![]() ![]() In fact, research has revealed that a number of our favorite nursery rhymes had lyrics that actually referenced slavery and were performed in minstrel shows. However, as helpful as nursery rhymes maybe, some have origins that are not as pure, particularly in relation to Black people. Some nursery rhymes, like “The Itsy Bitsy Spider” and “I’m a Little Teapot,” even incorporate hand signs and movements to help children develop or enhance their motor skills, all while having fun. The melodic poems have been seen as viable assets in the development of young minds, by introducing language skills and rhyme schemes that allow children to practice conversational and social skills.Įvery adult remembers at least a portion of a nursery rhyme that offered lifelong lessons and competencies. According to The New Shell Book of Firsts, though it’s unclear if they were actually called nursery rhymes at the time, the first reported collection of nursery rhymes were recorded as early as 1744 in Tom Thumb’s Songbook. Send e-mail to Her columns run Tuesdays and Saturdays.Families and educators have used nursery rhymes to soothe, teach and entertain children for centuries. Meanwhile, Judge Vratil and the two offended women are taking the American judicial system down another notch, away from reason toward a future defined by bureaucracy, the ultimate expression of which, we might note, is oppression and tyranny. For her lack of sensitivity, Lamb now faces a future tarnished by insinuations of racism. Lamb resigned in early February.Ĭlearly racial slurs are unacceptable, but is history also off limits? And by what logic should education ensure that students always be comfortable? Understanding and enlightenment, purportedly the goals of education, do not come pain-free, I've noticed.īut what matter? Present-day sensitivity trumps discomfort-causing reality. ![]() University officials have said that Lamb violated the school's policy requiring teachers to provide a "comfortable" environment for students. After some students walked out and the rest eventually dropped the course, the diagnosis was that Lamb's historical anecdote so offended students that they could not learn anything. People used to joke, she said, that the NAACP really stood for "Niggers Ain't Acting Like Colored People."įast forward, Lamb is no more. The example was indeed offensive and proffered in the spirit of demonstrating how things have changed since Lamb was a student in North Carolina in the '60s. ![]()
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