Date: Tue, 16 Apr 1996 22:06:49 +0100 (BST)
From: Chaya Bhuvaneswar <chaya.bhuvaneswar@balliol.oxford.ac.uk>
To: revs@csf.colorado.edu
Subject: Re: Racist Imagery in Academia: What's in a Name (fwd)


---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Tue, 16 Apr 1996 21:56:36 +0100 (BST)
From: Chaya Bhuvaneswar <ball0063@sable.ox.ac.uk>
To: Rodney Coates <coatesrd@casmail.muohio.edu>
Subject: Re: Racist Imagery in Academia: What's in a Name



Dear Rodney Coates:

Kudos to you for sending this letter. It's clear in many contexts that when 
people say a 
name isn't important enough to think about, what they mean is that they'd 
just prefer not to think about it because of the ugly meanings -- ugly 
aspects of their own language and history -- that it denotes. Denial.

Let's hear it for confrontation as a form of therapy for those who deny 
the existence of racism in language -- and therapy for those want to heal 
the scars. 

Chaya Bhuvaneswar
Student (American)
University of Oxford
Oxford, England



On Tue, 16 Apr 1996, Rodney Coates wrote:

> Editor
> Miami Student
> Miami University
> Oxford, Ohio 45056
> 
> 
> April 15, 1996
> 
> 
> To the Editor of the Miami Student:
> 
> Your most recent publication suggested that Prof. Peter Rose was beating a dead 
> horse with his repeated and current attempt to change the name of the Miami 
> Mascot.  Perhaps you're right, but is it.  I was taught it is evil to call that 
> which is bad good, and for us to continue in this facade is more than shameful.  
> Consider the definition of Redskin found in the American heritage Dictionary 
> (1995, pg. 114). Redskin (Offensive slur) Used to demean or vulgarize one of 
> Native American descent.  But in your article you further suggested that we have 
> more important things to do, but I ask What's In a Name to you.
> 
> 	What's In a Name
> 		Rodney D. Coates/96
> 
> 
> Got more fish to fry, more important issues to settle
> Redskin, redskin...we are the mighty, mighty redskins.
> How many injuns you speck we got here now -maybe 2 or 3.
> We love our Lil redskin boys and girls, skinning and grinning
> Chief "Grin A Lot" looks good on our hats- gotta study now.
> 
> Redskin, redskin ...we be might, mighty proud that we be redskin.
> Honor them, bring out Chief"Grin A Lot"..let's see him dance
> Play it again Sam, grin some more O Chief "Grin A Lot"
> Cause we be the mighty, mighty - redskins.
> 
> Sacred burial place of a noble people 
> Far beneath this educational temple.
> The trail of blood and tears marks their way
> As we drove them out on that forgotten day.
> 
> Scalped them, killed them, and buried them alive.
> No one cared, just savages then -Redskins now.
> Mascot, ignoble present, disdains a glorious present.
> Can we talk, you know talk about diversity.
> 
> Politically correct, liberal bastards would destroy
> Our temple built upon these mounds. Condemn the ignorant
> they know not, we be the mighty, mighty redskins now.
>  No scalps, no bounty, no prize too big - redskins forever the chant.
> 
> But what of the pain, the guilt, the sorrow caused
> No one listens, the tree falls without a sound.
> Chief "Grin A lot" sho can sell some hats
> Keep your comments locked in a vat.
> 
> 	I doubt if you will find space to print this, and of course I will 
> understand.  There is so much of importance which I'm sure will take precedence in 
> your publication.
> 
> 
> In sorrow,
> 
> 
> 
> Rodney D. Coates
> Director of Black World Studies
> Associate Professor of Sociology
> 
> 
> 
>