The other night while I was relaxing at my favoritehangout spot, the Barnes and Noble bookstore at Citiplace Court, something verydisturbing was brought to my attention. Janene Tate, DIGEST editor and chief,showed me some postcards that were being sold in the store depicting some veryracist images of black people.
There were several cards with grotesque pictures ofthe “mammy” and “pickaninny children.” In case you don’t know, these were a fewof the black-faced, big eyed, unnaturally large red lipped caricatures usedback in the day to dehumanize and demonize the image of black people.
These monstrous comic creations were used not solong ago on advertisements to sellproducts like syrup and flour and are still used by some today. One of thecards showed a pickaninny child holding a piece of toast with a mammy pouringsyrup onto it. Spelled out in big red letters above the child’s head was theword “SUM-MO”(“SOME MORE”, get it?) To put it mildly, I was deeply insulted.
I dounderstand that these images are a dark part of our history that we should allknow about and have an understanding of, but this is indeed no way for thishistory to be presented.
For the managers at Barnes and Noble to be soinsensitive to African Americans as to sell these postcards in their store is adirect slap in the face to each and every black customer who has ever spent adollar in their establishment and black people in general. For them to try tocapitalize on something that was used to degrade and poke fun at us isabsolutely atrocious. THIS IS UNACCEPTABLE AND IT MUST NOT GO UNCHALLENGED!
I ammaking an appeal to each and every student, every teacher, every organization,and anybody who cares to join me in sending a message to the managers in chargeat Barnes and Noble at Citiplace Court and the Past Cards company, themanufacturers of these despicable postcards. I would like for each and every person who finds thedepictions on these postcards offensive to call the Barnes and Noble bookstorelocated at Citiplace Court on today and tomorrow and simply say to whoeveranswers the phone “Remove all Past Card paraphernalia from your store.” That’sit.
The telephone number is (225)926-2600. The objectiveis to ring their phones off the hook and to let the managers or whoever is incharge of placing the orders for things to be sold in that store know that theAfrican American community is not pleased and immediate rectification must bemade. For those who would like to express their displeasure to the makers ofthese cards, the telephone numbers for the Past Cards company are (504)818-1716and (800)251-1006. Their mailing address is G2 Ltd., P.O. Box 56277, NewOrleans, La. 70156-6277.
I amdemanding that Barnes and Noble Bookseller remove ALL Past Cards products bythe close of business on Wednesday, Nov. 24 and a public apology be made bywhoever is in charge of placing orders for items to be sold by this time also.
I am urging all black leaders to help me enforcethis. If these demands are not met by the time I have specified, I am callingfor a nationwide boycott of ALL Barnes and Noble Booksellers by the AfricanAmerican community and I am encouraging black people not to buy another book,another magazine or another cup of coffee in any of these establishments.
This isnot something that we have the luxury of just passively brushing off of ourshoulders people. This is a red alert situation that must be addressedimmediately. Why, some of you might ask.
As I was walking through the store, disgusted by whatI had seen, I pointed the postcards out to every black customer that I crossedpaths with. I walked up to oneyoung sister and showed her the picture and, with a perturbed “Excuse You, whyare you disturbing me with this” look on her face she asked me “What is that?”
As I explained to her what they were, she dismissedme by rolling her eyes, clearly unmoved.
She represents a generation of us who is either toounaware or unconcerned by this blatant racist evil to be offended. If we letthis go unchecked, it might not be very long before we see a movie about blackpeople starring white actors in black-face. Something must be done, and it mustbe done by us!
Thispains me because Barnes and Noble was my favorite “chill spot.” I’ve been goingthere almost everyday for about three years.
Hanging out here is what I did for fun. I fell inlove with the ambiance of this place as I sat many nights immersed in thechapter of a book. I’ve gotten a better education in that bookstore than Icould ever get sitting in a college classroom.
After this discovery, however, I have pledged neverto set foot in any Barnes and Noble Bookseller or any other bookstore thatsells products like this.
