Accused of racism

[Worried2987]

I was called into hr this afternoon and told that a couple of women 9n another team had heard me discussing something with colleagues that they have said was racist and made them uncomfortable.

This was to do with someone say8ng they liked Jeremy Clarkson and I said he got in trouble for saying the eeny meany miny moe song and instead of froggy (as I had learnt it) had used the n word. A girl on my team didn't know what I meant. I said I'm not saying the word but it was racist term.
They have reported me because they said the whole song is racist regardless of whether the word is changed.
I was mortified. I said I was ignorant to the whole song being racist. I apologised and have offered to apologise to them in person. I said I appreciated that it wasn't being formally reported as I realise that would be career ending and it was an honest error. My hr director said he'd taken this approach as he knows me. That I'm not racist and he was telling me for my own benefit. That the song is connected with the slave trade in USA.

I went home in tears. I'm totally shaken and scared.

I've since been looking on the internet and am totally confused the rhyme with an animal name seems to be common usage. It's a kids cartoon on you tube. Wiki says it's common for children's rhymes and even a us website said it's taught in schools with the animal word tiger or frog.
So can you say it or not?
(I'm still going to apologise as I think there will be a on awkward tension in the office).

I always heard it as either 'tiger' or 'baby', I didn't know it was racist until they pulled a walking dead Negan T-shirt from Primark because it had a picture of Negan with his bat and eeny meeny on it for being racist, it was just an iconic picture of the character with a quote.
I think it has been blown out of proportion though, it's not like you were just singing the song, you were having a conversation about someone and what he did. Don't see why that makes you racist tbh.

And people wonder why so many businesses move to places like China no one is able to say anything at all, google will soon be having to report back anyone being picked up on their Alexa device saying naughty things.. 1984/Brave New World (although these are probably too offensive for the snowflakes to read

The coworker is American and was offended. Coworker needs to understand that the pc version is still taught to kids in school today in the UK.

When I was young they used the N word so for all you know she consulted with a colleague who told her the n word version, so it's not unreasonable she was offended. HR probably said all versions of the song is racist becuase you explained you knew a different version.

Reading through the lines this person has probably had to experience a lot of things and a bit of understanding wouldn't go a miss.

There's been some quite effective trolling these last couple of days, well done to all concerned.

If they are trying to claim that the eeny meeny miny moe bit is racist in any way you need to stop apologising!

Apologising acknowledges that you are in the wrong and you are not!

Those words are nonsense words, many variants are used in counting songs all over the world.

If someone wants to be offended by them they can, some people like being offended it seems. But the current penchant for making anything and everything 'ist' is bloody ridiculous.

Much like the Nitty Gritty phrase- not racist, but was used by Bristol Council Equalities team, just plucked out of thin air, made up, baseless... and now people seem to truly believe it IS racist. So soon it WILL be! Sodding ridiculous!

Filing this under 'Muslim cancelled Christmas lights'.

When I was at school, "mo" was short for "homo". I find "eenie meenie minie mo" seriously offensive! And I demand an apology from everyone who has ever said it.

AamdC

Of course uk people uncomfortable with the use of the term ‘coloured’!

I’m also ‘coloured’ but no one would use the term for me (it’s used more commonly in Africa) here.

This woman was white presenting so imagine if she’d been overheard - someone could have reported her.

Upshot of her complaint was she was reminded that she’s in UK and it’s considred a derogatory term so although she’s quite right to refer to herself however she wants, it would not be acceptable to refer to someone else.

When I was at school, "mo" was short for "homo". I find "eenie meenie minie mo" seriously offensive! And I demand an apology from everyone who has ever said it. Really? Even knowing that it has been counting song nonsense words for a couple of hundreds years and only has a similar sound, no similarity off meaning at all?

I agree its not an acceptable term here but there are a popularion of people innsouth Africa and otjer Africn known as the Cape Coloureds this is what they identify as .

curiousaboutsamphire That was meant to be a joke!

Phew! I was perplexed, grumpymacgrumpface [ blush]

I have no defence for not realising other than the ruination of words annoys me and I lept before I looked

OP, I’m from USA. I learned the song with “tiger”. Never knew it was racist nor that it had roots in the slave trade (I was from north east). We sang it as often as the “this little piggy (went to market)” song as children.

It's not racist to talk about someone else being a racist!

Good grief.

curious no worries - it wasn't a very good joke!

I'm American and have never heard that song to have anything but "Catch a tiger by the toe" and have never heard anywhere that it had anything to do with the slave trade. I can't imagine it being sung with the n-word, how fucking awful.

You wouldn't have known it has roots in the slave trade because it doesn't. It really doesn't.

To any doubters this is a real concern for me. I have a young daughter and wouldn't want to think I would teach her a racist song for example. We live in a multi cultural area and I thought all kids sang this. Therefore the reason for my surprise this was racist in origin. Thanks for support . Ps not public sector worker. I work ftse company in city of london.

I'm 41, I'd never heard it sung with the n word until I was an adult.

I'm 47. I remember being about 5 or 6 and singing that song using the N word. My mum pulled me up and asked me if I knew what the N word meant. I didn't obviously and she explained how inappropriate it was and of course I never sang it again.