To worry most people won’t ever ‘get it’

[OverTheRainbow88]

All the marches, Protests etc and people still don’t seem to understand!

Will they ever?

I see the “but what about white people” are here

In total agreement about the professionally offended. It's not racism, and I don't believe any young reader would feel upset by the reference to the mermaid's hair. It takes a pearl clutching adult to be offended by what they perceive to be a racial insult, whereas in fact they are only jumping on the current BLM bandwagon waiting to be lauded for their hand wringing at the most minor transgression.

This one.

I also get it. Totally. Utterly thoughtless and definitely racist. Why couldn’t her scales have been too shiny, or something?!

I also get it. Totally. Utterly thoughtless and definitely racist. Why couldn’t her scales have been too shiny, or something?!

In other versions of the book they are.

It’s not about being “professionally offended”! Blimey.

Wow, so in the actual book it’s that one on the front cover whose hair is too fluffy?

More.

@BrutusMcDogface

It’s not about being “professionally offended”! Blimey.

Scary isn’t it.

People who come out with things like “professionally offended”, “but what about white people”, “the race card” etc all belong to the same little club.

Ouch. Someone's attempt at being inclusive and PC backfired.

It's a book that is exactly the same as has been published for years. My ds is 16 and has these as a baby!

They've tried to be inclusive by representing different skin colours. Except then you have the black mermaid with fluffy hair.

I don't think it's racist - racism is a deliberate attempt to harm or stereotype due to race.

I do wonder if they had changed the wording so it said "my hair is too smooth" for the black mermaid how many people would be up in arms saying it's bad because black peoples with Afro hair would be offended because they don't have smooth straight hair.

Educating people about why something may be offensive is fine - accusing people of racism for a simple act that went wrong isn't imo.

Oh dear.

@heartsonacake

Oh I see the professionally offended are out in force again today There isn’t an issue here; people are making a mountain out of a molehill.

Tesco have only apologised because they felt forced into doing so; they shouldn’t have.

That is your opinion, I take it that you understand the history of African hair, and how it has been derided and seen as a problem? Well if you do then you should understand how this could make a black child feel about their hair. Tesco have rightly apologised. How they could not have forseen how this move would not be acceptable to plenty of people speaks volumes.

Just trying what to think what they could have replaced "fluffy" with.in this instance... because obviously the connotations with this and the black mermaid aren't the same as with all the other white mermaids - but the problem is there are few "feeling" descriptive words that wouldn't have some negative connotations given the issues around black women and their hair....as well as fluffy, anything like "coarse" or "rough" or "knotty" would have to be out for the same reasons, but even something that's more complimentary would be an issue because if it was "that's not my mermaid her hair is too smooth/shiny" it would suggest black people can't have smooth/shiny hair!

I wouldn't want the black mermaid book to be withdrawn completely because I agree with the idea of having increased representation and can imagine little black girls would love it....would it be better to just remove the hair texture page completely but keep the less culturally awkward clip/tail pages?

The only other suggestion I could think of is maybe her hair being too "dry" (because mermaids live underwater) but even that has its issues....

The first one is acceptable but not this one. Seems actually more racist to say they couldnt change the colour of the mermaid whilst keeping the exact same words.

they made that a t-shirt?

Why?

Because they're saying how black girls never get to be mermaids? So it's anti racism right? And it's being sarcastic.

Never have I heard anyone criticise a black girl’s hair. In fact I heard many comments when at secondary school of how jealous other girls were of their hair. It’s just mind boggling that people are actually seeing anything derogatory about this book. There was also a mermaid with blond fuzzy hair. The author was clearly trying to be inclusive but unfortunately fell victim to those people who spend their days looking for something to be offended by.

I don't get it.

@Zany15

In total agreement about the professionally offended. It's not racism, and I don't believe any young reader would feel upset by the reference to the mermaid's hair. It takes a pearl clutching adult to be offended by what they perceive to be a racial insult, whereas in fact they are only jumping on the current BLM bandwagon waiting to be lauded for their hand wringing at the most minor transgression.

The transgressions add up though do they not? Maybe, just maybe there have been too many, for too long! You have not been on the receiving end, so can afford to be so dismissive.

@Livelovebehappy

Never have I heard anyone criticise a black girl’s hair. In fact I heard many comments when at secondary school of how jealous other girls were of their hair. It’s just mind boggling that people are actually seeing anything derogatory about this book. There was also a mermaid with blond fuzzy hair. The author was clearly trying to be inclusive but unfortunately fell victim to those people who spend their days looking for something to be offended by.

Black children with afro or traditional hairstyles are often banned from having them at school. Adults are often considered scruffy for having afro or traditional hairstyles and are often expected to undergo damaging treatments to make their hair more acceptable e.g more western.

Black people with afro hair have a particular problem in that it is almost fetishised, people wanting to do innapropriate things like touch it, make weird comments about it etc.

HAIR DISCRIMINATION IS A REAL THING

& all the white women claiming "I have fluffy hair and I'm not offended" can fuck right off.

My son has a similar book with “That’s my pirate, his beard is so fluffy”. The pirate is black. Nobody seems to be complaining about that though?

Tbh I’m surprised nobody is complaining about it being a mermaid instead of a merperson. What defines the mermaid as female anyway? She clearly doesn’t have lady parts because she’s a fish from the waist down.

@Livelovebehappy

Never have I heard anyone criticise a black girl’s hair. In fact I heard many comments when at secondary school of how jealous other girls were of their hair. It’s just mind boggling that people are actually seeing anything derogatory about this book. There was also a mermaid with blond fuzzy hair. The author was clearly trying to be inclusive but unfortunately fell victim to those people who spend their days looking for something to be offended by.

Here ya go.

www.independent.co.uk/news/education/education-news/afro-hair-discrimation-student-legal-action-payout-ruby-williams-urswick-school-a9323466.html

LunaNorth

There’s lots of very similar African artefacts and art in the Kitt Rivers Museum (amongst others) by African artists. Not quite sure I get your point?

Oh dear, I think people are just looking for things to be offended by now! I would have thought this was one of the more inclusive books as it features characters of BAME throughout the series, but no it must be subliminal racism because the black mermaid has fluffy hair