Be Inspired with Raquel: Is it racism or ignorance?
I have misspoken many times. Some of my faux pas spilled out into the airwaves on live television. I apologized, but I still took heat for it. I took on the criticism of people who pretended to be more perfect than I. I took on the ridicule from people who held me to a higher standard because of my position and thought I should be "smarter" because I was on TV. I got a lot of backlash from people who couldn't understand how I could make such a mistake.
While some of the complaints came from kind-hearted people who simply wanted to bring my attention to the error, the majority of people were relentless in calling me names and questioning my character. All because I used a word incorrectly or said the wrong thing at the wrong time.
Seemingly, no one took into account the many cultural differences between my hometown and the big city of Dallas, Texas. I had a lot to learn, and I was bound to make mistakes.
I've mispronounced words. I've said words that I later discovered were offensive to some nationalities. I in no way wanted to cause harm or inflict pain on anyone. I just didn't know any better ... at that time. Call it ignorance, but don't call is racism.
I understand some of the hot water the newswoman Kristi Capel is in this week after she said the word jigaboo on Cleveland's Fox affiliate, WJW.
The 31-year old was discussing an Oscar performance by Lady Gaga and Capel said to her co-anchor, "It's hard to really hear her voice with all the jigaboo music that she (makes), whatever you want to call it." Capel chuckled, "Jigaboo." She said, "She has a gorgeous voice, I never knew."
Moments later a firestorm began brewing. Crushing judgments, foul name-calling and pure hatred started rolling off the tongues of people disgusted by Capel's remark. The debate was trending on social media as folks ranted and called the 31-year old a racist and coined her comment a racial slur. Others started a petition demanding she be fired.
Capel quickly jumped to action responding on her Twitter page, "I apologize if I offended you, I had no idea it was a word or what it meant. Thank you for watching." She also apologized the next day on-air and issued a written apology to the New York Daily News.
I think that's enough. But it wasn't enough for those who cast judgment.
On the third day of this ordeal, Fox 8 decided to take Capel off the morning show for three days. Some of her colleagues came to her aid. News anchor Wayne Dawson, a black ordained minister who was sitting next to her when the remark was made, told reporters he didn't believe Capel meant to hurt anyone through the remark.
I agree with Dawson.
A slip of the tongue doesn't make you a racist. I understand that the origin of the word jigaboo is a contemptuous term used to refer to a black person. It dates back to the early 1900s. Personally, I haven't heard anyone use the word since my college days, and even then, I heard it in a movie.
Our society is packed with uptight who people jump to conclusions without knowing the full story or knowing the individual at the center of attention. Capel may not have known the root of the word or maybe, just maybe she's out of touch, but none of that makes this woman a racist.
Dealing with my own missteps, I learned to get over it and keep moving and I hope Capel will do the same.
I think we can move on now and perhaps put our focus on finding a cure for cancer and poverty. Maybe all of those salacious tweets and Facebook posts could now go toward the series of be-headings happening to innocent people. Surely people can find more to complain about than a news anchors lose lips.
Let's move on!
I have misspoken many times. Some of my faux pas spilled out into the airwaves on live television. I apologized, but I still took heat for it. I took on the criticism of people who pretended to be more perfect than I. I took on the ridicule from people who held me to a higher standard because of my position and thought I should be "smarter" because I was on TV. I got a lot of backlash from people who couldn't understand how I could make such a mistake.
While some of the complaints came from kind-hearted people who simply wanted to bring my attention to the error, the majority of people were relentless in calling me names and questioning my character. All because I used a word incorrectly or said the wrong thing at the wrong time.
Seemingly, no one took into account the many cultural differences between my hometown and the big city of Dallas, Texas. I had a lot to learn, and I was bound to make mistakes.
I've mispronounced words. I've said words that I later discovered were offensive to some nationalities. I in no way wanted to cause harm or inflict pain on anyone. I just didn't know any better ... at that time. Call it ignorance, but don't call is racism.
I understand some of the hot water the newswoman Kristi Capel is in this week after she said the word jigaboo on Cleveland's Fox affiliate, WJW.
The 31-year old was discussing an Oscar performance by Lady Gaga and Capel said to her co-anchor, "It's hard to really hear her voice with all the jigaboo music that she (makes), whatever you want to call it." Capel chuckled, "Jigaboo." She said, "She has a gorgeous voice, I never knew."
Moments later a firestorm began brewing. Crushing judgments, foul name-calling and pure hatred started rolling off the tongues of people disgusted by Capel's remark. The debate was trending on social media as folks ranted and called the 31-year old a racist and coined her comment a racial slur. Others started a petition demanding she be fired.
Capel quickly jumped to action responding on her Twitter page, "I apologize if I offended you, I had no idea it was a word or what it meant. Thank you for watching." She also apologized the next day on-air and issued a written apology to the New York Daily News.
I think that's enough. But it wasn't enough for those who cast judgment.
On the third day of this ordeal, Fox 8 decided to take Capel off the morning show for three days. Some of her colleagues came to her aid. News anchor Wayne Dawson, a black ordained minister who was sitting next to her when the remark was made, told reporters he didn't believe Capel meant to hurt anyone through the remark.
I agree with Dawson.
A slip of the tongue doesn't make you a racist. I understand that the origin of the word jigaboo is a contemptuous term used to refer to a black person. It dates back to the early 1900s. Personally, I haven't heard anyone use the word since my college days, and even then, I heard it in a movie.
Our society is packed with uptight who people jump to conclusions without knowing the full story or knowing the individual at the center of attention. Capel may not have known the root of the word or maybe, just maybe she's out of touch, but none of that makes this woman a racist.
Dealing with my own missteps, I learned to get over it and keep moving and I hope Capel will do the same.
I think we can move on now and perhaps put our focus on finding a cure for cancer and poverty. Maybe all of those salacious tweets and Facebook posts could now go toward the series of be-headings happening to innocent people. Surely people can find more to complain about than a news anchors lose lips.
Let's move on!
