The Multiracial Activist
Press Release – 18 June 1999
MULTIRACIAL MEDIA ADVISORY – June 18, 1999 THE MULTIRACIAL ACTIVIST (TMA) SAYS “SEND THE RACIST BOONDOCKS COMIC STRIP BACK TO THE BOONDOCKS”
PO Box 8208, Alexandria, VA 22306-8208
https://www.multiracial.com/
E-mail: racial_politics@hotmail.com
Contact: James A. Landrith, Jr.
ALEXANDRIA, VA — The Boondocks, a comic strip run daily by newspapers nationwide, presents a militant, afrocentric view of America through the eyes of “Huey”, it’s chief character and protagonist. It also promotes an intolerant view of mixed-race ancestry and interracial marriage. Many installments of the strip, specifically those run on April 28, 29 and May 5, 6, 8, 11, 12, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29 are dedicated to “Huey” bashing another character “Jazmine” for choosing to identify as biracial as well as belittlement of interracial marriages. This type of message only breeds further intolerance and hatred. This is not comedic expression. It is bigotry disguised as a comic strip and leveled at an already oppressed segment of the population, biracial/multiracial children and adults as well as those monoracial individuals who choose to marry across color-lines.
Ms. A.D. Powell, a political activist and self-identifying white multiracial author and contributor to the INTERRACIAL VOICE web site had these words to describe “The Boondocks”:
“Aaron McGruder’s hate propaganda is especially harmful to children who see the bullying and harassment of the multiracial character, “Jazmine,” into a false “black” identity presented as a positive thing. Indeed, the message that “Jazmine” is too inferior to also claim her European ancestry but is a “confused cutie-pie” for white-hating black males appears to be the main theme of “The Boondocks.” McGruder has spent more time on this theme than any other. Adults should know that they have the legal, social and moral right to call themselves multiracial or even that “godlike” appellation “white.” Children, however, are vulnerable. They are the targets for McGruder’s “We’ll take you against your will” advocacy of “ethnic rape.”
The message of The Boondocks is clear, McGruder opposes biracial identity and interracial marriage and makes that plain through the constant bashing of the biracial character “Jazmine” by “Huey” and by belittling an interracial couple, her parents, in the strip. By naming Jazmine’s black father “Tom”, McGruder is essentially saying that he is an “Uncle Tom” for marrying a white woman, a point not lost on many in the biracial/multiracial/interracial community.
This is unacceptable. The Multiracial Activist urges all papers and magazines carrying “The Boondocks” to discontinue running the racist strip. In America, in 1999, there is no place for this kind of disgusting, public display of hatred disguised as artistic expression. The Multiracial Activist knows that our nation’s conscientious editors and publishers, when confronted with the truth about this racist comic strip, will do the right thing and reject Mr. McGruder’s unacceptable intolerance towards our community.
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The Multiracial Activist – An activist journal dedicated to the struggle for and preservation of civil rights for biracial and multiracial individuals, interracial couples/families and transracial adoptees.
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Copyright © 1999 The Multiracial Activist. All rights reserved.
Date: Sun, 20 Jun 1999 15:27:04 -0700
From: Frederick R. Logan
Subject: With Regards to the Boondocks
Hello my fellow interracials/multiracials/multiethnics,
Maybe it is just me, but I love the “boondocks”. I do believe that the comic strip pokes fun at both black people and people of direct “interracial” descent equally. It is just that so many people of interracial descent (as well as black people) can be so damn sensitive.
I have been called everything under the sun (an example: I have been called a Nigger and a Cracker on the same day) and gone through some serious !@#$!@ because of my “interracial” background. But I still laugh at it all. Yes, with all honesty, I have cried in the past and been angry because of being ridiculed for being different, but there comes a time when you just have to laugh at it all (especially at other peoples ignorance and fears).
The comic strip is making fun more-so of the younger urban hip-hop generation and those from the suburbs that want to emulate them. Yes, it does make fun of the poor-little interracial girls and her parents. So What? Because this person isn’t being more “sensitive” to the plight of interracial couples and their children, we should condemn the comic strip.
The bottom line is that the “Boondocks” makes fun of all the characters equally (especially the main character Huey). But some of us more “righteous” multiethnic/interracial brothers and sisters, have this proverbial bug up their ass and need to jump on any perceived slight to interracial people.
Give me a break.
Like I said, with all the things I have gone through (being both interracial and raised in a non-Christian house-hold) and all the things I have been called, I can still laugh at the Boondocks by the merits of it just being funny.
People need to be able to laugh at themselves and those like them.
This comic strip is very multifaceted. It is a comic strip and is supposed to be light and funny, but it does deal with other subjects that may not be overtly funny. An example is it showing the need for a man-child (the main-character: Huey) to have some guidance from a male role-model (his grandfather) and the subsequent interactions between them (and hueys brother). What happened to his parents in the strip, I have no idea. Unfortunately, this strip mirrors some semblance of reality in that there is a sizable number of black (and interracial) children that are being raised by their grandparents. Now, to repeat myself, I said a sizable number of black (and interracial) children, not all.
To be honest, I don’t care if you are interracial or black or whatever, you need to do as my little cousins tell me all the time: “you need to take a chill-pill”
Hey, if you cant’ laugh at such things, well why the hell are you alive???
Peace and Afro-Grease,
Frederick R. Logan
I’ve seen it. Its funny about 30% of the time. The multi-racial character Jazmine is portrayed as naive and silly. When it focuses on Huey and his family it is actually funny.
Mon, 21 Jun 1999 19:39:54 EDT
Date: Tue, 22 Jun 1999 17:25:04 -0400
From: Major Cox
Subject: The Multiracial Activist – Press Release on The Boondocks
Keep up the good work.
http://www.majorcox.com
Date: Sat, 26 Jun 1999 15:28:56 +0930
From: Funky J
Subject: Boondocks in “The Internet Anti-Fascist: Tues, 22 June 99”
This is the biggest load of shit.
The following shows me how out of touch most “Anti-racist” people are.
This comic IS funny, and it’s a PARODY. Do you know what that means?
Or you a bunch of self rightous bastards who believe that banning anything you don’t understand or like is the key to “Peace on Earth”.
Most people who view this comic don’t analyse it to death. they look at it, chuckle, and forget it.
To me, this shows the devide between CLASS, not race. It is obvious to me that Aaron McGruder comes from an underclassed background, and at the first sign of success you have to beat him down under the banner of “anti-racism”. His strong words and attitude offend your sensibilities, so you have to choose a political method to silence him.
Paul: this is the third time in a row I have been pissed off at something in your email. I’m sorry, but can you not email me anymore. The views you present are too misguided for me to continue to bother with it.
Yours Sincerely
Funky J
The Internet Anti-Fascist: Tuesday, 22 June 99
Vol. 3, Numbers 48 (#287)
______________________________________________________________________
SEND THE RACIST “BOONDOCKS” COMIC STRIP BACK TO THE BOONDOCKS
The Multi-Racial Activist (18 Jun 99)
_____
Too Weird to be Alive, Too Rare to Die
*F*U*N*K*Y*J*at*D*E*F*dash*C*O*N*dash*O*N*E*
ICQ # 8322116
http://www.def-con-one.com
Editor: I believe it was Nancy Reagan, who said it best, “Just Say No”.
Date: Wed, 30 Jun 1999 00:17:15 -0700
From: cbutler
Subject: Hush
I do not understand why people of mixed race worry and fuss over some slur made by some scared fool. First of all one must realize by now that the race problem in this world has not and will not ever go away. In the Second place a mixed race people came to be without a plan. That’s right God did it without the help of any of you crybaby activist.
The more you fight for rights or social acceptance the more resistance you will encounter.
So please relax and pick a race that best fits your skin color and let mother nature take its course. Then when the numbers are right we stand up and demand acceptance without needing the approval of any People or Government anywhere in the world.
Our race is mathematically unstoppable. And the only group that can slow us down is our own. So Please just blend in and be silent, It won’t be much longer.
I do understand the problems a biracial person must face and will always and forever be thankful for the trial and tribulation they have endured and for a short time longer must continue to endure. But their pain is not in vain. They are the bridge to a new race of people. I have four distinct bloods in me and consider myself unique and there for unharmed by the words of a fool. I am not multiracial I am a single race, a new creation of God. I am a QUADRAMORE.
Sincerely yours
Quadramore (Four or more races ends in love)
Date: Tue, 28 Sep 1999 15:51:18 PDT
From: “Felipe Simmons”
Subject: The Boondocks
To whom it may concern,
I have read the strip many times and it speaks the truth and if anyone is racist it is your organization and others like it beacause you are unwilling to address the issues that Mr. McGruder is raising for it is easy to play the race card when it suits your purpose instead of dealing with the fact that not everybody is in favor of people marrying across racial lines beacause how does intermarriage help to ease strained relations between black men and women or for that matter improve the status of the black family which is in crisis? and I think that you need to examine your racist attitudes before you engage in what I would call “BLACK BASHING” beacause a young black man has the guts to speak up and tell the truth. Signed Felipe L. Simmons f_simmons_902@hotmail.com
Editor’s Retort: Dear One-Dropper Fanatic/Black Supremacist-In-Training:
Thank you for your submission. As an interracially married man, I deal with the fact that not everyone is for interracial marriage on a daily basis. I have to protect my multiracial children daily from the likes of you who think that you have the right to intimidate and harm them emotionally or physically. Take
your racist babble elsewhere.
I’ve got real work to do like:
Challenging the racist admissions practices at Bob Jones University in Greenville, SC
https://www.multiracial.com/issues/issues-bobjonesuniversity.html
https://www.multiracial.com/news/pr990302.html
Exposing a plot to make multiracial people invisible on the Census which subsequently forced the Census Bureau to stop lying about their true intentions with regard to multiple responses to the race question.
https://www.multiracial.com/news/bloodpressure.html
Fighting for the jobs of two black sheriff’s deputies, one of whom is in NOI, an organization which opposes interracial marriage, much like yourself. The deputies were illegally fired by their racist white boss. I fought for them. They got their jobs back. I didn’t see you or McGruder anywhere around then.
https://www.multiracial.com/newsletter/specialalert11.html
https://www.multiracial.com/issues/issues-fairfaxcountydeputies.html
Exposing a white supremacist plot to target interracial couples – particularly black women for dates with white supremacists who probably would have harmed them physically or emotionally. Again, where was McGruder at?
https://www.multiracial.com/newsletters/specialalert13.html
and demanding the resignation of racist Senator Trent Lott which is more than McGruder has ever done to fight racism and intolerance.
https://www.multiracial.com/editors/lott.html
One-dropper racists like you usually fire off angry missives without doing your homework. Educate yourself before emailing me next time. I don’t have a lot of excess time to spend dealing with the ignorant.
Date: Sat, 2 Oct 1999 03:04:18 EDT
From: Mrwattsjr@aol.com
Subject: Leave the Boondocks alone
I like the Multiracial Activist. I love the hell out of the Boondocks. And I agree with Mr. Logan and Funky J. I understand why many multiracial activists take umbrage and see the Boondocks as an abusive tirade of “one-drop” rhetoric. But they forget that Huey is just as much the joke as the other characters are. For all of his militant scholarly posturing (and that of others like him) he himself hasn’t yet matured enough to think critically about race. He hasn’t learned that race is no longer simply a black and white issue. In all of the books he constantly reads, he hasn’t yet learned that the one-drop rule is an outmoded tool of oppression that was once used to keep mixed race children, sometimes and not always regardless of their phenotype, as property of the ruling class. It doesn’t enter his mind whether the one drop rule is really currently a practical mandate for Black racial solidarity. He can’t fathom it, and tragically other too-black-too-strong brothers and sisters can’t. My other point is this: critics, acknowledge Mc Gruder for starting the “Dialogue on Race” that Clinton never could. Get rid of the Boondocks, and interracial (particularly Black and White) couples still will be scapegoated by blacks for the problems in the black community. Get rid of the Boondocks, and suburban kids will still see blacks as athletes and entertainers. Get rid of the Boondocks, and the problems that the strip address will still be part of the fabric of American society. George Bernard Shaw once said that if you tell the truth, you must make people laugh, or they will kill you. At least look harder for the truth and the humor before you simply shoot the messenger.
Peace.
Editor: You say that getting rid of The Boondocks will still leave the problems in society that the strip addresses. No problems have been solved by the strip and it is very unlikely that any ever will be. The strip’s passing wouldn’t be a loss to civil rights in this country. Not even a little.
Date: Mon, 13 Dec 1999 01:21:35 -0800 (PST)
From: Odis Davenport Jr.
Subject: Letter to the Editor
I find the comics in the funny paper to be very funny. GET THE POINT!! This is a cartoon located inside the newspaper with other cartoons. If you want to get real, then read the front page. If that don’t help, get a LIFE.
Editor: How refreshing, some mature criticism for a change. I don’t think someone has told me to “get a life” since high school. Since you took time out of your life to chastise me, I’m guessing you don’t have one either?
Date: Thu, 18 May 2000 09:43:33 EDT
From: Danielle Allen
Subject: boondocks
Boondocks is not hate propaganda. It is a comic. It promotes blacks to consider their surroundings and then act on what they see. It portrays some blacks in their true form, and encourages children not to be naive. When you read the way Riley acts, you see how stupid the life he portrays truly is and Huey strongly rejects such a violent lifestyle. These children have an advantage. They see the world the way it is at an early age, and will learn they can not change it as they grow older. This will allow them to learn how to use the system to their advantage rather than being abused by it the way many of us are.
Wed, 24 May 2000 15:16:35 -0700 (PDT)
From: Bradley Bethel
Subject: Letter to the Editor
I’m an Advent fan of cartoons. I’ve seen “The Boondocks” in newspapers. I actually like it! It promotes the integrity of African-American culture in the United States. I think Aaron McGruder is bringing out a good message in the cartoon world the Black Community knows as much about comedy as white folk. But when you look at “Boondocks”, you might get the impression that it was inspired by “Peanuts”, one of the most unforgettable cartoon creations in the world. It has the chief focus on kids’ everyday living, and most messages only adults would understand. I’m especially proud of McGruder’s atrwork. Art as good as his makes most cartooning of today worth it. I hope someday, Aaron McGruder can live on as another important role model in the glory of making cartoons.
Date: Sunday, June 09, 2002 3:45 PM
From: Bradley Bethel
Subject: Letter to the Editor: What Happened to The Boondocks?!
I still read The Boondocks everyday. But I noticed that for the past year and one-half, the comic strip hasn’t been much the same as it was in its Genesis.
First, Aaron McGruder has foolishly downsized the total character protrayal in the comic strip. Why have we been seeing so much Huey & Ceasar, some of Riley & Granddad, and less of Jazmine & Cindy? The last we’ve seen Jazmine was in March, and the last we’ve seen Cindy was in April. But before that, both have been absent for months, only to “return” in occassional repeats.
Second, I’m very uncomfortable with the current storylines going on between Huey & Ceasar; they’re too repetitive. All they ever do is make verbal attacks on Black movies, US politics, and the goings-on in the Middle East. I mean, we’ve heard continuous plotlines from other comic strips (like from Peanuts, Snoopy’s portrayal as the Sopwith Camel, battling the Red Baron from WWI), but these Boondocks storylines have grown ridiculously tiring (I wish I had a quarter for each time McGruder made a wise-crack about G.W. Bush, Vivica Fox, or Eddie Griffin). Plus, it seems like Ceasar has no real personality if he’s ALWAYS around Huey, and helping him make endless complaints about entertainment, politics, etc. As pointed out in a recent comic entry, Huey really needs to lighten up a little.
Third, I noticed that The Boondocks website, ( http://www.boondocks.net ) hasn’t been updated in a long time. The last time it has was August 29, 2000! The only still-active part of the site is the guestbook, which is currently being used more as a message board than anything else.
Fourth, I’ve tried sending complaints to those responsible for The Boondocks, by both e-mail and snail mail. Unfortunately, I never got any feedback from my complaints.
How/why the hell did the editors at Universal Press Syndicate let McGruder do these things? Aaron McGruder had a great thing going when he began The Boondocks in April 1999, such as the moral conversations between Huey & Jazmine, and Riley actually TRYING to make mischief. But now it’s grown seriously boring and annoying. Ever since Ceasar was first introduced in April 2000, it had the potential to get better, but unfortunately went downhill from there; endless conversations with a VERY limited character portrayal, yet nothing truly arousing ever happens. We also have yet to see Hiro Otomo, and Oriental boy mentioned only on the main Boondocks website.
I believe that Aaron needs to get back in the swing of things; The Boondocks has only been in syndication for THREE years, and already, it’s losing its edge!
Date: Mon, 26 Jun 2000 11:33:33 -0700 (PDT)
From: H R seals
Subject: Letter to the Editor
look to call this man a racist is incorrect. Mc Gruder, Spike Lee do not have the power to be racist.why is it when a black man deciede to confront the real issues that pleques this counrty such as racism, right away you make him out to be somthing hes not.mc gruder doesn’t own the press nor did he push whites into low income housing, poor education,or keep whites unemployed, in prison or teach whites to hate themselves. No im sorry that desciption doesn’t fit him. what i will say it is possiable that he dislike white people alote but there is reason behind that, as opposed to that of some one in the klan that is just straight out ignorant. i dont hate white people but i dont think of them to highly .That is only because im only acting in self defence.If some one is coming at me in aggresive manner that intends to do harm then they better be ready to be met with that same aggresion. as far as the biracial child jazmine who sees that word as cotton candy that is real. There are alote of biracial children who want to be treated fairly but when you veiw their situation clearly like who they identifiy with ,they almost always chill with white folks.but see genetics dont lie.there are alote of non mixed children who wish they were white such as, dieing their hair blonde and so on.McGRuder cheacks brothers who think being a thug is something phat when its not, im sorry but boondocks is dah sh.. im an m.c. straight from brooklyn live in one of the roughest part toI first sent out that press release, McGruder has exposed time and again that he agrees with Huey’s viewpoints 90% of the time. He has attacked self-identification as trying to be white, exposing his true feelings on the subject in the process. I have attacked the strip on those grounds, I could care less about the strip otherwise, so you don’t need to try and sell me on it’s accuracies and benefits. McGruder had denied that his views and Huey’s were the same. He has since said otherwise. Also, if you have a problem with BET, Guiliani or anyone else, you should take it up with them, not me. I’m here fighting for the multiracial/interracial community. That’s more than enough work for me. Thank you.
Date: Thu, 20 Jul 2000 12:58:38 -0700 (PDT)
From: K. Jackson
Subject: Letter to the Editor
To the Editor:
I think that the Boondocks cartoon is neither funny nor interesting for that matter. If it were a white person writing this drivel we would call him a racist (like a lot of black activists do to whites who oppose them), but because it is a black cartoonist–he is a positive force for African Americans. NOT!!!
Trying to bring up a biracial child in a world divided by ignorance and hate only gets even more difficult with racist propanganda disguised as cultural entertainment. If this is not anti-interracial, fine, but I don’t care to hear whining from blacks when the issues and comics are pointed at them.
Thank You TMA, you are the best. Go Mocha Nation.
Date: Mon, 25 Sep 2000 13:59:11 -0700 (PDT)
From: Tim
Subject: Letter to the Editor
First of all I think yall hatin’ for real. Why you aint attackin situations like the dude that got hung by his own belt. Or why you aint discussin lil Elian Gonzales. Huh? It seem like every time a group of BLACK (yeah i said it, BLACK) somebody wanna attack them by analyzin what they doin or how they doin it to the point of CREATING a problem with it. I don’t see anyone on this site donating to the NAACP or the United Negro College Fund. So their, I thnk u need to get up off they nutz and let them do they thing. And yall the main ones who be hollering EQUALITY, and FREE SPEECH. Now post that!!!!!!!
Editor: Are you representative of the average Boondocks fan? Say it ain’t so…. On your home page at BlackPlanet, you mention that you are a Christian. On the same page you, the guy who wrote above about EQUALITY, call homosexuals “an abomination to the human race.” Don’t preach to me about EQUALITY if you are going to call others an “abomination”. What you are is a bigot and a hater pretending to be holier than thou.
Do Christians usually say, “So their, I thnk u need to get up off they nutz” and such? I think not, however you did. Also, under your “interests” in the left column of your page, you say: “I luv big booty girlz, who can shake it fast!!!!!!!” I don’t quite remember that sentiment taught anywhere in the Bible. I believe that comes from an entirely different source and calls into question your true beliefs and motives….
Date: Mon, 16 Oct 2000 18:13:34 -0700 (PDT)
From: will
Subject: Letter to the Editor
Being a person of color in America is more than just about your parents. It is about how people view you and I think that is worst part. The Jazmine is more about that than any thing. In the comic one of Jazmine’s friend says she’s not really black. In the comic the chactor Huey is hard on every one and that is the joke. He has the view’s of a man and the conviction of a boy at an age when most people only see “black and white”. Also, the one drop myth is has had lives, as a way for people who want a way to sale their own children by slaves they raped into slavery and to give dark skinned children of interracial marrage and black with with a small amount of white in their family a great sense of culture and belonging at a time when it was needed and(in some ways) stuck. I am not defending it I just saying that at it is the way most people I know view the world.
Date: Thu, 2 Nov 2000 22:46:07 -0800 (PST)
From: Sterfish
Subject: Letter to the Editor
I have recently picked up the first Boondocks book, “Because I Know You Don’t Read The Newspaper” which contains the strips mainly dealing with Jazmine and her family. I’m basing this only on the book since I don’t regularly read the strip.
I personally feel the strip is not nearly as offensive as what has been said. For one thing, Jazmine as a character is presented as sympathetic. Huey torments her throughout the comic not just about racial issues, but in other ways (for example, scaring Jazmine about the coming millennium right after Christmas). While Jazmine refuses to identify herself as one or the other, she is not really presented in a mean way. Jazmine is the idealized character of the strip. She doesn’t define herself by race, she seems happy with herself (and is only doubted when in contact with Huey) and keeps her stance despite constant attacks. Jazmine is a strong character who is quite literally Huey’s opposite.
As for her parents, Tom & (I don’t know the name of the mother), the thing with them is that McGruder is satirizing how we view interracial couples by twisting the traditional stereotype. What are the stereotypes of most interracial couples, particularly the black man/white woman couples? Black men always go for white women when they get big. They go with the most “tired” looking white women who are completely clueless and will never completely understand being Black. They sell out. White women lust for Black men and will grab one when they can. Etc, etc, etc. What did McGruder do? He took those sterotypes and twisted them to create people who don’t exactly fit the stereotype. Yes, the black man’s name is Tom but if McGruder is really trying to make him into a character people should dislike, why did he give him the last name of Dubois as in W.E.B. DuBois, a pioneering Black leader and writer? One could argue that he gave him that last name because one of DuBois’ writings was a short story that dealt with a black man who became “too white” but I’m not so sure. I think that Tom is supposed to represent blacks who suposedly don’t go far enough to stop injustices. Tom is a lawyer for the NAACP and tries to stop injustices but in Huey’s eyes he isn’t doing enough. The juxtaposition of the two characters is on purpose–Huey is too extreme and Tom is too passive. Huey wants to protest and be radical too much, Tom wants to use legal ways as opposed to some type of protest or “revolution” too much. McGruder wants people to make their own decisions about racial things. Tom is like Jazmine a foil for Huey, someone to provide an opposite viewpoint. Mrs. Dubois represents hope and positivity. She is what blacks would like whites to be like. She is sensitive to racial issues but at the same time understands her limits and tries to understand the situation of minorities. She wants her daughter to grow up and be like her–able to be racially conscious without having to have race as her main or defining identity (which is why she wants the school to never call Jazmine anything but “multiracial”). The relationship between Tom & Mrs. Dubois is one that is completely loving and idyllic. So while the stereotypes are in place (Tom says he dated only white women and Mrs. Dubois says she only dated black men), they are twisted to give dimension to the characters.
So where does this leave the comic as a whole? Okay, let’s first remember that every character in the Boondocks is an archetype or stereotype. Huey–the militant black revolutionary, Riley–the thug, the Grandfather–the black authority figure, Cindy–the ignorant white girl, Jazmine–the “confused” multiracial girl, The Duboises–the interracial couple. But most of them are twisted to give them dimension. Sure, Huey torments Jazmine but what do boys do to girls they like?? If Huey was really disgusted with Jazmine, he wouldn’t even associate with her. But there must be something Huey sees in Jazmine in order for him to associate, talk to, and yes torment her. Huey wants to make Jazmine more like himself but that refusal surprises him. Just like he is unwilling to let go of his left wing socialist beliefs, she is unwilling to let go of her beliefs. Their stubbornness makes them very alike and their beliefs make them so different. Huey must respect that or he wouldn’t talk to Jazmine as much as he does.
The Boondocks is all about opposites and extremes. The Freeman brothers move from a predominantly black neighborhood to a predominantly white neighborhood. Huey goes from a place that would have more readily accepted his beliefs to a place that is in vehement opposition of them. Huey is the “positive” brother and Riley is the “negative” brother. What McGruder really does is walk a fine line. With all these opposite view points, it is clear that what’s really the answer to them is to be somewhere in the middle. It’s great to have racial pride as Huey does but there is no need to overdo it or to be paranoid. It’s honorable to reject all racial classifications, but shouldn’t people learn to embrace and accept all that is part of them? It’s okay to be sympathetic to minorities, but when does sympathy stop and parody begin? And in the ultimate irony, McGruder deliberately swings all of this to one side. He tips the seesaw over to the more controversial, more acceptable to the black community side which isn’t seen often in comics to bring the issues the Boondocks brings up to the forefront. If he kept the balance in tact or swung it over to the other side he would have not gotten support from the black community nor would some people despise it. But by making the playing field a little unfair, he allows people to get different reactions to the comic and its issues. That was the same technique which made “All in The Family” such a well-loved and popular show with people as diverse as bigots and minorities. People will identify differently with the hero and take the comics at face value and will gather whatever enjoyment (if any) for whatever reason. I have read the newspaper comic strip on several occasions but reading and rereading the book brings out the intricacies. I’ll assume that no one will be changed by my long comments and will disagree with me til kingdom come, but discussion about the issues the comic touches on is what McGruder is really trying to do.
(note: I apologize for writing so long compared to all the other responses.)
Date: Sat, 11 Nov 2000 15:57:04 -0800 (PST)
From: Desiree
Subject: Letter to the Editor
I promise people have nothing better to do and they can’t let go of the race issue so they attack a comic strip. What is this world comming to?? I don’t know but you people need to get a life. I’m mixed with German (white) and Black and I don’t think that Jazmine is being portrayed unfairly at all. If any of you ever went to high school then you know that THIS IS HOW IT IS. Arron McGruder isn’t doing anything to Jazmine than what is really being done to bi-racial children across America. I agree that Huey shouldn’t tell her she’s black because she’s not, but he does try to get Jazmine to see that she is pretty and that there is nothing wrong with her. There was one printed where she was complaining about how puffy her hair was and he asked her about the clouds and she said she liked the clouds. He was trying to get her to see that her hair was beautiful just like the clouds. Huey tells Jazmine she’s black, and that is how African-American soceity views mixed people. I get told on a daily basis that I am just black. So you all should really find better things to fight about then comic strips beacuse I really like The Boondocks.
Editor: By sending this email you just joined the “fight” and are talking about “the race issue.” I assume that like all the posters that you take issue with, you must also be neglecting the “better things” you have to do. No, Jasmine is not being portrayed unfairly, if you believe, as McGruder does, that being “biracial” means that:
Date: Thu, 30 Nov 2000 17:25:05 -0800 (PST)
From: Adrienne
Subject: Letter to the Editor
I truly enjoy reading “The Boondocks”. To me, Mr McGruder is only showing through Huey what I heard so much growing up. I think every multiracial person in this country who is part Black has had someone try to convince them that they are just Black. Look at how much Tiger Woods gets ridiculed by the Black community. The comic strip is satire! He’s poking fun at our society and how ridiculous people can be, especially his little brother Escobar (he reminds me of so many young kids who look up to rappers and their so-called thug life). Sometimes Huey can say some really intelligent things and then the next minute he says something really ridiculous. Don’t you know plenty of people like this? I do! And the whole issue with Jazmine is so transparent….HE HAS A CRUSH ON HER! He’s only doing what boys that age do to girls they like….they tease them and try to make them feel dumb. Plus, as a so-called militant, Huey could never be caught dead with a woman who is not “Black”, so instead of accepting her they way she is, he is trying to convince her to be something that would fit his militant image. He’s in denial! He’s not as militant as he portrays to me, but doesn’t want to face that.
I’m sure I won’t change your mind, but I would ask that you look beyond the obvious and try to see that this strip is very complex and has many meanings. Any maybe Mr. McGruder may hold 90% of the views of Huey, but remember he also uses the other characters to poke fun at Huey’s radical stance. Have you ever thought that maybe, as he matures, he is beginning to realize that he may be wrong about a few things and uses the other characters in his strip to show that? McGruder is not an old man set in his ways. He’s still young and learning. Let’s not try and silence someone who has opened up dialogue among many about so many racial issues people try to ignore. :-)
Date: Tue, 19 Dec 2000 12:00:38 -0800 (PST)
From: Brian Fleury
Subject: Letter to the Editor
I enjoy reading the cartoon Boondocks daily. The characters are well done and the stories funny and thought provoking.
In today’s strip, Huey states that all he wants for Christmas is what he wants every year, reparations. Being in 21st century america I see that as a non-starter… it’s like 40 acres and a mule, it just ain’t gonna happen.
This, however, made me remember something I’d been thinking about in regards to this issue. I have heard or read somewhere that black veterans of WWII (the segregated military) were somehow excluded from the GI Bill passed by the congress (of *all* the people) after the war.
I have tried to confirm this in my spare time by searches on the internet or queries to friends that had relatives who fought in WWII, but have been unable to do so.
If this is true, this is an issue that could and should be argued as a way to restore some parity. The GI Bill created the enormous middle-class in the US, that same middle (and upper, in some cases) class that all americans should have a shot at attaining with hard work and determination.
We’re not talking about the decendents of long-dead ancestors receiving benefits based on the pain and injustice their ancestors received…but a far closer injustice. This is something that can be pointed to as having happened within a generation or two that *must* be addressed.
Just a thought… if anyone can confirm this I really think more people could be convinced that this is an h God, whatever you conceive him to be.
Keep it real, all.
Date: Sunday, June 03, 2001 2:46 AM
From: Naomi Rothwell
Subject: forwarded letter to Boondocks’ creator
The following is a letter I forwarded to the Boondocks comic strip creator.
Sincerely, Naomi Rothwell
Dear Aaron,
I was just wondering about your research before you created the character of Jazmine. Did you talk to mixed black/white children?
I’m not sure what it’s like either.
But as a mixed asian/white woman of 20, for years I was told I was a racially impossible person. And I hated myself for it. Recently I went to a mixed race conference in Boston and met girls like Jazmine – black/white – and they had a far tougher time than me.
One thing I have realized is that you DON’T have to be in one racial box. Even when you want to be. When Huey demands that Jazmine IS black – well, she can’t be, even if she tried.
Believe me, I used to try – but neither whites nor Asians will ever accept me. And finally, I’ve come to see that I am something else – not worse, not better.
Please, as the influencial voice that you are, don’t discourage that. It took me years to understand it: don’t tell little girls that they can’t be that.
Sincerely, Naomi Rothwell.
Date: Wednesday, June 20, 2001 5:18 PM
From: Rashad K. Yates
Subject: Letter to the Editor
IT IS AMAZING HOW MANY PEOPLE FAIL TO UNDERSTAND SATIRE. YOU ARE ALL MISSING OUT!
I AM WRITING TO ASK WHY IT IS THAT THE PERSON REPLYING TO THE POSTS SEEMS TO BE IN DENIAL THAT AMERICANS (MULTI-RACIAL INCLUDED) HAVE SERIOUS ISSUES WITH RACE IN GENERAL AND RARELY DISCUSS THEM.
ALSO, WHY IS IT THAT THE (MODERATOR?) ONLY REPLIES TO THE IGNORANT POSTS THAT SUPPORT HIS/ HER POINT. I SAW SEVERAL STRONG ARGUEMENTS IN VALID DISAGREEMENT THAT SEEM TO GO UNNOTICED. SEEMS ALARMINGLY LIKE A TACTIC. WHAT EVER HAPPENED TO OBJECTIVITY?
SHAD
Editor: It is amazing how you ignore the fact that McGruder has publicly stated that he believes “biracials” are “confused” and that those who identify as “biracial” are trying to be “white.” The Huey-Jazmine disputes are not satire, they are McGruder’s personal opinion manifested through Huey. There is a difference between satire, and hiding behind a comic in order to project your own “racialist” opinions. McGruder is disgusted with self-identifying “biracials” and has made that crystal clear. It’s amazing that you either willfully ignore that, agree with it or are in denial. No one “REPLYING TO THE POSTS” is in denial on this end. For you to say that shows confusion or willful deceit on your part, take your pick. There ARE problems with “race” in this country. A large part of America’s problems with “race” stem from the belief systems of the brainwashed masses who choose to believe in the ridiculous concept of static, biological “races”. McGruder buys into that belief system lock, stock and barrel.
PS: Sending your emails in all caps is a great way to get ignored. I decided to give you a second chance, despite your nonsensical decision to avoid proper capitalization.
Date: Friday, June 29, 2001 4:21 PM
From: JC James
Subject: Letter to the Editor
Dear editor,
I am an avid Boondocks supporter and reader. I really would love to know when and where it is written that Mr. McGruder was quoted as saying such disparaging things about biracial individuals, for I have never seen anything of the sort. Why are you are taking a satirical look at race so personally? Aaron McGruder is taking potshots at all facets of the human (esp. Black) psyche: the wannabe gangsta, the militant activist, the clueless white girl, the frightened “authority” figures, the grumpy old black man, etc, etc, and addressing real issues that affect us all. It’s unfortunate that you don’t realize that. Your bitter, defensive commentary reminds me of someone who was constantly badgered and harrased as a child, and has decided to voice all those angry resentful feelings as an adult. But alas, that’s just my opinion, and I know, I’m abandoning something constructive I should be doing, right? Maybe taking a step back along with a deep breath would help you to realize that it’s not *that* serious. An entertaing and often educational comic strip will not be the downfall of black society.
Jc James
Editor: I realize more than you think young lady. You sound like a “one-dropper” apologist or a clueless liberal, who hasn’t done their homework. You mention that this is not that “serious.” It was serious enough for you to comment on. To those of us who fought for the right to self-identify, against abusive civil rights groups like the NAACP who embrace the racist “one-drop” rule, this is extremely serious. To those who’ve been told all their lives that they cannot identify as “biracial” this is not a joke, no matter how much you may want it to be. Go back to the “constructive” things you have to do like talking about the “Back Street Boys” and “98 Degrees”…like you do here:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Naughty_98Deg_Tales
http://www.backstreet.net/fanreviews/data/991205-0850-01.html
Date: Fri, 17 Aug 2001 16:22:26 -0700 (PDT)
From: David Bishop
Subject: Letter to the Editor
To follow up on a question posed by “JC James”, do you have a specific quote by Mr. McGruder regarding his position on multi-ethnicity/one-drop/etc? A url would be fine. or a quote from a foreword or something.
Having just “discovered” this comic strip a couple days ago (I don’t get the paper), I’ve been reading through the archives on-line and was actually thinking that it was remarkable how adroit he was at dealing with Jazmine’s situation. Every time Huey goes off on another one of his tangent’s, or during the segment where the principal called to find out what race she was, the point seemed to be made that both Huey’s and the principal’s attitude was stupid. It seemed to be much more a satire on people’s “one-drop” belief’s than a supporter of it. However, as I started this by saying, I haven’t read the comic for very long, I’m only up to December 1999, and I have not read any interviews or statement’s by Mr. McGruder regarding his own beliefs. I would be *very* interested in direct quotes.
Thank you for a great website,
D.A.Bishop
P.S. I noticed in your last response to Damien Wint that you listed what type of people were responding. Just for the record I am a white Mormon from Idaho who found this page through a search engine. So please don’t think I speak on behalf of multinationals *anywhere*. *grin*
Editor: Below is one quote from an email McGruder sent to well-known multiracial leader Deb Smyre on 28 Jun 1999:
Aaron McGruder: “I’ll say it like this. Those biracial people who feel instantly insulted at the mere implication that they are, in fact, black people, will be insulted by the strip. They will be insulted because that is Huey’s opinion, and he will continue to speak it. I will not clown Huey because someone of African descent can’t stand being referred as black. I will not take a character who represents youth and innocence and make her a wisecracking cynic just so biracials with an anti-black political agenda can feel like they got the best of someone. Also, Huey doesn’t insult Jazmine. He states his beliefs bluntly, but he doesn’t degrade her (unless, of course, you are among those biracials that find being referred to as “black” degrading – if you are, than this strip isn’t the first time you’ve been offended and it won’t be the last).”
Below are a few quotes from an October 1999 presentation by McGruder entitled “What’s the Color of Funny” discussing “biracial” identity:
“African? American? Most American blacks have some white blood in them, but even if it’s 95%, they’re still regarded as black.”
“I wish people would not be so ashamed to be who they are.”
Prior to his forum completely crashing, McGruder posted in it himself. A few gems (not exact quotes, since his forum is no longer working) that come to mind, “those who identify as biracial are trying to be white”, “they’re trying to avoid their blackness” and other such garbage.
Date: Thu, 13 Sep 2001 19:50:47 -0700 (PDT)
From: RASHAD
Subject: Letter to the Editor
PERFECT! YOU HAVE QUOTED AARON MCGRUDER AND IN MY OPINION HAVE (SEEMINGLY TO ME) MISSED HIS POINT. I HAVEN’T THE SLIGHTEST CLUE AS TO HOW YOU READ AND POSTED THAT QUOTE, AND CANNOT RELAY IT WITHOUT CHANGING WHAT HE SAID. BOONDOCKS MIMICKS THE PEOPLE YOU (WE) HAVE A PROBLEM WITH.
Editor: You kidding me? With everything that happened this week, you’re still worried about a comic strip? God help us.
PS: You have a severe reading comprehension problem.
Date: Friday, February 08, 2002 8:59 PM
From: M. L. Calvin
Subject: Letter to the Editor
I feel compelled to write this because I think you’re missing the point of a few things McGruder is saying. From your quotes of McGruder’s quotes: “Those biracial people who feel instantly insulted at the mere implication that they are, in fact, black people, will be insulted by the strip. . .” The sad fact is that most multiracial [especially black/white mixes] people in the US are taken to be, especially by power-wielding whites, but not solely by them, black. Race is, of course, a social construct, and most whites construct non-white skin as black, even if their skin might more accurately be described as brown or some other shade. Regardless of how multiracial individuals view themselves, they continue to be regarded as black people by those who deny them loans, pull them over for DWB[driving while black], or shoot them when they reach for their identification. That said, I’m still not convinced that McGruder doesn’t have some whack beliefs.
Regardless of whether McGruder would actually subscribe to my interpretation of his words or not, I think his individual ideas matter less than the reception of The Boondocks. While an artist’s intention is a significant facet of any cartoon [or any art for that matter], the true key to its worth lies in its reception. The world of the Boondocks is diverse in terms of characters and viewpoints– this provides for a startling array of possible interpretations. Each character has his/her own ideas, faults and prejudices which their interactions expose. I have, at times, identified with Huey’s piercing criticisms or Jazmine’s dreamy idealism. We take from the Boondocks what we take from it. Comic strips are cultural materials for our consumption and individual interpretation. The fact that some Americans of nearly every [if not every] ethnic groups appreciate and find value in the comic is for me a strong indication that it is not patently racist. The very fact that there are almost no other comics which will even touch race makes me think that we need The Boondocks on the comics pages now more than ever. I mean, when was the last time you read a comic strip with as much intellectual force and ideological daring as McGruder’s has? And don’t even try telling me that “Garfield” is an assault on the excesses of capitalism.
PS- To all other respondents, please don’t follow David Bishop’s lead and list your race. For most of these responses, I guess the race of the writer is fairly evident, but one of the great things about the Net is we can all just be ideas. It’s one of the only forums like this, and I, for one, would like to keep it this way.
Date: Sunday, July 08, 2001 12:58 PM
From: Allinton Alexander
Subject: Letter to the Editor
I really like your boondocks cartoons and it is hard to find
boondock cartoons in color with out looking at the same thing.
could you all send me some rare ones in color.
Thanks
Allinton
Date: Wed, 18 Jul 2001 14:25:45 -0700 (PDT)
From: Tim
Subject: Letter to the Editor
Mr. Editor,
I just recently found this web page and enjoyed reading all of the different thoughts that people have on the subject of the Boondocks. I like anything that provokes an discussion about things that people don’t talk about much. My parents raised me a as black man and that is what I am. However, in my family we have american indians, hispanics, african, and white people. My parents have black skin and I have never had to go through different questions about what am I. I enjoy The Boondocks for what it is…one man’s view. I have quite a few multi-ethnic friends and family. We like each other’s differences it makes us unique. There are very few things that I take offense to, not because I’m dumb but, because other people’s opinion doesn’t matter to me that much. If someone wants to act ignorant then let them.
I really wish I had more room and time to discuss this with you but I must go. I enjoy your thoughts, I respect your thoughts, but I don’t have to always agree with them.
Thank you for you time,
Tim
Date: Tuesday, July 24, 2001 7:26 AM
From: Damien Wint
Subject: Letter to the Editor
I have recently found the boondocks comic strip and I enjoy it immensely. It is often funny and thought provoking at the same time, a rarity in the entertainment world nowadays. I thought your letter was also hilarious, but I’m sure you dont agree with that statement…As i was reading throught the posted respones, I was amazed by the large percentage of the responses that disagreed with your letter… Doesn’t this mean ANYTHING to you? Does it not strike you that many of your fellow multiracialists who have responded disagree with you? Are you arrogant enough to believe that you are right and almost EVERYONE else is wrong? A truly open minded person is willing to look at other viewpoints and learn from them, not stubbornly dismiss them…Think about it
Damien
Editor: Which letter are you talking about? The first one? That is not me. First off, don’t preach to me about open-minded-ness. As a “mixed-race” father of two in an “interracial” marriage, I understand plenty about that. Second, this little page of responses is hardly indicative of the general feeling of “multiracialists” (whatever that is). Thirdly, don’t assume that all the posters here are “multiracialists”, many are not. Many are “monoracials” who disagree with self-identification. Many are just teenagers who got upset that their favorite comic strip has been criticized. Most are people who found this website through a search engine and have never been anywhere else on this site and will leave as soon as they post a message. Word of advice, don’t assume that everything you read on the internet on one small, little trafficked page is representative of all of society. The issues discussed on this website (of over 350 pages), as opposed to this one webpage are extremely important to a large amount of people and more complex than many of the one-time visitors to this little page may realize or want to think about. They just get upset about The Boondocks being criticized, which is fine, but that’s not all there is to this issue. Try educating yourself on where people who disagree with you are coming from instead of insinuating they are not “open minded.” A truly open-minded person knows this.
Date: Wednesday, November 28, 2001 4:51 PM
From: Trina
Subject: Letter to the Editor
I’m young (16) and I enjoy the boondocks comics. I am multiracial in fact I am mixed with about 6 (african american, white, Native American, puerto rican, thai, and Italian) different races. Some people that are bi or multiracial can identify with Jazmine….. somewhat confused with how they feel about the way they are but it doesnt bother me I am human and when people ask me what I am, that’s what I say. I had problems at first because people around me didn’t understand me so I “thought” I didn’t understand my self. THink about this…. in my opinion the way there are so many bi and multiracial relationships In another 1,000 years the whole world will be the same race……. Well anyway I still like the boondocks and the different point of views that I can learn from it
Date: Tuesday, December 25, 2001 11:42 PM
From: Jeremy Freedman
Subject: The Boondocks
To whom it may concern,
I’ve only been recently acquainted with the “Boondocks” when it’s twisted but predictable hate America, anti-war message started getting under my skin. Basically, Magruder is an amoral, hypocritical racist hatemonger. He is like so many blacks who delight in intimidating and insulting whites and others then cries racism when he’s called on his trash. He admires rap trash like Public Enemy, but never acknowledges the racism, dishonesty and anti-Semitism of that supposedly progressive group. The reason is that he is an amoral bigoted thug like his rap heroes. His so called education is merely the softcore leftist trash of Sociology and Afro Studies.. Magruder hates any black unless they are a radical thug like himself, but he claims he represent blacks. Any black who tries to make in the old fashioned American way, honestly and by his own efforts, is automatically declared a non-black by this racist gatekeeper. So much for his claim that he represents racial dialogue, which really mean racist monologue. Sort of like Hitler, when the end was near, planned the destruction of his beloved German race because they didn’t live up to his standards.
I’m so glad someone else agrees with me. Why our local paper panders to this dirtbag is an example of white liberal guilt run amok. The kind of liberal guilt Lenin refered to with the phrase “Useful Fools”.
Jeremy Freedman
Date: Monday, May 27, 2002 11:45 PM
From: Garnetta Brou
Subject: Letter to the Editor
My response is simply this. Anyone who has ever seen Imatation of Life or Pinky knows that the “one drop myth” is all BUT a myth. It’s funny to me that McGruders “contempt for free choice in ‘racial’ indetification” is seen as such. As far as I’m concerned, McGruder feels contempt for the fact that there is no choice in racial indentification and he is exposing this societal flaw through satire. If you’re not 100% white, then you’re not white. No one person has a choice in the matter. You are what society says you are – period. When anyone looks at Tiger Woods, do they see a Coblinasian, or a Black man? They see a Black man. Huey’s suggestion that Jazmine fully accept her blackness and reject her whiteness is not rooted in contempt but reality.
Date: Wed, April 2, 2003 5:24 am
From: Janice Speth
Subject: Boondocks
Letter to the Editor:
I love the Boondocks. As a white person, I realize that I don’t “get” some of the humor but I think Aaron has an accurate grasp of the US political situation, which I really dig.
I wish, hope that he will address the chickenhawks & how many times they have donated blood for our servicemen.
Janice Speth
On Fri, 20 Feb 2004 09:03:37 -0500 “SHAHIYM MUHAMMAD”
wrote:
Re: https://www.multiracial.com/news/pr990618.html
Man, please do us all a favor, and SHUT THE FUCK UP.
BOONDOX has inspired numerous youth in urban environments to rethink their savage ways on both a personal and social level.
MCGRUDER is a GOD-SEND; he prompts us to enhance our mentalities, by using satire of our shame to promote self-awareness.
It’s interesting how, in calling yourself a “MULTI-CULTURAL ACITIVIST”
(such a ridiculous term), you would seek to villify somone who is about
uplifting his own race, by urging us to work on our faults.
Yours seems to be a mindstate that promotes that “CAN WE ALL JUST GET ALONG” mentality, while not promoting self-awareness.
How can I “get along” with others, if I cannot “get along” with myself??
You are obviously not BLACK……..And if you are, then you must be of the COLIN (CLEANSER) POWELL breed, that is blind to the problems that our people suffer from, while trying to appease the “MASSA”.
Take that garbage somewhere else.
I applaud MCGRUDER, for not only doing and thinking the unthinkable, but also becoming quite successful with it, and using his talent on a
multi-media level to reach the suffering minds of our youth, who, if left
to the devices of people such as you, would be even more MINDLESS ZOMBIES than they are now.
So thanx but no thanx.
HOTEP:
“SHAH”
http://cradle2thegrave.proboards25.com/index.cgi
From: James Landrith
To: “SHAHIYM MUHAMMAD”
Subject: Re: BOONDOX
Date: Fri, 20 Feb 2004 11:07 -0500
First off, the name of the website is The Multiracial Activist, not The Multicultural Activist. There is a gigantic difference between culture and race. Is that too damned hard to comprehend? Before attempting to
“school” others be sure you know what you’re reading. Your inability to grasp a minor detail like website’s name makes it hard to take your hyper-emotional response seriously. Calm down and look at the date that
press release was sent. I’ll give you a hint – it begins with 19 and ends with 98. So you disagree with me. And? The last time checked its 2004.
I don’t care.
___
James Landrith
AIM: jlnales * ICQ: 148600159
MSN: jlandrith * Yahoo!: jlandrith
Founder, Editor and Publisher,
http://jameslandrith.com
https://multiracial.com
https://multiracial.com/abolitionist/
From: SHAHIYM MUHAMMAD
Date: Sat 2/21/2004 9:54 AM
Subject: BOONDOX
“First off, the name of the website is The Multiracial Activist, not The Multicultural Activist. There is a gigantic difference between culture and race.”
Typo notwithstanding, my statement is no less appropriate, given the statements I made regarding MCGRUDER’s work.
Speaking of which:
“Is that too damned hard to comprehend?”
This is ironic, since it seems that YOU and your “MULTI-WHATEVER” organization does not “comprehend” the positive effects of MCGRUDER’s work, on his targeted audience. I bet you don’t even know who his targeted audience is, do you??
Speaking about “hard to comprehend”, you obviously fail to fathom that for BLACKS (especially in AMERIKKKA), our racial heritage and our culture (both ancient and modern) are intrinsically correlative to the point of almost being synonymous.
MCGRUDER speaks on issues that affect us physically, mentally, emotionally, socially, politically, economically, culturally, and even spiritually.
Now, before the POT calls the kettle BLACK (pun intended), please tell me, in all your “MULTI-whatever” work, what about this that you “comprehend”.
“Before attempting to “school” others be sure you know what you’re reading. Your inability to grasp a minor detail like website’s name makes it hard to take your hyper-emotional response seriously.”
LMAO……This sounds like a cop-out statement; one that’s meant to avoid all of the more pertinent points that I raised. Which, by the way, you did rather well.
And precisely how do you come to such a conclusion that my response was “HYPER-EMOTIONAL”?? Because I told you to “SHUT THE FUCK UP”??
Here’s a news flash: I tell people that several times per day, and not ONCE is there a shred of emotionality behind it.
Please do not think that you are any more (or less) special than that people who I KNOW that I say that to.
“Calm down and look at the date that press release was sent. I’ll give you a hint – it begins with 19 and ends with 98. So you disagree with me. And? The last time checked its 2004. I don’t care.”
Wow, so because your little press release was sent 6 years ago, the message therein is somehow diminished with the progression of time??
I didn’t see anywhere on your site, where you had recanted this sentiment (not that I looked very hard), so how would I (or anyone else who reads it) come to the ASS-umption that “you don’t care”??
Your site’s link still works, yes?? (obviously, because I’ve seen it)………Your e-mail address, which YOU supplied, as an invitation for responses, still works, yes?? (obviously, otherwise I wouldn’t be talking to you at present.)
So, precisely at what point am I (or anyone else, for that matter) supposed to know that you “don’t care” prior to contacting you??
Perhaps you should put “I DON’T CARE” somewhere on your site, and then see how many people who visit it, take your–how did you say??– “hyper-emotional response (or anything else on your site) seriously”.
HOTEP:
“SHAH”
I wonder if you grew up out of that “HOTEP” Egyptian cosplay shit. I doubt it. You were a clown in 2004. Definitely still a clown in 2021.
From PAULETTE BRANCH:
um ok lets a ll take a deep breath and say the following ……its only a comic its only a comic…. its only a comic…..if you feel that your worth is determined by an cartoonists views of how we relate to each other, black white mutiracial muticultural whatever…….then you need to seek help immediately! my identity is not tied up in a comic strip but by the morals and guidance of my parents and elders……..get real and get over it ………..sheesh
Editor’s Response: If it truly, really, double-dog isn’t a big deal to you, then why are you here chastising people? Hmmmm.
From I. Lee:
To A.D and anyone else who has a problem with A.M.:
Mr. McGruder is a far cry from being an idiot. In fact, the man could very well be considered a genious. His views and opinions of the United States and race is truley legitamate. I think both blacks and whites can find characteristics of themseleves in this comic. I am a black teenager and although the area I live in is diverse, the city and press, i must say is controlled by a certain group of people that would neither understand or approve of “Boondocks.” It just so happens that I was introduced to the comic by a friend of mine who is half white and half jamaican. She thinks the strip is hilarious. Just how I have my opinion about “Boondocks” and Powell does also, Mr. McGrudger has his opinion too. And just because he has the ability to distribute his opinion to a large audience is no reason to constantly bash him.
I. Lee
From OddRodd:
My beef is that: The cartoon after the censoring of the Reagon…
…..What’s more important, your wallet or the truth?………To me it’s obvious it’s your wallet! ( Whoever is responsible)……..Print the truth and stop being so afraid of Mike Powell. Stand up or let me believe that you are a hypoctite!
The best cartoon on the planet; Boondocks has disappointed me, big time!
ZjSheridan