College Fix shows a list of words and phrases that IT at the University of Michigan are not to use, supplied by the Words Matter Task Force. Some are silly, but I can understand why wokesters are concerned: whitelist, blacklist (how will I ever teach 20th century American history?), "black-and-white thinking," "crack the whip." "Brown bag" is now "lunch and learn" but that's not even a valid replacement. These wokesters do not know enough to realize that a "brown bag lunch" is not only not Hispanic, but implies nothing about learning. But "picnic"? What have I missed on this? Do people of color and constantly changing self-identity not picnic?
Saturday, December 19, 2020
Proving Once Again That Orwell Was Right
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About "picnic"...
ReplyDeleteEtymologically speaking, picnic — from the French words pique-nique — is nothing more than a potluck dinner. Yet when Southern white people made lynchings a regular occurrence at picnics, the word took on a different meaning for Black Americans.
“The word, picnic, carries with it the memory that there was a time when white folks gathered to eat outside, burning black flesh would be on the menu,” explained Treva Lindsey, an associate professor of women’s studies at Ohio State University.
https://www.inquirer.com/news/language-race-systemic-racism-tipping-point-picnic--20200801.html
I guess that I missed that connection, because of the many dozens of lynching news stories that I have read, none were considered family events. I have READ that they often were, but it is not showing in coverage that I have read.
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