I was taught a poem similar to this in my childhood where there were 5 monkeys. All lines were same with the number decreasing but I think mine was less harmful.
What I was taught:
Five little monkeys were jumping on the bed
One fell down and broke his head
Mumma called the doctor and doctor said
No more monkeys jumping on the bed.
And it continues until there's none.
History has been brutal on black race. I'm sorry for everyone who ever suffered such bigotry.
Americans still suffer from this superiority complex when it comes to other races like asian, brown and especially arabs. Look what they did to arab children of gaza. Slaughtered 15k of them because israeli sitting prime minister called them savages and human animals.
History is repeating itself in a different branding.
Yes, I was debating if I should include that one, but then I thought it would be too long. I usually write poetry here. But I decided I should post about this when I found out. The Native American version of the song came later. I might do that piece another time
Thank you for educating me Cas. This is so important when understanding generational wounds, traumas and mindsets rooted in the dehumanization of a people.
Thank you for this powerful reflection, it speaks with honesty and care. The history you’ve shared is painful, but necessary to face, and you’ve done so with grace.
Thank you for sharing this truth. It’s painful to realize how a “harmless” rhyme was rooted in dehumanization. Unlearning like this is hard but necessary because even when the words change, the harm lingers. Grateful for the reminder to remember and reckon.
Wow this was excruciating to read. The writing is incredible, well thought out and delivered. But what has happened to those people at the hands of colonialism, it's absolutely ghastly. Thank you for being brave enough to pull back the veil on this. To know, that's how some people think in this day and age is the saddest kind of disease. May they all be healed. May racism die out permanently.
It takes time and effort to undo something that was instilled in children and translated all the way to entire systems, redlining, job opportunities, etc.
Even now, it’s present in incarceration and the way the African Americans are targeted by police officers. Not to mention other races/ethnicities
First off, I highly appreciate your take on how this racial injustice is actually a product of colonialism. What makes me wonder is that how the minds that created such pieces could never see through social norms that was dehumanising an entire race. The colonial masters brainwashed 'their own people' in such a way into feeding bullshit about black people (similar, if not as inhuman, goes for other ethnicities in all the colonial parts of the world) through their false, and of course racist intellectual discourse that its influence even blinded even the most intelligent minds in the west for centuries. I read Joseph Conrad's The Heart of Darkness a few years ago. It was published in 1899, just checked. I don't know if you've read it, but it's a book full of racist elements, regardless of Conrad's very good literary craftsmanship. Many have tried to defend this book by saying it's written from an unreliable narrator's POV, but the great Nigerian author Chinua Achebe actually pointed out WHY Conrad's view on the Belgian colonialism in Congo was racist, and HOW RACIST IT WAS. Your writing is as brilliant as it is important, and I totally forgot to say this all the while nerding out on all this stuff. Really great work.
This is a powerful and necessary piece, Cassian. Thank you for posting it. It’s so important to be made aware of and reminded of history and its current echos. This was devastating to read and calls me to honour all those who were/ are dehumanised in this way. I don’t know what that will look like as yet, perhaps just a quiet moment and a candle.
Damn
I didn't know this.
I was taught a poem similar to this in my childhood where there were 5 monkeys. All lines were same with the number decreasing but I think mine was less harmful.
What I was taught:
Five little monkeys were jumping on the bed
One fell down and broke his head
Mumma called the doctor and doctor said
No more monkeys jumping on the bed.
And it continues until there's none.
History has been brutal on black race. I'm sorry for everyone who ever suffered such bigotry.
Americans still suffer from this superiority complex when it comes to other races like asian, brown and especially arabs. Look what they did to arab children of gaza. Slaughtered 15k of them because israeli sitting prime minister called them savages and human animals.
History is repeating itself in a different branding.
Yes, that’s the one that everyone learned. But the original one is this one and over time it got switched into monkeys which is still racist
Have you read, “And Then There Were None?” By Agatha Christie? This poem is in that text, except they change the n-word to Indians.
Yes, I was debating if I should include that one, but then I thought it would be too long. I usually write poetry here. But I decided I should post about this when I found out. The Native American version of the song came later. I might do that piece another time
For sure, that makes sense!
I appreciate you!
thanks
I'd say I’m still sorting out my urge to save the world. I can confidently say it’s Friday
Thank you for educating me Cas. This is so important when understanding generational wounds, traumas and mindsets rooted in the dehumanization of a people.
Thank you for reading Ruth. As a foreigner, I was hesitant to even post this
Thank you for trusting your gut!!!🙏🏾🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
🙏🙏🫶🫶
Wow I had no idea. Thank you for this. This is so important to talk about.
You are welcome Mariah! Thank you for sitting with this and reflect upon it
Thank you for this powerful reflection, it speaks with honesty and care. The history you’ve shared is painful, but necessary to face, and you’ve done so with grace.
Thanks Anne Marie! I did my best. It was a hard topic that I couldn’t even dress in a metaphor and stick into a poem as I usually do
Thank you for sharing this truth. It’s painful to realize how a “harmless” rhyme was rooted in dehumanization. Unlearning like this is hard but necessary because even when the words change, the harm lingers. Grateful for the reminder to remember and reckon.
Thank you Sae for taking the time to read and reflect! It is hard and it takes time, but it’s on us now
Wow this was excruciating to read. The writing is incredible, well thought out and delivered. But what has happened to those people at the hands of colonialism, it's absolutely ghastly. Thank you for being brave enough to pull back the veil on this. To know, that's how some people think in this day and age is the saddest kind of disease. May they all be healed. May racism die out permanently.
It takes time and effort to undo something that was instilled in children and translated all the way to entire systems, redlining, job opportunities, etc.
Even now, it’s present in incarceration and the way the African Americans are targeted by police officers. Not to mention other races/ethnicities
First off, I highly appreciate your take on how this racial injustice is actually a product of colonialism. What makes me wonder is that how the minds that created such pieces could never see through social norms that was dehumanising an entire race. The colonial masters brainwashed 'their own people' in such a way into feeding bullshit about black people (similar, if not as inhuman, goes for other ethnicities in all the colonial parts of the world) through their false, and of course racist intellectual discourse that its influence even blinded even the most intelligent minds in the west for centuries. I read Joseph Conrad's The Heart of Darkness a few years ago. It was published in 1899, just checked. I don't know if you've read it, but it's a book full of racist elements, regardless of Conrad's very good literary craftsmanship. Many have tried to defend this book by saying it's written from an unreliable narrator's POV, but the great Nigerian author Chinua Achebe actually pointed out WHY Conrad's view on the Belgian colonialism in Congo was racist, and HOW RACIST IT WAS. Your writing is as brilliant as it is important, and I totally forgot to say this all the while nerding out on all this stuff. Really great work.
I love the nerding out. Will certainly check some of these books out, later on. Thanks!
I honestly didn’t know this nursery rhyme originated from… this.
I didn’t know either…
Loved the research. I never knew! What am important topic to share.
Thanks Kayla. It took me by surprise. I just wanted to know the entire lyrics cause I have heard Americans singing it😂
Jesus! This is sickening. Thank God I never heard this. 💔
Yeah, the childhood lullaby is famous here... but I didn't know where it came from
This is a powerful and necessary piece, Cassian. Thank you for posting it. It’s so important to be made aware of and reminded of history and its current echos. This was devastating to read and calls me to honour all those who were/ are dehumanised in this way. I don’t know what that will look like as yet, perhaps just a quiet moment and a candle.