Is this shirt disrespectful?

[Guinevere]

https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/black-m ... rc=fauxdal

A man who launched a social experiment by wearing a T-shirt with a “Caucasian” logo to mimic that of the Washington Redskins says the effort has revealed racial bias.

Frederick Joseph is the 29-year-old founder of the New York City-based marketing agency We Have Stories, which represents marginalized groups. Earlier this year, the activist went viral for creating the #BlackPantherChallenge, which raised more than $950,000 to purchase Black Panther movie tickets for members of the Boys & Girls Club of Harlem. The project received support from Chelsea Clinton, Snoop Dogg, and Ellen DeGeneres, and in June, Joseph received a humanitarian award from Comic-Con for his work.

“I wanted to see how people responded to the shirt — while there’s nothing derogatory about the word ‘Caucasian,’ there’s a certain privilege among some white people who haven’t been challenged on certain aspects of racism,” Joseph tells Yahoo Lifestyle.

NB: This is not intended to re-litigate our opinions on the Washington football team's logo, but hey, it's also still a free country. Sort of.

[Big RR]

It doesn't bother me in the least, but I was surprised at the reactions he reported (but many of them appeared to be directed more toward the statement he was perceived as making with regard to the Redskins logo than with the use of a white image).

FWIW, I'm not sure what this guy was trying to prove; white people, being the majority, are unlikely to feel victimized by such an image--maybe if it were Cletus from the Simpsons, there may be a point, but that is something that would be purposely derogatory. If we assume, for this discussion, that the Redskins logo was never intended to be offensive, it is still quite different from a generic whit image being used because such images were routinely used in a derogatory manner by whites and because the image of an Indian brave or chief has a much stronger connotation to many of native American descent than a generic white image does to Caucasians. Given the status of the classes, Iam not sure a similar image could be generated that would result in even a similar feeling among many white people.

[Gob]

I'll hang my head in shame!!

aka; what fucking bullshit.

[Joe Guy]

Like Big RR, I'm not sure what the guy was trying to prove. I think he just wants attention.

[Long Run]

Wouldn't "honky" be the more equivalent term? Of course, that also has a positive spin:

[RayThom]

I see nothing racist nor disrespectful about the word Caucasian regardless who is wearing such a shirt. Maybe if it read "white trash" there would be a tad more shock value.

If the Redskins team logo read Washington Beringians I'm sure there would be much less racism associated with it, but who would name a team of brave, pioneering, footballers after a race of almost forgotten indigenous peoples?

I keep hoping that the Redskin name will eventually be phased out but there are way too many diehard NFL fans out there who still don't get it.

[MajGenl.Meade]

No idea why I should feel offended. If people want to wear stupid t-shirts (and there are far worse examples) I guess they will.

Oh and Gob, you mean Saracens and Pirates should take offense at having to play against West country yokels?

[Sue U]

FWIW, I'm not sure what this guy was trying to prove; white people, being the majority, are unlikely to feel victimized by such an image *** Given the status of the classes, Iam not sure a similar image could be generated that would result in even a similar feeling among many white people.

Exactly. The strength of stereotyping in generating offense as a form of racism is largely dependent on power relationships: A dominant power-holding population, particularly a majority population, is unlikely to be offended by being identified as such, even if the identification is by "race" or ethnicity. But the use of stereotypes -- and particularly racially loaded imagery -- by the dominant population to objectify a powerless minority, reinforcing its "otherness" and inability to control even its own identity, is predictably offensive.

[MGMcAnick]

I don't see a big issue with the shirt, nor do I have a problem with the Wahsington Redskins, Atlanta Braves, or St Francis (KS) Indians.

One of the local high schools uses Redskins as their name too. It is (now) in a very Hispanic part of town. It uses a native American motif throughout its architecture, opening in 1929.

One of my friends graduated from there in 1966. He was delivering a speech at church one Sunday. In his opening line, he asked "How many of you are Redskins"? You could have heard a pin drop among maybe 400 people. Then he went on to explain that he meant North High Redskins. There were a few.

A bridge over the river near the school has Native Americans cast into the concrete of its railings. When its deck was replaced a few years back, there was a big discussion over leaving that motif intact. It was.

Mrs Mc grew up in a county named for the tribe that made the last raid in Kansas in 1878. Her school's mascot is "The Indians". I doubt it will ever change, though the community has a largely German heritage.

[RayThom]

[rubato]

I don't find it offensive but whatever point he is trying to make is obscure.



yrs,
ruato