We learned that another one of our traditions is racist. According to a professor, “Jingle Bells” is rooted in racism:
A Boston University theater professor claims the Christmas carol has a “problematic history” because it was originally performed to make fun of African Americans.“The legacy of ‘Jingle Bells’ is one where its blackface and racist origins have been subtly and systematically removed from its history,” Kyna Hamill, a BU theater historian, wrote in her “Theatre Survey” research paper on the story of “Jingle Bells.”“Although ‘One Horse Open Sleigh,’ for most of its singers and listeners, may have eluded its racialized past and taken its place in the seemingly unproblematic romanticization of a normal ‘white’ Christmas, attention to the circumstances of its performance history enables reflection on its problematic role in the construction of blackness and whiteness in the United States,” she wrote.
Wow – who knew that? Or better, who really cares to know that? Or even better, don’t these professors have courses to teach or finals to grade? What would lead a person to go down this path of finding racist origins in a Christmas song? It’s time for the alumni to have a chat with the school president and demand that sanity return to the faculty.
We have now reached a point where accusing someone of racism is meaningless. It has become a joke! I remember when it meant something. Today, “racism” means that you oppose sanctuary cities, oppose President Obama’s executive orders, or call for reforms in the public schools run by the teacher unions that support Democrats. To say the least, it is also an opportunity for a college professor to get an invitation to MSNBC!
What am I going to do with that old L.P. of Smokey Robinson & Miracles singing “Jingle Bells“? I wonder if anyone told Smokey he was promoting “whiteness” by singing that tune!
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