Anger, disappointment, shock, and dismayed is just some of what I was feeling when I heard that Roseanne Barr had uttered the statement “muslim brotherhood & planet of the apes had a baby=vj.” That deplorable statement immediately brought tears to my eyes as it called to mind some of my childhood trauma from when I was in elementary school. I had to pass the same housing complex every day and a group of male high schoolers, chose to bellow out the name “African Boogy Bush” followed by “would you like a banana?”, this occurring as I walked to school every day. 43 years later, I still see their faces as plain as day, I still hear their voices echo in my brain. There is no apology, nor any amount of money that erases the pain inflicted by any form of racism.
Don’t dress up racism in a colorful cartoon or in a comedy skit as it doesn’t change the cruelty or the severity of its impact on those its directed towards.
Racism is not a pastime. However, television in the 60s through the late 80s including the likes of Roseanne, Archie Bunker and the Jeffersons, made it seem like it was. Roseanne Barr has always been voicstrous and without care for the feelings of others when dishing out her verbal connotations. Personally, I never cared for her show as I couldn’t find comfort in the person she was. I felt emotionally violated by her carelessly destructive, verbal demeanor.
To all those in TV Land, please don’t ever again re-resurrect Roseanne as all that she, was will always be what she is today. History has proven that she is without change.
Ignorance is unbecoming of all those that wear it.
Somehow, Sorry Doesn’t Seem to Cut it When Racism Comes Into Play, Roseanne Barr!©
Copyright 2018
By Felina Silver Robinson
The Writings of Felina Silver Robinson 