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?

Any chance your colleague means that it's possibly questionable that you have honed in on this one thing, the liking Bob Marley, as in the birthday boy is black, is an amateur photographer, obsessed with Game of Thrones and sushi and also happens to quite like Bob Marley - so choosing the one thing that is stereotypically linked to the colour of his skin to focus on could seem slightly lazy?

I don't know obviously, just thinking. Don't even know if birthday boy is black - you say Muslim but that's a religion.

I love MN! where else do you get this kind of debate

Stick a gollywog with a guitar on the desk with a donut.

You may as well piss them right off.

I don't think it's racist but I think this kind of thing at work is a bit silly. Offices are bad enough places to work without this sort of idiotic behaviour. Sorry.

Do what Phoenix said. Much easier :)

Do you actually have any bamboo?
Who keeps bamboo handy just in case?

and the right kiind of bamboo as well?

What's Bob Marley got to do with bamboo?

I think it is a bit off. Not sure if it's racist but is doesn't feel right.

OP your post at 10:38 is assuming that your colleague is objecting to your suggestion because he is Muslim and therefore is more likely to accuse you of racism?

Wouldn't it be easier to just buy colleague a Bob Marley CD (but perhaps his got them all already)? or just buy him a card wishing him a happy birthday ? or is that too easy.

Just get him a cake, or some donuts (not Jamaican flag coloured)

Bob Marley theme because someone is black: racist
Bob Marley theme requiring everyone to black-up and wear Afro wigs: racist
Bob Marley theme because someone is a big fan: not racist.
Donut jokes: Awsome.

I've seen bamboo growing in Jamaica! (Sorry am a bit late to the party!)

Would he have to take the bamboo home? Is he a keen gardener or likely to have any other use for the bamboo? Won't your ElfnSafety persons be tutting and scribbling furiously on clip boards in a non birthday like manner?

I think it's only racist if you all black your faces and sing 'Exodus'

So you want to make a tropical scene for your muslim friend because he/she is a big bob marley fan? and you are being racist??? righto!!!

But never mind that - tell me about this desk decorating thing? I have never heard of such jolities in the world of work (i need to get a job if this is the case!)

To be honest - if you want to have a more realistic representation of Bob Marley then maybe recreate a "yard" in the desk, so im thinking some corrigated iron, some grafitti and of course some ganga!! Can have bamboo if you like because i have in my mind bamboo trays from the 70's

One love xx

And 3 of those little easter chicks sitting on the doorstep...

one of these

Too much??

and one of these maybe?

bamboo and Jamaica

Don't be daft, bamboo isn't the plant that Marley is most associated with.
Get him some of these.
www.cannabis-pictures.com/cannabis_plant.jpg

Thing is, Muslim is a religion, not a race so still have no idea where the Birthday Boy actually comes from. There is definitely bamboo in the carribean but am totally flumoxed at the 'racist' thing.