Curious George, the monkey who is a popular children's character, is depicted on a T-shirt with the words "Obama in '08" underneath his picture. Is the T-shirt racist?
That's the question being raised by protesters who object to a Marietta, Ga., tavern selling the T-shirt. This comes after acts of vandalism and prejudice against the presidential campaign of Sen. Barack Obama. Mike Norman, owner of the Mulligans tavern in Marietta, is selling the shirts.
The shirt harkens back to racist depictions that linked Black people to monkeys, say protestors. It also focuses attention on other incidents Obama supporters say were motivated by racist intentions.
Norman claims the T-shirts are not intended to be racist and has called them "cute," reported The Chicago Tribune.
"He can pretend he doesn't understand what the message of that T-shirt is, but he knows full well that's an offensive and demeaning stereotype used to insult African Americans," said Bill Nigut, southeast regional director for the Anti-Defamation League, to The Chicago Tribune. "His speech is protected, but that doesn't mean that it's appropriate, and that doesn't mean it's not hateful."
Norman, 63, told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, "This is a lot of hullabaloo about nothing." He also said, "This is 2008. This is not 1941 in Alabama, so get over it."
Norman has also used his tavern to display signs that read: "No habla Espanol--and never will," and "I wish Hillary had married O.J.," reports The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
DiversityInc's calls to Norman were not answered. News reports claim that Norman has sold out of the T-shirts but didn't say if he'd start selling them again.
And while Norman may be exercising his right to free speech, his use of Curious George may violate laws protecting trademarks. The publisher of the "Curious George" book series, Boston-based Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, is considering legal action.
"Houghton Mifflin Harcourt did not nor would we ever authorize or approve this use of the Curious George character, which we find offensive and utterly out of keeping with the values Curious George represents," Richard Blake, the company's spokesperson, said to The Associated Press. "We are monitoring the situation and weighing all of our options."
The Curious George incident is focusing media attention on other incidents aimed at Obama supporters as they call and canvass neighborhoods for their candidate.
In Indiana, an Obama campaign office was vandalized, a plate-glass window shattered, an American flag stolen and an Obama poster spray painted. Obama supporters have heard people say they will never vote for a Black person for president. Obama campaigners making calls on his behalf have heard people say, "Hang that darky from a tree," and an Obama volunteer canvassing in Lackawanna County, Pa., said a woman pointed at her T-shirt with a picture of Obama on it and said, "He's a half-breed and he's a Muslim. How can you trust him?" reports The Washington Post.
Neither Obama nor his campaign focus on the racist incidents they've encountered. Obama did say to The Washington Post that he is aware that some people won't vote for him because he is Black, but he added that there are also people who won't vote for Sen. Hillary Clinton because she is a woman. "But the question is, 'Can we get a majority of the American people to give us a fair hearing?'" Obama said to The Washington Post.
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