Black Girl

[Doyle Hargraves]

I'm surprised this didn't turn into a high profile CNN live coverage lawsuit. Then again I don't watch much news so maybe it did for all I know. Either way it's funny.

http://www.nbc4.com/slideshow/4524217/detail.html?qs=;s=1;w=320

[Wezas]

Yeah, that kind of stuck out in the yearbook next to all the "Random Redneck" pictures.

[Apotheosis]

OMG that's funny and sad at the same time.

White people are so ig'nant.
Myself included.

Not everyone is lawsuit happy, takes a bigger person to avoid sayign give me money because you made a mistake!

[Edaarin]

LMFAO, that's fucking hilairious.

[isebumples]

umm, I just saw that on CNN, hehe

-Bumple's player

[crazymage]

I heard Tabor is also in that photo.

[Czeska]

Bet the teacher that's the yearbook advisor got verbally bitchslapped for that one.

[DeV]

Damn, that's bogus, and funny at the same time.

[Overlord]

Bwa ha ha ha ha ha ha


Ahlfinger said the caption apparently was intended as a placeholder until the yearbook staff could identify the student.

"If it was a placeholder, why would you put that?" Jones asked. "Anything else would have worked for me but that."


Well I don't see any way they could have been more specific on which girl it was without pointing it out or saying "third row, fifth from the left". Hmmmm guess this was just funnier lmfao Yearbook Prank!!

[Hulkein]

"If it was a placeholder, why would you put that?" Jones asked. "Anything else would have worked for me but that."

Probably because you were the only black girl?

It is embarrassing that it was printed, but if it was a placeholder than it obviously wasn't malicious.

[Atlanteax]

I wonder if the reverse would hold true in an urban school...

All black, one white male student...

Would "white guy" (or "white dude") be acceptable?

.

I think too much fuss is being made over it, but the yearbook staff should be ashamed of their neglience.

[xtc]

Certainly it shouldn't have been printed as "black girl". It looks like "black girl" was a place holder under her photo and was to be replaced by her name before going to print. She was the only black girl in the photo.

[musicisart]

Well..I think it's sad. It's odvious it was done as a prank. The only black girl in the group...And they don't know her name? Not even her first name. Place holder..bullshit. I went to a highschool in texas where our mascot was a confederate soldier. I hope they find out who did it.

Angry at society much?

- Arkans

[Jorddyn]

I'm thinking "Black Girl" isn't exactly a racial slur. It's the most obvious physical feature. They used it to describe her. And it's now national news?

Jorddyn, once got a bar ticket with "fat girl" on it

:lol: :lol: :lol:

- Arkans

[Skeeter]

people are too sensitive.

not like they had nappy hair girl.
or
former slave girl

or 100 other things that would actually be racial slurs

[DeV]

Well, it's America, and people will take anything to any extreme given the opportunity. I don't see it as a racial diss or anything similiar at all. However, here is someone who strives for and achieves excellence, and this is her reward? Error in judgement and embarassing for the girl no less. Racial... No.

Plus I hear there were minorities on the darn yearbook staf anyway. We have a case of the lazzies here, too bothered to go look for a name.

[Showal]

Two of my friends got kicked off yearbook in HS because right before it was published, we snuck in a whole two pages of a club that didnt exist called the "Profession Wrassling Club" or something like that. It just showed us choking each other and doin back breakers and stuff. We had a bunch of ridiculous quotes in it and what not. It was actually pretty funny and freshmen the following year would always come up to us and ask us if they could join.

[Doyle Hargraves]

Originally posted by Hulkein

"If it was a placeholder, why would you put that?" Jones asked. "Anything else would have worked for me but that."

Probably because you were the only black girl?

It is embarrassing that it was printed, but if it was a placeholder than it obviously wasn't malicious.

Of course it was, because everyone knows that any term other than "African American female" would be racist.

And everyone except black people are racists.


[Edited on 5-25-2005 by Doyle Hargraves]

[Showal]

I've asked several black people whether or not they're offended when they're called "black girl/guy" when trying to be described and it's always been pointed out that it's the simplest way to describe them, especially if they're the only black person ... and it's a lot more comfortable that trying to be like "you know ... the girl with the red shirt on ... well, the girl with the brown hair ... still don't know who i'm talking about? she's about 5'2"? no? She's the one with the ::glances around:: dark skin". Because generally if you are talking about someone and you say "the black girl with the red shirt who's kinda short" they'll know immediately.

[DeV]

Originally posted by Doyle Hargraves


And everyone except black people are racists.
Surely you jest.

There's a small article about it in the Houston Chronicle (http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/metropolitan/3194334)

[xtc]

Originally posted by musicisart
Well..I think it's sad. It's odvious it was done as a prank. The only black girl in the group...And they don't know her name? Not even her first name. Place holder..bullshit. I went to a highschool in texas where our mascot was a confederate soldier. I hope they find out who did it.

I am not sure I agree with you. I admit it is possible but I don’t think it is probable. Depending on the size of the school, it is quite possible they didn't know her name.

[Sean]

I doubt they tried very hard.

[Tsa`ah]

This is why the reason of "place holder" is BS.

The HS has 1362 students. Not a small school, but by no comparison is it a large school.

50 kids in that picture and only one of them was black. No one knew her name? They had to use a place holder until she was identified? How were the other positions held? White boy, white girl?

It astounds me that any teacher didn't know who the girl was. It astounds me that they used a place holder when in all of my experiences with group photos the photographer takes the names of the people in order. It astounds me that a teacher was so negligent that he/she allowed the proof to go to print without checking.

The reason is bogus. In a school that size there are two types of students that are remembered. The problems and the examples. A member of the national honor society is generally a good student. So ... I don't buy the reason.

It was a prank, be it malicious or whatever. The yearbook advisor was just plain negligent or a racist.

[Latrinsorm]

Originally posted by Tsa`ah
The HS has 1362 students. Not a small school, but by no comparison is it a large school. My high school graduating class had about 200 kids. I didn't know everyone's name, and I was almost personable sometimes. Yearbook freaks are terrible with names and/or doing work, ask any of them.

I don't know what you're talking about with the photographer taking peoples' names either. Over 4 years of track photos, I was never once asked my name (though I probably should have been, because they never got it right).

It sure was a dumb thing to do, but I don't think flat-out accusing them of lying is justifiable.

[Keller]

I'm apt to agree with Tsa'ah here.

My school had 751 in our graduating class and only 6 black kids in our NHS. I still know all of their names.

I think if she is the only black person in NHS, and is most likely active in other clubs in the school, not knowing her name is bogus.

The only way I see this "place holder" excuse holding up is if her name was Shequita Botegreta and they needed to confirm the spelling.

[Tsa`ah]

Originally posted by Latrinsorm
My high school graduating class had about 200 kids. I didn't know everyone's name, and I was almost personable sometimes.

Irrelevant unless you were a teacher, administrator, or on the yearbook staff.

I was on the yearbook staff for 3 different HS's. One with a student body of 4200 students, one with 210, one with 2100 .. roughly. When you need a place holder for a group photo it's rather simple.

Unknown Row x, Number y.

That you were never asked to provide your name, and that you provide the information of "never getting it right" says enough.


Yearbook freaks are terrible with names and/or doing work, ask any of them.

I actually possess a damned good memory and work ethic ... so this is just a generalization on your part that has no basis other than to support a flimsy argument?


It sure was a dumb thing to do, but I don't think flat-out accusing them of lying is justifiable.

It is perfectly justified. The excuse provided does not make one bit of sense.

The student body isn't small, but small enough that there wouldn't be a single teacher that wouldn't know a good/bad student on sight. Small enough that those yearbook freaks wouldn't know who she was on sight. Small enough that the described "place holder" wasn't necessary. Small enough that a final scan of the proof would have caught it.

Simply put, it wasn't a place holder, it was someone's fucked up prank. If it wasn't the yearbook advisor, it was the yearbook advisor's negligence ( or possible racism ) that allowed it through.

Believe me when I tell you, the YB advisor in ANY school is going to comb the proof as thoroughly as possible for gag print, stray fingers, stray asses, stray gestures in general. Some things get through for sure. I've memories of playing janitor with several cohorts for pulling a Bill Ripken ... Fleer style, or slipping a sly "group" finger salute to education.

Photos are one thing, you have be observant. Text is another. Almost every yearbook I have seen has an index by name. It lists what page each person's picture appears on. This is double checked against place holders.

So again, the excuse is BS.

[Sean of the Thread]

Bottom line she is a black girl. If it were to say white girl would there be this much bullshit??? People just look for a reason to show their ass now days.. get over it.

[Tsa`ah]

Originally posted by Xyelin
Bottom line she is a black girl. If it were to say white girl would there be this much bullshit??? People just look for a reason to show their ass now days.. get over it.

No, that is not the bottom line and getting over it isn't something anyone should have to do.

The bottom line is that she was singled out in a group photo by race, be it prank, bad judgment, or racism and is being fed a bullshit excuse.

I would be more than annoyed if I was identified as "Jew" in a group photo while everyone else was identified with their proper name. Like wise you would probably be just as annoyed (and in fact there would probably be a 20 page thread about how it's BS that it can't be done to a black person but if it happens to a white person they should just STFU) as the next person if you were identified as "white boy" while every black person was identified by name.

Ignoring the issue and "getting over it" doesn't solve a thing. In fact it only allows the problem to fester until it can't be ignored.

[Bobmuhthol]

Hey guess what. You weren't there. You don't know what happened.

I'm leaning toward placeholder myself.

[Latrinsorm]

Originally posted by Tsa`ah
I actually possess a damned good memory and work ethic ... so this is just a generalization on your part that has no basis other than to support a flimsy argument?Which part of "yearbook freaks" sounds like I'm being serious?

I don't know why you believe that every person that's ever been on a yearbook staff is as thorough as you and your staff were, especially because:
That you were never asked to provide your name, and that you provide the information of "never getting it right" says enough. Wha? So errors in a yearbook are proof that errors aren't ever made in a yearbook now? They might as well have put white boy #1, white boy #2, etc in my yearbook, would have been far more accurate.

p.s: Amount of indices in my yearbook: 0.

[DeV]

Originally posted by Xyelin
get over it. For us, yes, I'll agree we should get over it. For the girl however, no. It was embarassing, and a terrible use of judgement. She is a obvously a very good student and bottom line is that she deserved better and that's why the school took the steps they did to correct the situation. I'm glad they didn't just get over it.

[AnticorRifling]

I wouldn't mind if I was labeled as white kid or guy with nice ass.

They are both correct just like my name and I'll answer to those as well as several others. :cool:

[HarmNone]

Originally posted by DeV

Originally posted by Xyelin
get over it. For us, yes, I'll agree we should get over it. For the girl however, no. It was embarassing, and a terrible use of judgement. She is a obvously a very good student and bottom line is that she deserved better and that's why the school took the steps they did to correct the situation. I'm glad they didn't just get over it.

Agreed, DeV. It doesn't matter if she's black, white, or pink with green polka-dots, what happened wasn't right. It was a disappointment as well as an embarrassment, and it never should have happened.

[Parkbandit]

Originally posted by musicisart
Well..I think it's sad. It's odvious it was done as a prank. The only black girl in the group...And they don't know her name? Not even her first name. Place holder..bullshit. I went to a highschool in texas where our mascot was a confederate soldier. I hope they find out who did it.

As a member of a yearbook staff (granted it was 20 years ago) we would do the same exact type of place holder.

Way to read too much shit into a simple place holder.

I think she should

$UE THEM!!! $UE $UE $UE!!!

[Sean of the Thread]

Originally posted by HarmNone

Originally posted by DeV

Originally posted by Xyelin
get over it. For us, yes, I'll agree we should get over it. For the girl however, no. It was embarassing, and a terrible use of judgement. She is a obvously a very good student and bottom line is that she deserved better and that's why the school took the steps they did to correct the situation. I'm glad they didn't just get over it.

Agreed, DeV. It doesn't matter if she's black, white, or pink with green polka-dots, what happened wasn't right. It was a disappointment as well as an embarrassment, and it never should have happened.

I hope it was obvious that I meant for us to get over it. Place holder or not (my theory) the poor girl no doubt feels like shit.

[Parkbandit]

Originally posted by Tsa`ah

Originally posted by Xyelin
Bottom line she is a black girl. If it were to say white girl would there be this much bullshit??? People just look for a reason to show their ass now days.. get over it.

No, that is not the bottom line and getting over it isn't something anyone should have to do.

The bottom line is that she was singled out in a group photo by race, be it prank, bad judgment, or racism and is being fed a bullshit excuse.

I would be more than annoyed if I was identified as "Jew" in a group photo while everyone else was identified with their proper name. Like wise you would probably be just as annoyed (and in fact there would probably be a 20 page thread about how it's BS that it can't be done to a black person but if it happens to a white person they should just STFU) as the next person if you were identified as "white boy" while every black person was identified by name.

Ignoring the issue and "getting over it" doesn't solve a thing. In fact it only allows the problem to fester until it can't be ignored.

You are making a TON of assumptions here.

1) How do you know she's not new to the school and therefore not many people knew her by name?

2) How do you know that there was a teacher present during which a studen was typing in everyone's name?


SHOULD this have happened? No. It shouldn't have happened to anyone, black, white, green, blue... but I can see how it could happen. It's stupid that no one caught it.

Since we only have the picture slide show and little captions to go by.. why not wait for the story to come out before you fire the whole Yearbook staff?

[DeV]

Originally posted by Parkbandit
As a member of a yearbook staff (granted it was 20 years ago) we would do the same exact type of place holder.
We never used anything racial as a placeholder when I was on the yearbook staff in high school. Well, we also had a fairly mixed racial polulation, but that would not have been acceptable. I can't believe it still is!

[Warriorbird]

Eh. We had a whole lot of placeholder photos but we never had any placeholder names. Big high school, too.

[Sean]

Originally posted by Parkbandit

Originally posted by musicisart
Well..I think it's sad. It's odvious it was done as a prank. The only black girl in the group...And they don't know her name? Not even her first name. Place holder..bullshit. I went to a highschool in texas where our mascot was a confederate soldier. I hope they find out who did it.

As a member of a yearbook staff (granted it was 20 years ago) we would do the same exact type of place holder.

Way to read too much shit into a simple place holder.

I think she should

$UE THEM!!! $UE $UE $UE!!!

We would have looked her name up in an older year book or you know maybe like .. ask someone. I don't know how many yearbook staffs don't keep old year books around...

Anyway a lot of things were acceptable 20 years ago that aren't today and vice versa I don't really think thats a real valid comparison.

[Brattt8525]

Originally posted by DeV

Originally posted by Parkbandit
As a member of a yearbook staff (granted it was 20 years ago) we would do the same exact type of place holder.
We never used anything racial as a placeholder when I was on the yearbook staff in high school. Well, we also had a fairly mixed racial polulation, but that would not have been acceptable. I can't believe it still is!

Putting in black girl in lieu of 5th girl second row from the left is racial? To me a racial term for her would have been something else besides that.

While I agree they should have been more through Idon't think you can call that being racial.

[Sean of the Thread]

Originally posted by DeV

Originally posted by Parkbandit
As a member of a yearbook staff (granted it was 20 years ago) we would do the same exact type of place holder.
We never used anything racial as a placeholder when I was on the yearbook staff in high school. Well, we also had a fairly mixed racial polulation, but that would not have been acceptable. I can't believe it still is!

If it read "greasy haired spear chucker" then that would obviously been vile racial hatred. Give me a break.. I don't think this was a hate crime or any other race related issue. I think there was possible a dumb kid who did not use his best judgement on the yearbook staff. Time will tell because none of us really know.

[HarmNone]

Graduation from highschool is a memorable chapter in peoples' lives. No matter how old you get, it's something you don't forget. This girl graduated with honors. I'm sure that meant a lot to her.

To have that effort slighted in this manner is, to me, a rather notable breach on the part of the yearbook staff; particularly, the teacher(s) in charge of the yearbook staff. To have your picture in the yearbook with "black girl" as its caption...well, I imagine that was pretty damned hurtful.

It has nothing to do with race, in my mind. It wouldn't have mattered what race, gender, creed or whatever. The fact is, it was a slight that should not have gotten through proofreading. Thankfully, steps were taken to rectify the situation. Still, the girl is left with a bitter memory of what should have been a happy event. That, to me, is very sad.

[HarmNone]

Umm, since the picture is there, it's pretty obvious it's a black girl. It would seem to me the yearbook staff could have used something more appropriate...like: unknown student (in bright red caps, so it won't be missed on proofing). You can see that the picture is of a girl, and that the girl is black. :rolleyes:

[Sean]

I'm curious to know what it says under her photo in the actual year book rather than the NHS page. I'd be willing to bet her name is correct there, assuming her photo is posted.

Anyway do I personally think it was some super hate crime? No, but I think the laziness and the fact that we still feel the need to use racial lines to describe people is a fairly sad comentary about society.

[DeV]

Originally posted by Brattt8525
While I agree they should have been more through Idon't think you can call that being racial. Neither do I. Please re-read all my posts in this thread.

It's more along the lines of dumb, thoughtless, retarded, and that's being nice. Yes, people are sentive in America and this was highly inapproproiate. Also, white girl, white guy, or anything similiar would not have been acceptable either.

[DeV]

Originally posted by Xyelin
If it read "greasy haired spear chucker" then that would obviously been vile racial hatred. Give me a break.. I don't think this was a hate crime or any other race related issue. I think there was possible a dumb kid who did not use his best judgement on the yearbook staff. Time will tell because none of us really know. My reply was in direct response to PB's and specifically about the proper use of placecards, period.

THERE WERE MINORITIES, including an African American and Asian girl on the yearbook staff as I've previously stated. So, no, I don't think it's racia or race related at all for the upteenth time.

Just in case you missed it.... I do not feel it was related to race at all. It was poor judgement because of course there will be those that feel that it is relating to race because, well, it's America. Using race as a placeholder is not approrpriate is just my personal feeling because of the can of worms it can open if something like what happened, happens. Case in point.

[DeV]

Originally posted by Brattt8525
Putting in black girl in lieu of 5th girl second row from the left is racial? Oh and when I say racial, I mean relating to race, not racist. Huge difference. So to answer your question, YES.

[Tsa`ah]

Originally posted by Bobmuhthol
Hey guess what. You weren't there. You don't know what happened.

I'm leaning toward placeholder myself.

Neither were you, yet you are somehow entitled to an opinion while I am not?

Doesn't work that way kid.

My absence from the incident is irrelevant. It doesn't take an engineering degree to see that the bucket isn't holding water.


Originally posted by Brattt8525
Putting in black girl in lieu of 5th girl second row from the left is racial?

I would say yes, it is. It's simply a pattern that most don't give a second thought to.

I'm not convinced this wasn't racially motivated, but plain stupidity (ignorance) always seems to be an acceptable reason for some people ... the "why" is beyond my capabilities to answer.

I'll repeat it ... the "place holder" excuse is bullshit.