'As I was a boy growing up, blacks themselves referred to their children as pickaninnies'
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- The speaker recalls that Black people historically called their children 'pickaninnies', a derogatory term.
- In plain terms
- It notes a past use of a racial slur within the Black community.
- What can you take from it?
- Be aware of how language can perpetuate racism.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- How does reclaiming language affect a community?
- What responsibilities do we have when recalling offensive terms?
Another view
The quote may be taken out of context and lacks nuance about who used the term and why.
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