Ellington

WARNING! WARNING!
The Right, Reverend, Brother, PHD, DD, JD, M.O.U.S.E., Dr. Peanut of the George Washington Carver Holistic Health Commission of Tuskeegee, Ala., has issued an Anegrophobia mental health epidemic for this city and other cities nationwide.

What is Anegrophobia? What is its origin? What are the symptoms?

Anegrophobia is the fear of African-Americans. It is a fear-based mentality/behavior that began circa 1700 when slave owners worried about their human chattel (African-American slaves) becoming unruly. These fearful slave owners enacted a system of slave codes to regulate the behavior of the oppressed slave class.

Early anegrophobia manifested in the mass media form of Propaganda-Negrophobia. Hollywood cinema contributed to the evolution of modern-day Anegrophobia with the film classic "Birth of A Nation."

Also, the Civil Rights Movement and additional amendments to the Constitution attempted to suppress anegrophobia. Nevertheless, cases of anegrophobia continue to rise during the affirmative action era.

Remember: Anegrophobia affects everyone, even African-Americans. So be
aware of the symptoms of anegrophobia:

1. Clutching your purse or wallet in the presence of an African-American male.
2. Suspecting a casually dressed African-American Male (especially if he is running) is about to start trouble.
3. Leaving a social gathering when three or more African-Americans are present.
If you or someone you know has any of these symptoms, call the George Washington Carver Holistic Health Commission of Tuskeegee Ala. Reconciliation and Crisis Help Line at 1-800-I'm Sorry.
Ken Stiggers is a television producer in Jackson.

Previous Comments

ID

68478

Comment

This - which may or may not be an attempt at humor - is seriously unfunny.

Author

Fielding

Date

2003-10-13T12:36:18-06:00

ID

68479

Comment

Either way, it's a valuable commentary on a certanly nonfictitious phenomenon in America. It's also missing a few criteria: 4. Assuming all African American women are promiscuous sexual predators. 5. Assuming all African American men are promiscuous sexual predators. 6. Assuming that any group of assembled African American teenagers is a gang gathering.

Author

Nia

Date

2003-10-13T12:55:31-06:00

ID

68480

Comment

Fielding, this is humor, which I think you recognize. Also, I'd be more likely to take your posts in other areas more seriously if you didn't post mean, pointless comments like this.

Author

Kate

Date

2003-10-13T16:28:16-06:00

ID

68481

Comment

I thought it was humorous but didn't want to say so in case I'd misinterpreted the writer's intention (Finally, I get a joke!). It hadn't occurrred to me that it might not be humorous until I read Fielding's post. Fielding, why were you offended?

Author

Nia

Date

2003-10-13T17:02:37-06:00

ID

68482

Comment

Stiggers is an African-American satirist here who isn't afraid to make people uncomfortable along the way to making the points he wants to make. His pieces are usually more laugh-out-loud funny; you'll see that in the next one. When he turned this one in, he characterized it as "very dry satire." I think it's quite powerful.

Author

ladd

Date

2003-10-13T17:18:59-06:00

ID

68483

Comment

I certainly didn't intend for my comment to interpeted as mean - I just don't think it was funny - at all. By the way, my sincere apologies if it was taken that way.

Author

Fielding

Date

2003-10-13T18:08:36-06:00