Defending Paula Deen: what the national reaction can teach us about race

[ashling]

http://www.rageagainsttheminivan.com/2013/07/defending-paula-deen-what-national.html?spref=fb

?imgmax=800

For a lot of people, this controversy has been boiled down to whether or not Paula Deen has uttered the “N” word. She’s admitted to doing so . . . she admitted to using it multiple times under oath but was more vague with Matt Lauer. But for me, and for many others, it’s not just about the “N” word. It’s about the subtext of what she is saying. My point in this post is not to vilify her further. I know some believe that Paula is taking an unfair beating. But I think that her attitudes about race exemplify the covert racism that pervades in society today, and warrant discussion. Most of us recognize that walking up to a black person and calling them a n*gger would be absolutely abhorrent. But what white folks in the company of other white people is another matter. Paula’s admissions reveal that, in certain circles, racism against black people has simply gone underground, and given way to a more slippery version of racism that is harder to nail down. In a society where racism has (thankfully) become less socially acceptable, racism has gotten more obscured. And well-meaning white people are enabling it.

[cali]

1. It is not about the "n" word, it is about her long history of racism and racist actions

http://election.democraticunderground.com/10023151700

[ashling]

3. Exactly - and her obliviousness to it all

I posted this because I had a student comment on it in a current events journal.

[aikoaiko]

4. It is more complicated than just uttering one slur

Most of the allegations were about her brothers management of the restaurant and Deens inability or unwillingness to do anything about it.

But the endorsement drops may have been simply over the one slur.

Interestingly, the plaintiff never heard Paula say or do much.

Plaintiff Lisa Jackson: “Not heard it,” Jackson replied.

“You have never known Paula to discriminate against a person based on gender, have you?”

“I’m not aware.”

“And you have never known Paula to sexually harass anyone, have you?”

“Not me.”

http://m.savannahnow.com/news/2013-06-22/paula-deen-and-n-word

[lunatica]

2. Racists belong in the closet

Which is where they belong. They need to be isolated and shunned so they shut up and keep it to themselves.

[pipoman]

5. I could care less about Paula Deen..

Racism is a cultural thing. When Deen was growing up, in the 40's and 50's racism was the norm among many whites, especially southern whites..in her parent's generation it was completely socially acceptable. In her generation, it was completely acceptable into the 1970's. In her kid's generation (my generation) it was less socially acceptable, but common into the 1980's. In my kid's generation (1990's) it is completely unacceptable, and isn't common at all...most racists in this generation are fringe groups. Racism is and will continue to dwindle through attrition of generations IMO..social change doesn't/can't change overnight..

I could forgive Deen if these things occurred during and prior to the 1970's as a social evolution has occurred since then..it sounds however that isn't the case with Ms. Deen..and she failed to evolve..

[ashling]

12. So its ok for somebody who grew up in the 50s to use

racial epithets and to treat people who they feel are inferior with disdain because "everybody did it 60 years ago (and a lot less years than that) All I can say is my mother would have slapped me into next week for that kind of attitude.

I'm 61 (or will be in Sept), white, and grew up in the south and frankly I can not remember ever using that word except maybe in context in history class or American Lit. talking about the dialect in Huck Finn. I very clearly remember my very best friend using that word when I was about 12. I made it very clear to him that if he ever used that word in front of me again that the friendship was ended. Period.

Here's my memory of the use of that word:
I remember standing in line with my mother ( who was born and raised in Philadelphia, MS) at a little hamburger stand behind a black gentleman. When he got to the window the lady told him to go around back. She took me by the hand and started around back. The lady says, "Oh, no ma'am just the N ..."
My mother looked her square in the eye and said "We're no better than he is." and we got our burgers at the back door.

I'll remember that as long as I live.

This is from the original post:

"... I think that her attitudes about race exemplify the covert racism that pervades in society today, and warrant discussion. Most of us recognize that walking up to a black person and calling them a n*gger would be absolutely abhorrent. But what white folks in the company of other white people is another matter. Paula’s admissions reveal that, in certain circles, racism against black people has simply gone underground, and given way to a more slippery version of racism that is harder to nail down. In a society where racism has (thankfully) become less socially acceptable, racism has gotten more obscured. And well-meaning white people are enabling it.

Racism is just as abhorent underground. As is being a "cultural apologist."

[pipoman]

13. It isn't OK, but has been widely forgiven..

Strom Thurmond and Robert Byrd are prime examples...they carried a lot of black voters, oddly enough..

It wasn't acceptable in my house either, but among white society..usually perpetuated by earlier generations..it wasn't uncommon in the early 1970's to see or hear racial epithets and jokes..and people who did that were not societal anomalies..Polish jokes were widely heard by famous comedians..Rodney Dangerfield comes to mind...my children of the 1990's were 16 years old before they heard the word "pollock" and had no idea the context of the slur.

No, the kind of societal change expected by the civil rights movement can't be fully realized for several generations. Things certainly aren't perfect, but MUCH has improved in the last 50 years and I believe it will continue to improve through attrition..the only way society can really change on this scale..thus my disagreement with this:

"... I think that her attitudes about race exemplify the covert racism that pervades in society today, and warrant discussion. Most of us recognize that walking up to a black person and calling them a n*gger would be absolutely abhorrent. But what white folks in the company of other white people is another matter. Paula’s admissions reveal that, in certain circles, racism against black people has simply gone underground, and given way to a more slippery version of racism that is harder to nail down. In a society where racism has (thankfully) become less socially acceptable, racism has gotten more obscured. And well-meaning white people are enabling it.

I see it as mostly the attitudes of a dying generations..and will improve with each new generation as it has since the 1960's

[pipoman]

14. Oh and speaking of Thurmond and Byrd..

They are only the longest sitting of the white racist males, many of whom were involved in racist groups and movements, who dominated business and politics, there were many, many others. They were Paula Deen's parent's generation. It simply was accepted at that time, wrong as it may be. If a white child is raised in that environment, as many were, these racist beliefs become inherent in their person and only truly goes away upon their death. I would bet that among their closest people Thurmond and Byrd used slurs until the day they died..of coarse there's no way of knowing..I notice that the claims are made against Deen and (whodaguessed) a guy named Bubba and not against her children..the family is evolving on the same pace as the rest of society..

Of course this is only my opinion, but I heard my dad and grandfather tell n... and p... jokes outside of our home...and I told some too honestly..but, as I stated above my children never heard me make racist comments or jokes, thus they didn't know what a p... was until they were 16.

[IdaBriggs]

6. It teaches us about "spin" -- instead of being about "blacks use separate bathrooms"

(which is one of the MANY allegations in the lawsuit), it became about "I told the truth about twenty years ago" which is SPIN.

Reality was she let her crazy brother destroy her business by not acting like she was in charge of it.

Spin can trump reality. I've been making sure the word gets out, which is definitely changing minds.

[JustAnotherGen]

8. Ida

I posted the link you posted this weekend below. It can't be said enough - this place was a cesspool.

[IdaBriggs]

9. Thank you - I found it on another DU'ers link. Cesspool = understatement!

When Paula Dean's brother started implying she was sleeping with him to all of her professional peers - I was seeing RED myself!

Paula is losing her business because she let her family's stupidity destroy it - her sons wouldn't take orders from a woman? FIRE THEM.

I think the best way to counter the spin is to keep putting the truth out there.

Is the N-word bad? YES. But the N-word is symptomatic of the fact this crap wasn't being cleaned up and kept out of the till. Of course, since she was letting him steal up to $26K a month, I guess he felt entitled to destroy her business!

Smart people take care of the ones who make them money. Paula didn't - and down she goes.

[JustAnotherGen]

10. Amen!

Is the N-word bad? YES. But the N-word is symptomatic of the fact this crap wasn't being cleaned up and kept out of the till. Of course, since she was letting him steal up to $26K a month, I guess he felt entitled to destroy her business!

[JustAnotherGen]

7. And if someone boils it down to the N Word

Truthfully - they are a wise fool. This is the 33 page civil action filed in court by the Plaintiff - Lisa T. Jackson. A very brave caucasian woman who had the ovaries to stand up for other peopel while she stood up for herself.

http://www.atlawblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/Jackson-v.-Deen-et-al.-Complaint.pdf

Uncle Bubba's Seafood and Restaurant is 51% owned by Paula Deen. Page 3

Defendant The Lady Enterprises, Inc. is a Georgia corporation residing in Chatham
County, Georgia and can be served with process by serving its registered agent for service of
process, as follows: Paula Deen, 102 West Congress Street, Savannah, Georgia 31401. Upon
information and belief, fifty-one percent (51%) ofthis corporation is owned by Paula Deen and
the remaining interest is owned in equal shares by her sons, Jamie Deen and Bobby Deen.

How she got the job, held onto it, got promoted, and then had to tolerate an anti-semitic slur on pages 5 and 6:

Ms. Jackson was first hired by Uncle Bubba's restaurant as a hostess. After six months,
she was promoted to General Manager. She remained in the position of General Manager from
approximately August 2005 until August 19, 2010.

17.
Ms. Jackson replaced a General Manager that was allegedly sleeping with servers, a
matter disregarded by Bubba Hiers. In a meeting with that General Manager and Ms. Jackson,
Paula Deen terminated that General Manager and stated to Bubba Hiers, "if you think I have
worked this hard to lose everything because of a piece of pussy, you better think again." Paula
Deen continued, "and now I am going to do something I have never done. [am going to put a
woman in a man'sjob." Paula Deen gave Ms. Jackson six months to tum the restaurant from a
failure to a success.18.
Upon her promotion to General Manager, Bubba Hiers stated to Ms. Jackson, "you're
everything I've never wanted but everything I need - a woman to clean my business up." Mr.
Hiers suggested that Ms. Jackson "take it [this comment] as a compliment."
19.
Ms. Jackson's ability to perform was doubted with repeated comments and laughter from
5
Mr. Schumacher and other male managers commenting, for example, that "she'll be down in a
month." In six months, Paula Deen's directive was accomplished and Uncle Bubba's was
earning a profit.20.
For these money-saving management efforts, Karl Schumacher referred to Ms. Jackson
as "almost Jewish," and Bubba Hiers referred to her as "my little Jew girl."
21.
At all times during her employment, Ms. Jackson performed her job well and faithfully,
bringing Uncle Bubba's restaurant from circumstances of near financial collapse to a profitable
enterprise, despite the frequent taking of cash from the restaurant's receipts by Bubba Hiers sometimes
as much as approximately $26,000 per month.

It's one big cluster fuck, where there is smoke there is fire, and that's only on up to page 6!


It has to be written and spoken over, and over, and over again - It's not just about the n word. It's about a business culture where anti-semitic comments, porn being passed around in staff meetings, and black employees not only having to use an entrance at the back but a different restroom (the white employees could enter anywhere they wanted to and use the customers' restrooms). It's about just oh so much more.

[Oilwellian]

11. That was an amazing backwoods journey

Thank you for posting the complaint. Wow! No wonder sponsors have dropped her like a hot potato.