And we have to ruin it by letting a bunch of lost, simpleton a-holes use it as a taunt. It's a damned watermelon. Just eat it and enjoy it.

[yardwork]

23. I'm sure you don't intend it, but that comment comes from a position of privilege.

I think that you're probably white, like me. It's easy for us to say "it's just watermelon" because we're not having to deal with racism. Other folks know when a nasty stereotype is pushed in their faces, though.

[gulliver]

25. It comes from a position of liking watermelon

I start with that and end with it. If a chain of thought concludes that a watermelon is something other than something good to eat, it's an invalid chain of thought, no matter what the thought is. The thought is disproved by contradiction with simple reality.

[yardwork]

26. You're fortunate to be able to believe that.

I'll leave it at that.

[gulliver]

27. Agreed

[debm55]

28. Have you ever seen the silent movie "The Birth of a Nation" I saw it in a college class. So disgusting.

[Marcus IM]

29. Watermelon symbolism of black liberation has been usurped.

https://afro.com/the-truth-about-watermelon-a-look-at-the-most-controversial-fruit-in-the-black-community/

[Behind the Aegis]

30. That you even HAD to post this here is disgusting.

But, not as disgusting as those defending that shit. It just goes to show how willing some, claiming they are "woke", will go in expressing their "criticism" of Israel and Jews, they will overlook obvious racism. We know they have ZERO problem overlooking anti-Semitism when it comes from the left, but now racism? Jeebus fuck!