Golliwogs...

[GoodNewsTwo]

A colleague of mine today put a small golliwog figurine on her desk. Said she's always liked them and that she doesn't see an issue. I explained that some people (myself included) find them offensive and dated, and think they are too controversial for a workplace setting. As a black woman, I don't really like to sit and look at it all day. I'm sure many people wouldn't regardless of their ethnicity/race. AIBU to ask her again to remove it? I don't want to be 'that girl' who has an issue with race (I don't) - on this occasion, I just feel extremely uncomfortable.

wwyd?

Report it to her manager. It's completely inappropriate and in my workplace would be a disciplinary matter

@continuallychargingmyphone what do you mean? (I know nothing about reddit!)

I’d immediately join a chat forum and ask them what they’d do.

Of course it’s inappropriate. It’s a figurine based on a racist caricature of black people. It has no place in the workplace.

Speak to your manager. If you have no managerial authority over the colleague that’s all you can do at this stage. I’m 99.9% sure she’ll be told to remove it unless you’re in an extremely dysfunctional workplace.

asdf Grow up? The GolliWOG is offensive!

Why does she need it on her desk though? Do other people have teddies and Barbies and stuffed rabbits all over their workspaces? I'd be thinking covert dig at the OP ...

I'd quite like @MNHQ to delete this crap

@Asdf12345 before we ever knew about black people? Miming a lynching? What are you on about?

Nobody mentioned lynchings and if you aren't able to even start to understand why a golliwog is offensive (take the last 3 letters of the word, for example) then I think you need to re-evaluate your levels of cultural awareness.

Accidentally knock it off and stamp on it ...

before we even knew about black people

Very odd statement.

@IdahoJones why though? Because you don't like it?

YANBU. Talk to your manager if she won't remove it. As for the usual crowd... They are racist. They always have been racist. They're still racist. No I don't care how attached you were to your childhood one. They are not acceptable or harmless.

This whole thread is offensive OP, it has to go.

I would report it to HR. It's totally unacceptable and not your job to explain to your colleague (or pp on this thread) why it shouldn't be there.

Sorry, just read that you're black. That's even worse, and seems like it could be deliberate, though I'd be disgusted to see one in any workplace. Report her.

And by "not your job" I meant you shouldn't need to have to do the explaining!

Fuck me I am a black woman asking a perfectly acceptable question about an issue I find difficult as an ethnic minority and mn is too worried about people being offended than to address the actual issue and voice their opinion on it appropriately. Sad.

Tell her to get rid of it or speak to your manager. It is offensive.

ASDf what planet are you on? What a ridiculous comment.

@Etino yes, it did happen. Why that is so hard to believe I have no idea.

Poof