White People Black Stories Goes Back in Time: Little Black Sambo, It's Your Turn

Hi Meltingpot Readers,

When I started this series for Black History Month, I really wanted to highlight a trend of White people who, for better or worse, have garnered fame by telling the stories of Black people. Why? I guess it was my attempt to show that the concept of Black History Month, a month to celebrate and acknowledge the accomplishments and contributions of Black Americans is not, or rather, should not be a 'Black thing.' Because clearly Black people's lives, legends and heroics are fair game for all people to witness and benefit from. We don't own our contributions. We don't even own our culture. But should we get credit it for it? Should we charge a fee when it's borrowed without acknowledgement? I don't know the answers to these questions, but that doesn't mean we shouldn't ask. Right?

So, back to my list. Today, we're talking about Helen Bannerman. Who? The Scottish author who will forever be known as the woman who wrote the book, Little Black Sambo. Even though Bannerman penned several other children's books, her 'greatest' legacy is Sambo. Now, it would be so easy to just post Bannerman's name, include a picture of the rather offensive cover of the original Sambo book and allow you to tsk tsk at Bannerman's obvious racist attitudes. But I can't do that. Because as with all things racial in nature, it's complicated.

First of all, Bannerman wrote Little Black Sambo while she was living in India and claimed the story is about a little Indian boy who outwits a band of hungry tigers. Indeed, there are nods to Indian culture and India itself in the text, but seriously, Sambo looks like a Negro. And she called him Little 'Black' Sambo, not Little Indian Sambo. What's more, by the time Bannerman wrote this book in 1899, the term Sambo was already considered a Black and/or slave name, so you kind of have to wonder about Bannerman's motives. She says she was writing a book to amuse her daughters and she probably was, but she might have thought using derogatory language and pictures was amusing.

And then of course Sambo took on a life of his own in the United States and around the world, gaining momentum as a racist little figure. But interestingly, many Black people remember hearing the story of Little Black Sambo and loving the fact finally there was a story about a smart little Black kid who becomes a hero at the end of the tale. Who cares that a White lady wrote the book in India?

What do you know about Little Black Sambo? Did you know anything about the author? What do you think of the story now?

Happy Friday!
Peace!

My Two Cents About Missing Baby Lisa

Hi Meltingpot Readers,

I've been avoiding this topic here on the blog because I really didn't feel like a missing baby was Meltingpot material. I felt sorry for the family going through this horrible ordeal but then as the facts started coming out, I started getting a little suspicious and decided to keep my own Law & Order-influenced theories to myself.

But I can't take it anymore. I need to know what other people are thinking about this situation. As a new mom to a precious babygirl, this story hits so close to home. I cannot imagine waking up one morning, peering into my daughter's crib and finding her gone. Just the thought sends waves of horror all over my body.

But here comes the skeptical me. I also cannot imagine waking up from a drunken stupor, finding my baby gone, not remembering the last time I checked up on her, not calling 911 right away, and all of the other ridiculous inconsistencies in the story of the grieving parents. Here's an article that sums up the case so far.

Initially, I wondered if these parents had harmed their own child and alerted the media in order to cash in on our culture's disgusting love affair with "nice White girls gone bad," i.e. Casey Anthony, Amanda Knox, Dick Cheney and the list goes on. No joke, to the innocent and ignorant, scandal may seem like a great way to become famous. I mean the rumor mill is going wild about the six-figure book deal floating around with Casey Anthony's name on it. And the Amanda Knox book isn't far behind. Do I need to mention Monica Lewinsky here?

Anywho, it feels wrong to talk about the motives and/or presumed guilt of the parents when at the end of the day, there is still a missing baby out there. I probably do watch far too much Law & Order but it seems like there should have been a break in the case already. I also read a lot and have read books about snatched babies, so part of me wants to believe that it's possible that someone snuck into the Irwin home, snatched the baby (without waking up the dog) and is now raising her as her own. But those tales are fiction. What are the real stats on baby snatching ? It seems every case of baby snatching in this country in recent memory has been a fabrication of a deranged mom.

So what do you think Meltingpot readers? What's your take on the case? Maybe we can help solve the mystery.

I'm listening.

Peace.

P.S. Here's the Meltingpot in me. Notice in the pictures there are two brown boys in the background? Are those her brothers? Does baby Lisa have brown brothers? Interesting. I wonder if the world knows this and if and how this would color the case?