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?

@redexpat you can’t tarnish all white people with the same brush not fair.

Oh, sorry i'm with you now.
Well, it's not profiting from racism if they were bought before considered racist in my eyes.
If they aren't worth anything I'll bin them.
I also have some real ivory, I might sell that too, it's been checked out and is very old, boar war days I believe.
That too wasn't considered bad, neither was fur coats.
All things we don't do now, but done in the past.

I've reported some of the more ignorant people on this thread too.

@MyLearnedFriend

Are you serious?!

Amazed that anyone would think that's acceptable in the workplace today.

Good grief. To HR right away. This woman put a following on her desk in view of a black colleague. It’s explicit racism. Why else would she bring it in?

@MyLearnesFriend your question has already been answered uothread.

MyLearnedFriend - see my posts upthread

The white woman gave a team of blank people a box of chocolates with 'Chocolate Negro' written on the box.

@mylearnedfriend

Read my post of 20.50

*blsvk not blank 😒

FFS FFS FFS

Black not blsvk

I personally wouldn’t have been offended by that chocolate, being half black. But then I I also have a basic understanding of Spanish so it wouldn’t have registered.

you must be very old if you can remember when gypo was offensive to some travellers.
it was around the 16th century grin

Er, no Romany, 'gyppo' is used pejoratively these days as well.

Says what exactly??

OP - I think it's good that you have asked this question. Thank you. It shows the rest of us what still goes on, it might help bring more people to a better awareness of an awful thing. It challenges assumptions. It educates. It's not your job to do any of those things but by asking a question you make people think.

It's awful. It should be removed. Personally id be wary of that colleague until proven otherwise.

I'm embarrassed to say as a child I had pin badges of this design. They came free as a collectible with labels of marmalade (I think). Grandparents collected them from me. I didn't know any better.

I do now.

Totally inappropriate and offensive thing to bring in to work. I mean no sane person would bring something so controversial into work unless they were making a statement. Have it at home if she likes it ff's.
I think desk ornaments should be banned anyway, its a workplace not a kids bedroom.

@GoodNewsTwo for what it's worth I completely believe this happened. I posted earlier this year about my mum asking me to find her a golliwog knitting pattern (which i obviously did not do!!).
People are still very ignorant about how offensive golliwogs are, it is hard for people (including me) to understand how we could get to 2018 and still be discussing this but some people just do not or will not understand that they are racist. I was able after some argument to make my mum understand and when she realised she was so embarrassed that she hadn't realised sooner because she is not a racist and she would have been horrified to have caused offence.

I hope your colleague falls into this category and gives you the apology you deserve.

Absolutely NO idea why people are having a go at you op!
The woman at your work is a knob head! I would take the doll and throw it on the bin.

MyLearned

Think you misunderstood, what Jay was saying was that she had to hold back her black colleagues from 'contributing? confronting?' their white colleague after she gave them them the 'Chocolate Negro'