‘My dad will not let me go to your sleepover because you’re black': Girl receives note from friend

[KamaAina]

http://thegrio.com/2015/03/18/parents-racist-note-sleepover/

Harmony Jones had invited several friends to a sleepover for her birthday party, but one of her friends wrote a letter in response explaining why she couldn’t come. It turns out her father might not let her go simply because Harmony is black.

“Maybe I will not be able to go to your birthday sleepover because my dad will not let me go because you are black,” the letter said.

When Harmony’s father, Christopher Jones, saw the letter, he was shocked.

“It angered me a little bit, it hurt me that my 10-year-old girl had to deal with this, and I myself never thought I would have to deal with this,” he said to WREG.

Gosh, I love it here in post-racial 'Murka!

[msanthrope]

1. Racism has to be carefully taught. nt

[Number23]

31. And it is. Over and over and over again

The old "I can't wait for the old racists to die!1" line ignores how carefully cultivated and passed on racism is and always has been.

[msanthrope]

44. Born and bred into America.....

https://m.

[Number23]

59. Good God, that is absolutely PERFECT

There used to be a time when DU used to teach me all kinds of (good) things but those days are long gone.

Or at least they were long gone, until today!

[uppityperson]

2. The different colored markers and not wanting to be "Races" combined with what it's about?

I don't understand people. Not meaning the girl, but the dad? Grrrrr

[malaise]

3. Not trying to be races -WTF???

Daddy should teach her how to spell

[mythology]

7. Given that he appears to be teaching her to be racist

Maybe he shouldn't teach her or anybody anything.

[nomorenomore08]

13. Wouldn't be surprised if she's a better speller than her dad... n/t

[DeSwiss]

43. She's strapped to a racist POS father......

...her spelling shouldn't even figure into this equation.

- Racism is taught. The damage is does goes well beyond words........

[valerief]

64. That's probably how HE spells it, too!

[dembotoz]

4. sad

[chillfactor]

5. and we sometimes wonder....

how racism moves from one generation to another ... this father is the perfect example ...

[LittleBlue]

6. Sickening

Ingraining racial hatred from such a young age is abuse.

[appalachiablue]

50. see #47- any thoughts anyone?

[bravenak]

8. I feel bad for both children.

[nomorenomore08]

14. Me too, but especially for the birthday girl. This has to sting.

[bravenak]

17. Yep.

I bet the other girl's parent feel bad. Especially the mother. Embarrassed by her husband.

[sakabatou]

18. Same

[uponit7771]

19. +1

[The2ndWheel]

9. Sounds like the mother of Azealia Banks

Lots of people don't like lots of other people because of all sorts of reasons. Life can be fairly absurd most of the time.

[bravenak]

10. What do you know about her mother? I think I must have missed that controversy.

[The2ndWheel]

11. From that article in the large thread about her

"I wrote in the journal one day, 'I cannot stand this white b---- teacher. F--- this white b----,'" Banks continued. "She found my journal and called my mother, who was embarrassed, because my mother used to say stuff like that — 'White people are the devil. Stay away from them.' That teacher was scared of me after that."

If that's an accurate statement, that's somewhat similar.

[bravenak]

12. My gramma just said Ronald Reagan was the devil.

Thanks for the info. She learned her bigotry at home where most do, I see.

[FSogol]

29. You gramma was right. Reagan was the devil. n/t

[appalachiablue]

40. +10

[nomorenomore08]

15. Not extremely dissimilar, no. But bringing it into this thread seems a little odd.

[The2ndWheel]

20. Why? It's just a comparison

White, black, male, female, parents can say all kinds of things to their kids. Stay away from black people. Stay away from white people. Nothing objective about either one. Just another example of how subjective and absurd life can be.

[ret5hd]

16. I am terribly mortified that...

Azealia Banks was able to keep white people from getting a bank loan, using a restroom, buying a house, etc. This is exactly the kind of racism that must be STOPPED! My god, The2ndWheel must really feel a lot of pain!

[Number23]

21. Thank you. Seriously

I guess yesterday's Hate a Negro thread had to be transferred over to this one too.

[bravenak]

58. And this one.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=6381981

[AverageJoe90]

24. Your concern is duly noted. nt

[ret5hd]

33. Thank you! The agony this person must be going through...

is almost incalculable!

[The2ndWheel]

25. Don't go over to your friends house because she's black

Stay away from white people, they're the devil.

Nothing about bank loans, restrooms, buying houses, or anything to do with systemic or institutional racism. It's about parents telling their kids to not have anything to do with people that don't look like them.

[ret5hd]

28. My god I weep for you. Your life must be nothing...

but pain and misery! The horrors you must go through.

[The2ndWheel]

36. I'm neither the white father, nor the black mother, that said either of those things

Why are you attacking me? Because I made a comparison between what two individual people apparently said?

[ret5hd]

41. Attacking you??? I am empathizing with your pain and agony!

[AverageJoe90]

46. Please take your act somewhere else.

Because you are *not* funny, and, furthermore, you're being a troll. Cut that shit out.

[bravenak]

57. You love 'putting your foot down'.

[cyberswede]

61. Not any more...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=profile&uid=272790&sub=trans

He should have taken the fucking money.

[seabeyond]

62. well my god, it is about damn time. how many hides did i get addressing his racist/misogynist self.

thanks.

[bravenak]

63. OMG. Thank god!!!!

Maybe I'll be a believer now.
What a special day! TBH, I thought we were stuck with him.

[ret5hd]

35. I am so glad you get it!

[appalachiablue]

22. Just horrible esp. for the b.day girl. The white mother may disagree but is following her husband.

Who knows.

[nomorenomore08]

27. They're probably one of those "father knows best" kind of families. n/t

[appalachiablue]

39. Indeed, head of the household bit, Mom's subservient to Dad. That was even a factor in the film,

'The Butler' where the Mom (Oprah Winfrey) couldn't see her panther 'militant' son away at college in the Civil Rights era '60s b/c the father (Forrest Whitaker) disapproved of his son's activities (calling Poitier an Uncle Tom, etc.), but she talked her son on the phone. Not the racism issue, but the same mother and father deal. 'The Butler' was an excellent movie.
There was an OP here a few months ago about a woman whose older sister sponsored a Jewish friend to join her college sorority in Colorado in the 1960s but the friend was denied entrance. The sister fought it but found herself named a communist by Birchers in the local newspaper. Unbelievable. I hate racism, bigots, discrimination and injustice.

[appalachiablue]

52. see #47 any thoughts? Harmony Jones, beautiful name of the little girl.

[AverageJoe90]

23. Sad stuff indeed.

I just hope that little girl(the white one) doesn't grow up to be a fully inculcated racist like her father apparently is.

[appalachiablue]

34. May sound odd, but the white girl might grow up liberal, from this event and life. It happens.

Here's hoping.

[AverageJoe90]

45. It certainly does! =) nt

[appalachiablue]

54. Yes it does!

[romanic]

60. I hope so.

But racism is an insidious trait that passes on through generations. I hope it stops with this little girl in her family.

[NoJusticeNoPeace]

26. Dad is rank and file TeaParTY

[AtomicKitten]

30. cringeworthy

This makes me really sad. It seems the road to equality extends on and on.

[Baitball Blogger]

38. On the contrary. It has to be exposed.

There are insular societies that are resistant to any kind of diversity exposure. Many of them are part of the status quo. Exposure is the only way to send the message that will reach every generation within that closed society.

[Baitball Blogger]

37. Happy Birthday!

[appalachiablue]

47. Why did the a-hole white family have the daughter put that part in the note? instead of just a

Last edited Wed Mar 18, 2015, 09:57 PM - Edit history (1)

'no' reply note/call which would have been awful enough. Hope the little girl had a wonderful celebration in spite of the ugly racism. I wonder if anyone sent her something special, after this article in the 'Grio' appeared. That is something I could contribute to, inconspicuously & if OK with the parents- to send good wishes, tell her how beautiful & loved she is. ANY IDEAS? I'd give anything to have a daughter like that, what a sweetie in the picture.

ETA: Update: Will try to contact 'The Grio' about this, a greeting for little Harmony Jones by email. (I don't have FB or TW).
?w=1280

[Skittles]

49. my guess is mum thought she was just expressing birthday wishes

[appalachiablue]

68. Probably the case I realize after re-reading the note. So not the ogre parents doing.

The girl got put into this, tried to explain, sent birthday wishes anyway (at age 10!) and both kids were hurt, and Harmony's family. Such an ugly, sad situation. Later I recalled this was similar to a childhood event that we were uninvited to; causes shame and mild contempt for some people, sorry to say.

[Skittles]

69. the girl spent some time on that note, using different colors

what she essentially said was that she wishes she could go and wanted her friend to know it was her parents who were being assholes

dreadful parents - racist dad and at the very least, a very spineless mother

[appalachiablue]

70. Yep real rotten, sad. The note is colorful & special meaning she cared as a normal kid would.

And too young to fully understand her foul parents, she's honest & innocent in her actions and feelings. Perhaps the girl will turn out different than them, it does happen. Here's hoping.

[nomorenomore08]

53. That is a good idea. She deserves an extra-special birthday after this. n/t

[betsuni]

55. Hello Kitty dress!

Necklace/tiara/ring set! I want to go to that birthday party...

[appalachiablue]

56. Thanks for cute ideas!

[JI7]

65. i was thinking the parents didn't know she put that in the letter.

[appalachiablue]

67. I figured the parents were involved but maybe not after looking closer at the note.

The article doesn't indicate whether it was the girl's or her parent's effort. At the top the note says Dad might not let me go..At the bottom right there's smthg. about 'my Mom' then the printing is cut off, ...and 'let me & happy birthday'. How sad, perhaps the girl wrote it to explain that her Mom might let her and to also wish Harmony Happy Birthday in case she couldn't attend. The entire issue is so rotten, ugly and sad it makes me ill, can't imagine how Harmony's family felt. (Later this reminded me of an issue from childhood when we were uninvited to a neighbors event).

[DeSwiss]

42. K&R

[Skittles]

48. the little girl sound decent

I hope she rises above her racist dad and her spineless mum

[tavernier]

51. So sad.

I came here from europe at four years of age after WWII and I was shunned as well. I "talked" funny, and my clothes were hand made.

It never really leaves you, that feeling of being "different".

We were the only foreigners in our community, so I had to learn quickly to adapt.

My situation was different, but I know this little one will always remember that sting of rejection.

Shame on the adults who did this to an innocent child.

[bluesbassman]

66. Breaks my heart.

If there is a Hell, I'm betting there's an especially nasty little corner of it for people who mess up children's minds like this.