Along with a drumbeat of attacks questioning his religion and assaults on his campaign staff and volunteers on the streets, Obama is having to contend with racially inspired commercial exploitation. A bar owner is peddling T-shirts depicting Obama as the monkey from the children's books Curious George. The publishers of the book are considering legal action to stop further sale of the T-shirts.
Rick Blake of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, (which owns Curious George) tells the Atlanta Journal no one has been authorised to use the image. "We find it offensive and obviously utterly out of keeping with the value Curious George represents," Blake says. "We're monitoring the situation and weighing our options with respect to legal action."
Mulligan's is one of those places which revels in being politically incorrect. "This place is a diamond in the rough," Gene McKinley told the AJ, "People here are genuine and honest. It's the one place I can go without having to worry if I'm offending someone."
Mulligan's owner Mike owner Norman, 63, has been flooded with calls for his T-shirts ever since a story was published about local groups organising a protest this week.
"One guy in New Jersey wanted me to send him 100 shirts" he claims. Norman himself got the T-shirts from "someone in Arkansas" and has been selling them at the bar which is famous for its right wing political slogans.
In a part of the country where the legacy of Jim Crow is ever present, Norman, 63, claims to see nothing wrong with depicting an African-American as a monkey. Reminding people they have a right to offend "is my marketing tool," he says.
Who is Pamela A. Hairston?
It appears the 60 year anniversary of the Martinsville Seven case came and went this January without a mention from most newspapers. It is a painful subject but one that ought to be commemorated by the facts. For black citizens of Martinsville, it is a source of resentment, rage and disillusionment. Few white Americans can even recall it.
Ms. Pamela A. Hairston is a relative of three of the Hairston men that were executed for the rape of a white housewife, Ms. Ruby Stroud Floyd. Ms. Floyd passed away in 1996. Although she may not have wished to become the poster girl for gang rape in the late 1940’s it might be helpful to her memory and reputation that some family come forward to defend this woman. Ms. Hairston has been trying to contact film director Spike Lee about a documentary about the Martinsville Seven case. Mr. Lee fresh from his documentary about Hurricane Katrina has not yet responded.
Reading some of the online letters at various newspapers written by Ms. Hairston, she seems to have taken the facts of the case, documented trauma of the victim, confessions from all seven men and all seven execution sentences to twist a different story. In her version, Ms. Floyd was having extramarital relations with the oldest of the convicted rapists and essentially made up her story of gang rape near the woods of a railroad track. Ms. Hairston even writes that “she was always up in the black men’s faces.” She usually ends her letters stating that “the true story of the Martinsville Seven has yet to be told.” Ms. Hairston’s claims of Mrs. Floyds dubious reputation appear to be word of mouth from the residents of the Cherrytown vicinity, people that she interviewed. On the flip side of this, after the Duke Lacrosse rape accusations first surfaced, Ms. Hairston was first to jump on the theory the men must be guilty without taking into account the character of Crystal Gail Mangum. I think America is tired of racial hypocrisy.
Ms. Floyd was a Jehovah’s witness and did her missionary work in the Cherrytown vicinity. She also was somewhat familiar with the community because she sold homegrown vegetables and second hand clothes. The day she walked to Cherrytown to collect her $6 debt she was warned by a black neighbor that she should return home because at 4pm on Friday it was getting dark and there was a lot of drinking and carrying on. Of course I am sure in retrospect she wished she would have heeded that advice.
If the execution of seven for the rape of one white woman is heinous, smearing the victim beyond the grave cannot give the outrage about these seven executions any justification. Ms. Hairston has extreme points of view, refers to herself as a black militant and in favor of slavery reparations. If one were to google Ms. Pamela A. Hairston who currently resides in Washington DC, you would see her frame of mind.
What I have read about Ms. Hairston is that she is a freelance writer for Black Essence type magazines but has a day job as an Information Research Specialist at the Library of Congress. She might be a worthy interview since she states she has compiled substantial data and articles about the case but balance should be given. Although the executions were a major civil rights case, disparaging Ms. Floyd should not be allowed and Ms. Hairston should be challenged on her public statements against her due to familial connection to three of these convicted and now deceased men.
Posted by: Dr. Charles | 01 April 2009 at 03:23 PM
gjedob jyeiglswr naoyrwv efog cqehakb ejgzoui mtvujzc
Posted by: nkti nhjrqdkma | 19 March 2009 at 08:48 AM
just another reason for blacks to say that all white people are racist and that they are treated so bad.
Posted by: Tim | 11 September 2008 at 04:50 AM
The joke is on this low life and the people who like his t-shirt. Barak and his wife are Harvard law graduates. How many of you fools have even driven by a college campus?
Posted by: Skye | 10 June 2008 at 10:18 PM
I thought this was a riot, and am amazed at the resemblence between Obama and George. I am saddened that race has come into play however, and made this fun Tshirt off-limits. I guess in my generation race is a non-issue. I am 33, and irritated that I make my mind up about an issue, then someone puts a racial spin on it which makes me re-evaluate whether or not I will appear prejudice by my belief (I am caucasion and never been racist a day in my life). Y'all need to lighten up and leave race out of it!
Posted by: LoriT | 04 June 2008 at 04:55 AM
Anyone who thinks this is funny is an IDIOT.
Posted by: s | 03 June 2008 at 11:26 PM
He really looks like him
Posted by: Jim | 24 May 2008 at 09:11 AM
I just couldn't stop crying when I saw the shirt
I was laughing so hard I couldn't stop crying really
great shirt
Posted by: Jim | 24 May 2008 at 09:08 AM
proof that the south is dumber than s*&t!
Posted by: Chris | 18 May 2008 at 03:42 PM
The Obama campaign has been dealing with racist, sometimes violent attacks behind the scenes, throughout the campaign.
For many people in America, esp. younger people, race is no longer an issue and is off-limits politically. But for others, race is still a huge issue. For those Americans who have racial prejudices simmering just beneath the surface, this racist monkey shirt is a signal that it's still OK to compare black people to animals.
Posted by: Joe | 16 May 2008 at 10:31 PM
Where can I buy one?
Posted by: sambo | 16 May 2008 at 08:00 PM
When will the color of ones skin not matter in America? If our REAL ENEMIES ever succeed in dropping a nuclear bomb on this great country, the and only then will the color of one's skin not matter 'cause we won't have any. Some things never change. Peace.
Posted by: Pamela A. Hairston | 16 May 2008 at 02:24 PM
i cried when i saw this.
Posted by: maria | 16 May 2008 at 04:33 AM
hahahahaha....
Posted by: Erin | 16 May 2008 at 12:39 AM