MEDIA ADVISORY – June 18, 1999
THE MULTIRACIAL ACTIVIST (TMA) SAYS “SEND THE RACIST BOONDOCKS COMIC STRIP BACK TO THE BOONDOCKS”
The Multiracial Activist
PO Box 8208, Alexandria, VA 22306-8208
http://www.multiracial.com/
E-mail: editor@multiracial.com
Contact: James A. Landrith, Jr.
ALEXANDRIA, VA — The Boondocks, a comic strip run daily by newspapers nationwide, presents a militant, afrocentric view of America through the eyes of “Huey”, it’s chief character and protagonist. It also promotes an intolerant view of mixed-race ancestry and interracial marriage. Many installments of the strip, specifically those run on April 28, 29 and May 5, 6, 8, 11, 12, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29 are dedicated to “Huey” bashing another character “Jazmine” for choosing to identify as biracial as well as belittlement of interracial marriages. This type of message only breeds further intolerance and hatred. This is not comedic expression. It is bigotry disguised as a comic strip and leveled at an already oppressed segment of the population, biracial/multiracial children and adults as well as those monoracial individuals who choose to marry across color-lines.
Ms. A.D. Powell, a political activist and self-identifying white multiracial author and contributor to the INTERRACIAL VOICE web site had these words to describe “The Boondocks”:
“Aaron McGruder’s hate propaganda is especially harmful to children who see the bullying and harassment of the multiracial character, “Jazmine,” into a false “black” identity presented as a positive thing. Indeed, the message that “Jazmine” is too inferior to also claim her European ancestry but is a “confused cutie-pie” for white-hating black males appears to be the main theme of “The Boondocks.” McGruder has spent more time on this theme than any other. Adults should know that they have the legal, social and moral right to call themselves multiracial or even that “godlike” appellation “white.” Children, however, are vulnerable. They are the targets for McGruder’s “We’ll take you against your will” advocacy of “ethnic rape.”
The message of The Boondocks is clear, McGruder opposes biracial identity and interracial marriage and makes that plain through the constant bashing of the biracial character “Jazmine” by “Huey” and by belittling an interracial couple, her parents, in the strip. By naming Jazmine’s black father “Tom”, McGruder is essentially saying that he is an “Uncle Tom” for marrying a white woman, a point not lost on many in the biracial/multiracial/interracial community.
This is unacceptable. The Multiracial Activist urges all papers and magazines carrying “The Boondocks” to discontinue running the racist strip. In America, in 1999, there is no place for this kind of disgusting, public display of hatred disguised as artistic expression.
The Multiracial Activist knows that our nation’s conscientious editors and publishers, when confronted with the truth about this racist comic strip, will do the right thing and reject Mr. McGruder’s unacceptable intolerance towards our community.
Relevant Links:
This press release: http://www.multiracial.com/news/pr990618.html
The Boondocks: http://www.boondocks.net
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