Sparkling Wiggles

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CrFRbHMrurk

I chose this youtube video due to its graphic and inappropriate racist content. It makes my

skin crawl that any adult or parent would encourage a child to make such racial slurs without her

knowing what it is she is even saying.

This media relates to everything we have studied thus far in relation to racism. From Zinn to

Johnson, we have discussed the events in history that led up to racism and oppression that still,

obviously, is an issue today. The little girl is prompted by a man and a woman, presumably her

parents, to say "Sparkling Wiggles" which sounds nothing like that when she says it. Aside from

what "Sparkling Wiggles" sounds like when the little girl says it, the "parent's" tell her to say

"Get a job you Sparkling Wiggles!"
From he have read thus far, particularly Johnson's Chapter 3, we learn that the white man is

responsible for enslaving African Americans with the white man's capitalist dream. It made it

virtually impossible for anyone of any other race, other than white, to make any kind of income

that was substantial. This was even after slavery ended. White man had all ready established

himself as the elite and the most privileged with the most power. Thus, it's pretty much

condescending, in my opinion, to tell an African American to get a job when that's what they have

been trying to do all along. I just don't understand why people are so ignorant to this.

Lastly, the comments in response to the video are absolutely appalling as well. Not a single one

argued against the content of the video; at least not in any sort of educated way. That just goes

to show how ignorance regarding race is very much prevalent and a major issue, to this day. The

"parents" in the video are encouraging racism, even if inadvertently. That little girl will grow up

and more than likely, someday see that video. Hopefully, she does not pick up on her parents

racist antics and education guides her in the right direction. It doesn't seem that times are

changing as quickly as they should!

Sources:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CrFRbHMrurk. "Sparkling Wiggles."

Johnson, Alan G. "Chapter 3: Capitalism, Class, and the Matrix of Domination."Power, Privilege and Difference, 2nd edition.New York: McGraw Hill, 2006.41-53.

Zinn, Howard. "Chapter1: Columbus, the Indians, and Human Progress."A People's History of the United States:Teaching Edition. 3-22.