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Newsjock

(11,733 posts) Wed Jan 28, 2015, 11:00 AM Jan 2015

Virginia county supervisor calls black reporter 'boy'

Source: Staunton News Leader

At a staff briefing Monday, while loudly voicing his disagreement with an article written by a News Leader government reporter, Augusta County Supervisor Tracy Pyles said to him, "You got it wrong, boy — uh, son."

Although Pyles tried at the last minute to take back his use of the word "boy" by replacing it with "son," the word slipped out.

Four additional supervisors were at the meeting and either said they didn't hear Pyles or wouldn't comment. However, Pyles admitted to calling Calvin Trice, a 43-year-old black reporter, "boy" and called it an "error."

... The Rev. Mildred Middlebrooks, a Waynesboro NAACP president for 27 years, said the slur by Pyles was a poor choice and an example of how racism is still alive in this country.

Read more: http://www.newsleader.com/story/news/local/2015/01/27/augusta-supervisor-calls-black-reporter-boy/22430799/

8 replies

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Virginia county supervisor calls black reporter 'boy' (Original Post) Newsjock Jan 2015 OP

It's an "error" alright. They're only supposed to talk like that in private. Scuba Jan 2015 #1

Calling some one "son" in such parlence is condescending I have seen it used as a slur. gordianot Jan 2015 #2

If he would openly use a racial slur in a public forum procon Jan 2015 #3

Surely you can't be serious. iandhr Jan 2015 #4

It's true, and stop calling me Shirley. nt msanthrope Jan 2015 #6

... napkinz Jan 2015 #7

I'm still waiting for true evidence of racism among Southern folk dissentient Jan 2015 #5

Virginia county supervisor calls President 'boy' KamaAina Jan 2015 #8

Scuba

(53,475 posts)

1. It's an "error" alright. They're only supposed to talk like that in private.

Reply to Newsjock (Original post)

Wed Jan 28, 2015, 11:14 AM

Jan 2015

gordianot

(15,238 posts)

2. Calling some one "son" in such parlence is condescending I have seen it used as a slur.

Reply to Newsjock (Original post)

Wed Jan 28, 2015, 11:29 AM

Jan 2015

Maybe not exactly racist but "son" says to me "I am going to school your ignorance". As one who was born in the South I have rid myself of the false pretense of polite familiarity. In this "boy" is only slightly worse than "son" aimed at a broader audience.

The most polite response to this is: " I am not a boy and I sure as hell am not your son". Punch in the nose optional.

procon

(15,805 posts)

3. If he would openly use a racial slur in a public forum

Reply to Newsjock (Original post)

Wed Jan 28, 2015, 11:39 AM

Jan 2015

his bigotry is deeply ingrained and shapes his thinking in legislative matters that effect black people in his county. He tried to laugh it off by saying that he talks to everyone like they're his children, even a 43 year old black reporter. His enablers, the other racist supervisors, conveniently said they didn't hear him use either "boy" and "son," with one of them going so far as to say, "I'm not the kind of person who is sensitive to that type of thing, I'm sure it wasn't meant in a derogatory manner if he did say it."

It never ends...