To Think Buying Your Unborn Baby A Golliwog

[NurseyWursey]

and posting the photo on facebook, is in bad taste?

It just seems a bit to me.

[Wantsunshine]

I was given a golly buy a friend of my fathers who was black, deceased now but it was as something to remember him by. Am I meant to bin this now or keep it as a lovely keepsake. I always loved it as a child. My child does not play with it only as I don't want it to get ruined. It is really sentimental to me.

[Dawndonnaagain]

My grandmother was Spanish, my dh's family are of spanish descent, way back, I'm olive, got lighter as I've got older, dh is dark too. DD1 is very dark. I spent my childhood being called the usual array of names and being told to 'play the white man'. Dd is frequently called 'paki' 'foreign cow' etc. She is stunningly beautiful (yes I'm biased on some things) and is definitely not white. So yes, we have a history. Interestingly, the family are actually from Gibralter, so although of Spanish descent, way back, we count as British.

[Dawndonnaagain]

(Dh is welsh, by the way)!

[RalphLaurenLover]

Want Keep it, It's just a sentimental keepsake.

[Dawndonnaagain]

Oh good grief! Gibraltar tired, apologies!

[Episode]

Sorry Ralph but your its screamingly obvious that your upbringing is dictating your point of view.

One black history class is five years (which you said you'd rather not have had) and you think that's sufficient to form a judgement on the history of why other black people would be offended by a Gollywog.....

Again, no harm in educating yourself.

Even if you find me wrong in the end, your children deserve your effort at the very least although I do promise you, you won't regret it.

Absolutely nothing to be afraid o but perhaps finding out that your ideas to date are really not that clear cut.

Hell, just start with 12 years a slave! Excellent film....

[Wantsunshine]

Just something I thought of too is I am pretty sure every shop in Eton High Street has a Golly either in their window or shop. I could be really wrong on this but I am sure I read it somewhere. Happy to be corrected if talking total shit!

[CrohnicallyFarting]

I think there is some merit to the argument that we can choose not to be offended, and to not give the power to the person trying to offend. I might have got the wrong end of the stick here, but is it not a bit like black men calling each other 'nigga'?

Golliwogs have fond memories for me, similar to wantsunshine. I choose not to let those memories be sullied by the racist overtones of the gollywog.

[Episode]

@ want in that case keep it out of view

@ dawn you wouldn't have guessed. Nevertheless keep up the good work .

[RalphLaurenLover]

Episode

I never said I rather not had it. If you

We watched a video of the I dreamed a dream speach. We spoke about it that was it. Everyone who goes to that school is given that lesson. Nobody complained about.

You can be offended by a black rag doll. I am not. They sell them in the shops in my town. I've never met anyone in real life offended by a Gollywog doll.

[parkin2010]

Joysmum- totally agree. Gollywogs remind me of twee old women, not the national front. People look for racism these days, thats just as bad as being racist to me and equally as divisive.

[Episode]

@ chronically if you ignore history and the balance of power in society's then yes I suppose

Context is everything!!!

[Dawndonnaagain]

I don't believe that Ralph I do believe you've chosen to ignore them.

As for a one hour history lesson in school, how old are you? It's been on the curriculum for a good few years now, there are Black History weeks at schools too, have been for some time. As episode says, perhaps you were trying to avoid them?

[Episode]

parkin please give some examples of where people look for racism?

You would know they they are looking rather than experiencing because????

Such a bold statement should be very very easy to reference!

[sykadelic]

I have one. It's called a "golly" though. It's cute but I understand that people consider them racist and wouldn't advertise having one for fear of reactions like the OPs and other posters.

OP - I would think your friend doesn't realise the history of the dolls and wasn't aware it could be inflammatory.

Can't say I'd unfriend someone for it, but it might alter my opinion of them.

[Wantsunshine]

I thought a big issue was that you couldn't get dolls other than depicting white people and so it was not very inclusive of all cultures. Must say not actively looked if that has changed

[RalphLaurenLover]

I left school in 5 years ago. Our school doesn't have a black history week,

How would I go about avoiding a whole week of black History? when their wasn't one I took history as one of my chosen subjects.

[RabbitPies]

Well I'm going to wear my SS uniform in public tomorrow. I'm choosing to see it as just a rather snazzy outfit,and everyone I meet should recognise that.

[RabbitPies]

And understand that I'm not supporting racism.

[Meepers]

People don't choose to see them as racist they are racist. You choose to not see it. Massive difference.

[Episode]

Okay @Ralph. Your still so young. Do some research love. Seriously, you'll be glad you did x

[Wantsunshine]

I went to school in the states and we had black history month although it was also inclusive for the rest of the topics. I can't imagine that anyone over there would give a shiny shit about this doll tbf. There are so many bigger issues.

[parkin2010]

This thread would be a start. Stupid new rules like schools can't sing "baa baa black sheep". Something to get all the thickos wired up and bemoaning on social media that little johnny can't sing it anymore whilst I don't know of anyone who is black who has any concerns about it. Sometimes I wonder if there is a hidden agenda behind all this idiocy from government to make society divisive.

[Dawndonnaagain]

Okay you lot, as if I don't have enough to contend with being in a wheelchair I've got another bunch of oh so delightful racists to sort out. So, those of you who think that people look for racism these days, really, I mean just really? How thick do you have to be to believe that, I'm 17, I use a wheelchair I'm olive skinned and I've had kids come up to me in my mainstream school and wave the golliwogs found in the seaside towns near me and say: That's you, that is. And then, it's oh so funny when they bend the legs backwards and say Oh no, that's you and go off pissing themselves laughing as they tell themselves that showed the crippled paki. My goodness, Parkin, Joysmum et al, I don't have to wander very far to go looking for it, do I. But you stay safely ensconsed in your little bubbles, I'm only 17, I'm dark skinned, I'm a wheelchair user, so obviously have absolutely no valid opinion. Well, other than the fact that at 17 I'm already better educated than you so obviously are, better read, have a wider vocabularly, am far more aware of the political and philosophical issues that are at stake here, ergo a better world understanding.
Dawndonna's DD.