Stop singing these racist minstrel songs to your children.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote: She also claims that "young Black males are up to 13 times more likely to die from homicide than non-Hispanic White males" is a data point that bolsters her argument. White people are not doing that killing. Bad arguments will not help the cause and just make people ignore and dismiss you.

F U, racist twot.

[Anonymous]

Inny minny miny moe, let's see what we can get offended by today.

We can't be workin' on the railroad all the live long day, but we can bleep bleep your bleep bleep bleep with hip hop songs? One gets canceled, the other doesn't?

Heaven help us.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It startles me to read the comments and realize that when many people have commented about the possible impact of the songs and lyrics on “kids”, they either don’t know or don’t care that some of the young kids listening and singing and in some cases working for a grade in music class will be black. It really does matter - at least to some of us.

Umm, the lyrics are not racist as they are now. What is your point?

[Anonymous]

Who in the hell still sings these songs? I'm 51 and haven't sung them since I was in elementary school. I'm not even familiar with some of them. Jesus. Just let them go.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:As a school music teacher, I would say there IS musical value to these songs (e.g. "Oh, Susanna," "I've been working on the railroad,"), which is why they have lasted. I could go into the technical reasons such as the easy voice range, the step-wise melodies, and the appealing syncopations that encourage body movement and dance. These are musical qualities that appeal to children and encourage them to sing. The sentiments in all of them (as we sing them today) have nothing to do with race or demeaning anyone. Most are about work or play or love and are easy for young children to sing, understand, memorize and perform for themselves or others. In fact, I think the reason why the lyrics were changed was due to the musical value of the tunes. You will find outdated verses and lines in the great songs of Stephen Foster and others, but these are part of the songbook of American and influenced many composers that followed them.

YES. the history of the songs is worth knowing and researching,but that's something you teach at a developmentally appropriate time. But I do not think it's worth expunging these songs from early childhood learning because of a misguided fear that a child will become racist.

If a genre of music emerged during or following the holocaust that served as antisemitic entertainment, would it be sufficient to simply change the lyrics? Would we teach the songs to our children with cute new lyrics? Would we tell Jewish people to chill out and accept the antisemetic songs for their "other" values?

With all of your defending a Islamic cultural center in the area of 9/11 where bodies fell, I think Jews have more to worry about than a song.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It startles me to read the comments and realize that when many people have commented about the possible impact of the songs and lyrics on “kids”, they either don’t know or don’t care that some of the young kids listening and singing and in some cases working for a grade in music class will be black. It really does matter - at least to some of us.

Umm, the lyrics are not racist as they are now. What is your point?

My point is that kids encounter these “traditional” songs in instructional settings. Several have pointed out that kids hearing such songs won’t immediately become racist or be harmed by hearing the songs. My point is that children of color may, indeed, be harmed. What someone listens to for fun is on them. What someone has to listen to for school or music lessons or choir is an issue that I have concerns about.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If OP is white, boy I'd be ticked off if I were black, for focusing on something so stupid and minute.

If OP is black, again, you're going to turn people away from the important stuff by picking apart something 99% of any color people have no idea is even a thing.

There’s an epic rant on the internet of a black woman yelling at woke white women blocking traffic protesting for BLM. She’s all “I want to get my kids home” They respond “we’re doing this for YOU” Boy does she tell them off. It’s EPIC

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It startles me to read the comments and realize that when many people have commented about the possible impact of the songs and lyrics on “kids”, they either don’t know or don’t care that some of the young kids listening and singing and in some cases working for a grade in music class will be black. It really does matter - at least to some of us.

Umm, the lyrics are not racist as they are now. What is your point?

My point is that kids encounter these “traditional” songs in instructional settings. Several have pointed out that kids hearing such songs won’t immediately become racist or be harmed by hearing the songs. My point is that children of color may, indeed, be harmed. What someone listens to for fun is on them. What someone has to listen to for school or music lessons or choir is an issue that I have concerns about.

How. How will black kids be harmed by hearing the sanitized versions of these songs?

Hell, have Rhiannon Giddens re-write all the lyrics. Reclaim that music! (Whoever posted that link to her: great link! That was a wonderful song.)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If OP is white, boy I'd be ticked off if I were black, for focusing on something so stupid and minute.

If OP is black, again, you're going to turn people away from the important stuff by picking apart something 99% of any color people have no idea is even a thing.

There’s an epic rant on the internet of a black woman yelling at woke white women blocking traffic protesting for BLM. She’s all “I want to get my kids home” They respond “we’re doing this for YOU” Boy does she tell them off. It’s EPIC

And you love it, because in your mind, black lives don’t matter. I bet you like to listen to Candace Owens “tell it like it is”, too.

[Anonymous]

There are a billion other songs to sing besides these.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If we are talking about music and serious movements to change society for the better, then I wonder whatever happened to "MeToo"?

What about RECENT songs and artists still getting royalties. That means, they are still making money off! Where is the ongoing outrage over this?

"Slut, you think I won't choke no whore / Til the vocal cords don't work in her throat no more?!" - Eminem

"Bitches ain't sh*t but hoes and tricks / Lick on these nuts and suck the d*ck." - Snoop Dogg

"My little sister's birthday / She'll remember me / For a gift I had ten of my boys take her virginity." - Bizarre

Are you claiming rap music should be cancelled?

Rap music is horrible to women, but artists can create music they want, and it’s up to consumers to listen or not. Same goes for folksy songs that you may deem racist.

Eminem's mysogenistic and violent lyrics can, and should be called out.

We can't let him continue to profit off this vile bigotry

Eminem is one of tens of thousands of rappers. He's far from the most prominent and successful of rappers, and his lyrics aren't even the most vile. Why are you singling him out?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It startles me to read the comments and realize that when many people have commented about the possible impact of the songs and lyrics on “kids”, they either don’t know or don’t care that some of the young kids listening and singing and in some cases working for a grade in music class will be black. It really does matter - at least to some of us.

Umm, the lyrics are not racist as they are now. What is your point?

My point is that kids encounter these “traditional” songs in instructional settings. Several have pointed out that kids hearing such songs won’t immediately become racist or be harmed by hearing the songs. My point is that children of color may, indeed, be harmed. What someone listens to for fun is on them. What someone has to listen to for school or music lessons or choir is an issue that I have concerns about.

Please identify a child of color who was harmed by "I've Been Working on the Railroad." Until this thread I had no idea the simple children's song I sang with my mom as a 2 year old had a minstrel root. Since minstrel shows haven't been around for like 50 years, you literally have to be a researcher of the obscure to find this connection. And this harms children of color and we need to protect them from this? Not failing schools and crime-ridden neighborhoods, but a nursery school song that has no mention of race?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If we are talking about music and serious movements to change society for the better, then I wonder whatever happened to "MeToo"?

What about RECENT songs and artists still getting royalties. That means, they are still making money off! Where is the ongoing outrage over this?

"Slut, you think I won't choke no whore / Til the vocal cords don't work in her throat no more?!" - Eminem

"Bitches ain't sh*t but hoes and tricks / Lick on these nuts and suck the d*ck." - Snoop Dogg

"My little sister's birthday / She'll remember me / For a gift I had ten of my boys take her virginity." - Bizarre

Are you claiming rap music should be cancelled?

Rap music is horrible to women, but artists can create music they want, and it’s up to consumers to listen or not. Same goes for folksy songs that you may deem racist.

Eminem's mysogenistic and violent lyrics can, and should be called out.

We can't let him continue to profit off this vile bigotry

Eminem is one of tens of thousands of rappers. He's far from the most prominent and successful of rappers, and his lyrics aren't even the most vile. Why are you singling him out?

DP and a fan of eminem but you know he was the top selling artist of the 2010s right? Which makes him literally the most prominent and successful music artist- not just rapper- of the previous decade. Lolz that he's just some guy on the radio.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If we are talking about music and serious movements to change society for the better, then I wonder whatever happened to "MeToo"?

What about RECENT songs and artists still getting royalties. That means, they are still making money off! Where is the ongoing outrage over this?

"Slut, you think I won't choke no whore / Til the vocal cords don't work in her throat no more?!" - Eminem

"Bitches ain't sh*t but hoes and tricks / Lick on these nuts and suck the d*ck." - Snoop Dogg

"My little sister's birthday / She'll remember me / For a gift I had ten of my boys take her virginity." - Bizarre

Are you claiming rap music should be cancelled?

Rap music is horrible to women, but artists can create music they want, and it’s up to consumers to listen or not. Same goes for folksy songs that you may deem racist.

Eminem's mysogenistic and violent lyrics can, and should be called out.

We can't let him continue to profit off this vile bigotry

Eminem is one of tens of thousands of rappers. He's far from the most prominent and successful of rappers, and his lyrics aren't even the most vile. Why are you singling him out?

DP and a fan of eminem but you know he was the top selling artist of the 2010s right? Which makes him literally the most prominent and successful music artist- not just rapper- of the previous decade. Lolz that he's just some guy on the radio.

It's 2020 now. 2010 is a long time ago

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If we are talking about music and serious movements to change society for the better, then I wonder whatever happened to "MeToo"?

What about RECENT songs and artists still getting royalties. That means, they are still making money off! Where is the ongoing outrage over this?

"Slut, you think I won't choke no whore / Til the vocal cords don't work in her throat no more?!" - Eminem

"Bitches ain't sh*t but hoes and tricks / Lick on these nuts and suck the d*ck." - Snoop Dogg

"My little sister's birthday / She'll remember me / For a gift I had ten of my boys take her virginity." - Bizarre

Are you claiming rap music should be cancelled?

Rap music is horrible to women, but artists can create music they want, and it’s up to consumers to listen or not. Same goes for folksy songs that you may deem racist.

Eminem's mysogenistic and violent lyrics can, and should be called out.

We can't let him continue to profit off this vile bigotry

Eminem is one of tens of thousands of rappers. He's far from the most prominent and successful of rappers, and his lyrics aren't even the most vile. Why are you singling him out?

DP and a fan of eminem but you know he was the top selling artist of the 2010s right? Which makes him literally the most prominent and successful music artist- not just rapper- of the previous decade. Lolz that he's just some guy on the radio.

It's 2020 now. 2010 is a long time ago

The 2010s was a year ago. He was the highest selling music artist of the entire last decade. It's okay to admit that he is the most prominent and successful rapper.