So in the greeting card section of a store in queens, the father's day section for 'Mahogany' (aimed at african american/black people, of course) contains the following card selections that do NOT appear in the regular lineup of cards
-For My Mother on Father's Day -Like a Father -For the Father of my Children
Similarly there are a more cards for 'love' than 'husband' wheras in the regular section, there are definitely a lot more 'husband' than 'love'
Also, a lot of the cards say 'you could have walked away, and not been a real father, but you chose to stay and be a man' or something similar, and these kinds of things do NOT appear in 'regular' father's day cards.
Do you think this is racist? I'm really not sure what to think of it, but it's weird tat those ONLY appear in a section aimed at black people. Maybe they're just trying to sell cards, and the demand for those cards is really with people of a certain race, but it kind of btoehrs me. I don't think they're trying to send a message, but the message it sort of sends is 'Black people have babies out of wedlock, it is rare for a black father to be there for his children.' If I were them, I'd at least put a few in the regular section so as not to look racist, but maybe that's just me spouting some leftist PC Bulshi--
What do you think?
I also kind fo always wondered, is it necessary to have a 'mahogany' section, what is so different about black/white culture? The Mahogany cards make a huge assumption about what black people will want to say in their cards. *shrug*
Anyway, just a topic for discussion, because I don't really know what to make of it
Janice
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Re: Do you think this is racist?
Good question. I don't know about racist as much as maybe a target audience. I voted they are just trying to sell cards. DH and I took a marketing class taught by a black women professor, and she was so happy that there was a mahogony section, and all her family supports it because they want it to stick around. I guess it is nice as well to recieve a card on your 5th b-day and have the pic of the child look like you as well.. DH always gets me mahogony cards for Christmas, as a joke because of the professor.
marymoon
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Re: Do you think this is racist?
I agree, I think aving cards with epople who look like you is HUGE, but it strikes me how different they are in their themes, etc. Mahogany cards tend to be more religious, for one thing. I don't think hvaing mahogany cards is at all racist I think it's good and more companies should try to cater to all different kinds of people, but it really struck me to see the differences in teh fahter's day cards
Janice
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Re: Do you think this is racist?
yeah I had no idea that they do that for father's day. I wonder how many of those original ones they sell
xjulietx
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Re: Do you think this is racist?
Maybe their marketing team does some statistical research and found that a greater number of African American fathers left the mothers of their children early on in comparison to Caucasian families.
I do know that there have a been quite a few African Amercian athletes, actors and musicians who publicly praise their mothers for being both mother and father to them.
It may seem racist, but there may be a reason.
marymoon
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Re: Do you think this is racist?
Posted by xjulietx
Maybe their marketing team does some statistical research and found that a greater number of African American fathers left the mothers of their children early on in comparison to Caucasian families.
I do know that there have a been quite a few African Amercian athletes, actors and musicians who publicly praise their mothers for being both mother and father to them.
It may seem racist, but there may be a reason.
Statistically, I think there is a higher incidence of that scenario among black families, but still... It just kind of struck me when I noticed it in the cards
sarahthegreat
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Re: Do you think this is racist?
i don't think its racist, there is obviously a need for it. for so long there were only cards for a mother or a father, not for a mother who is both or a father.
Goldi1021
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Re: Do you think this is racist?
I do not think it is racist.
I taught art in my school for two years. It is actually a school and psychiatric day treatment center in Brooklyn. My school services children from all 5 boroughs and many socio-economic backgrounds, but if I had to do a break down by ethnicity (to the best of my ability) I would say that about 70% were black and Hispanic and the other 30% were white and Asian.
When I had to order my supplies, I was told to accommodate every culture. I ordered multicultural construction paper, markers, crayons, paint, paper dolls etc. This was so that each student could accurately represent themselves through art. To me, that was fine. Since I grew up in a predominantly white and Asian area, it never dawned on me that black kids would draw their skin in another color. I learned something new. So having cards categorized by race makes perfect sense to me.
I also learned something else by teaching art in this school. I learned that when Mother's Day comes around, ALL the kids make cards and gifts to bring home. But when FATHER's day comes around, a huge portion of the kids couldn't make cards because a) they didn't know WHO their fathers were OR b) they didn't know WHERE their fathers were. It is a sad commentary, but nowadays FATHER'S Day has lost popularity because the fathers aren't around. That happens in every culture or race.
Hallmark is too huge of a company to be blatantly racist. I am sure Mahogany is its own division with its own artists and writers. Huge corporations have people in human resources to make sure that the company addresses the changing needs of the people they serve as well as their own employees. FH's sister does this for a major financial firm in NYC.
There is obviously a demand for these specialized and perhaps unconventional cards in the Mahogany section of Hallmark or they wouldn't be produced. But consider this, a child is a child and just because a father isn't present, that child should not be denied the opportunity to thank the person or persons who provided fatherly advice or guidance throughout their lives. This isn't about the fathers - it is about their children. Remember, anyone can drop their seed and be a father, but only a person with a heart can be a daddy.
Butterflybride
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Re: Do you think this is racist?
I guess I can understand it. Those cards must be in demand if they have them for sale, but it does strike me as a little odd.
marymoon
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Re: Do you think this is racist?
Leslie, thanks for the insight. i think there should eb cards that can help people thank whomever they want to/need to thank or apprecaite on this day. I'm really grateful they had a few 'love' cards for father's day that didn't specify being the father of my children, but just spoke about what he means to me (FH couldn't find one for me for mother's day, oddly enough). it just strikes me that the unconventional family ones were ONLY in this section. Just an interesting little comment on our society I guess.
beautyq115
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Re: Do you think this is racist?
I don't think its racist either...now there are cards for every occasion and every person under the sun.....I have seen categories that I have never seen before and I think its good that they are widening the categories
melissaandsean
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Re: Do you think this is racist?
hrm, I'm not sure, but I've always looked for a 'For My Mother on Father's Day' card!
marymoon
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Re: Do you think this is racist?
Posted by beautyq115
I don't think its racist either...now there are cards for every occasion and every person under the sun.....I have seen categories that I have never seen before and I think its good that they are widening the categories
I agree 100%. I don't think it's racist to have the categories at all, but I was more questioning the fact that they only appear in the 'mahogany' section.
But a previous poster is right, I'm sure they have totally separate design teams for both, so it wasn't a conscious decision, oh we ll have this for mahogany and not for regular..etc
