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Confederate Flag at Flandreau Wacipi; Rasta Monkey at Mitchell Parade

DIsmayed readers send me signs of racism at East River festivities this weekend.

Marine veteran Lynn Hart spotted a camper next door flying the traitor Confederate flag during the Flandreau Wacipi Saturday. (I’d embed the video, but Hart got a little worked up and used some cuss words.)

Lynn Hart, Facebook video screen cap, 2017.07.16.
Lynn Hart, Facebook video screen cap, 2017.07.16.

Hart, who is a little bit darker than I am and who has voiced concerns about public displays of the traitor flag elsewhere in South Dakota, took his concerns to Flandreau Santee Sioux tribal chairman Tony Reider. Hart suggests that Chairman Reider asked that “such symbolism of negativity” not be flown over tribal lands (and in his relief and to mine, Hart drops no f-bombs in this video:

Meanwhile, at the Stampede Rodeo parade in Mitchell Saturday, a visitor spotted the Rasta Monkey on the float from Mike’s Gun Repair:

Mike's Gun Repair, Facebook photo, 2017.07.15.
Mike’s Gun Repair, Facebook photo, 2017.07.15.

Lest I invite an angels-dancing-on-the-head-of-a-pin argument about whether we are allowed to show animals enjoying reggae or doing other people things, there’s a long and ugly history of associating blacks with monkeys which goes back to Europe’s first encounters with Africa and which has scientifically demonstrated implications for ongoing racial discrimination.

4 Comments

  1. Paul H 2017-07-17 20:11

    I believe that same camper and flag were at the Huron State BBQ Contest in July – not one of the participants – but a camper three rows over from the contest

  2. Ms.Jackson 2017-07-19 06:27

    I am 1000 percent positive that these boys (Mike Gun Repair) are not racist. Let me point out a few things that might be a little obvious why;

    1. I am his woman, who is half black

    2. We have a daughter together, which would then be black.

    *Not everyone thinks that putting a stuff toy monkey (that’s our daughters) is racial. We should be way past that anyway.

  3. mike from iowa 2017-07-19 09:13

    Is the person on the back of the boat pointing a gun at the crowd? Stuffed monkeys can be either a subtle or blatant show of racism. Not everyone reacts the same. In this instance I would be more concerned about having someone point a gun in my direction.

  4. Corie Jo jackson 2017-07-19 10:38

    It is a fake gun as well. Haha.

Comments are closed.