Is this racist??

[LogicalPreference]

Colleague has the day off and it's his birthday so I'm decorating his desk (my assigned task). He's a good friend and is obsessed with Bob Marley.

I wanted to make it more personal so was going to turn his desk into like a tropical warm theme with bamboo etc

A colleague just said to me that it's really racist.

Is it racist?

Sorry this was suppose to be in chat

No.It isn't.

No, your colleague is an idiot

Your colleague is a complete and utter idiot.

ask her how it is racist exactly?

Ask him to explain how he thinks it is racist and then come back to us.

I can't see it myself.

No it isn't. Racist is bandied about far to often these days.

If he is not, in fact, obsessed with Bob Marley (rem the woman who got a wand from her workmates and had no idea why?) and he happens to be black, then theoretically it could be racist, as if you were im If you know him well it is fine, and a nice gesture.

Not racist. It would make my day.if my desk were to be decorated. As it is I am more likely to find my drawers full of paper shreadings/pacing foam.

Which part of Jamaica does bamboo grow in, then?

Dafuq! Your colleague sounds weird. Of course it isn't racist! :S

Well I was quite taken back because its a pretty disgusting thing to be accused of.

From what I can gather he said bamboo comes from China .., and I said well yes it does but I wanted it to be like a warm tropical kind of theme and he screwed up his face and said I'd leave it.

I get that Bob Marley is black but he is from Jamaica which is a hot country with beaches and my colleague (the birthday one) is Muslim - which in my eyes is totally irrelevant but I'm not sure if that plays a factor in me being perceived as a racist.

Even if he's not obsessed with Bob Marley, it's not like black people have a stereotyped living place.

I don't think it is. But racism in offices is a bit weird. Because this person perceives it to be, it will be. He can complain. Hr/boss have to investigate.

All for a return verdict of no it wasn't. But by then it's a bit late.

I'd just put balloons there. And avoid remarks on age incase you get ageist remarks.....

Ok, I think I'm with your colleague.

If anyone in the office was from Jamaica, and you represented their country with stuff from Asia because 'it's hot', then they would probably be a bit

I know you have all the best intentions, but just approach it a little differently and you'll be ok- why not think about typically Jamaican stuff, and decorate his desk with that?

Just use the colours red gold and green, a picture of Bob, a sign saying "One Love" and a couple of spider plants.
Job done!

Bamboo is not only from China, there are native species across Asia and in Africa, Australia and South America too. That said I don't know if it is found in Jamaica at all.

Sounds like you are trying to do a nice thing and it doesn't seem racist to me (although I am looking at it from my white-British perspective so not really my place to make that call) but if concerns have been raised maybe just lose the bamboo and change your plan a little. Making their desk into a beach theme seems like a lovely idea, will there be pina colada with mini umbrellas?

How on earth is it racist... the theme is for Bob Marley / Reggae Music, not the colleague himself..

What a weird concept. Of course it's not racist! I suppose you could be using some dodgy decor that could be racist that we don't know about, but a tropical theme per se it's racist.
I would do what another poster suggested though and just get some red yellow and green decorations, maybe some balloons, and leave it at that.

I'm still hung up on the desk decorating, to be honest. Is this a thing in offices?

Just play it safe OP and buy him a donut.

Wi jammin.

I agree with Phoenix. No need for bamboo.

Eyeliner.

It's not racist, but the inclusion of bamboo is rather strange.

Eyeliner