Click on the cartoon to see it bigger.
Panel one: Two women are talking, one white, one black. The white woman looks annoyed, the black woman looks nervous.
WHITE WOMAN: so then HE said i was being RACIST! that’s CRAZY, right?
BLACK WOMAN: um… do you realize you’ve done this before?Panel two
WW: Done what?
BW: Ask me to reassure you you’re not a racist.Panel three: Close-up on the black woman, mockingly imitating a jubilant doctor.
BW: when i was BORN, the doctor didn’t say “oh, it’s a healthy BLACK baby! god willing, she’ll grow up to reassure WHITE people!”Panel four: Close-up on the black woman, now with an openly angry expression.
BW: my PARENTS didn’t say “if we raise her JUST right, then SOMEDAY she’ll make WHITE people feel BETTER about themselves!”Panel five
BW: do you UNDERSTAND what I’m telling you?
WW: I think I do.Panel six
WW: just one thing… you’re not suggesting that I’ve been RACIST, right?Tiny inset panel at bottom of panel six
BW: Do you even hear the words I say?
WW: The ones I like.
I laughed at this cartoon.
That doesn’t make me racist, does it?
Love it!
Soooo good! Especially appreciated the inset and the WW’s response! Pitch perfect.
Um… I get it. It’s a good point and all. It’s just not as funny as your other cartoons.
Thanks, folks. (And Robin, sorry you didn’t like this one. Maybe you’ll like the next one better. :-) )
There’s also discussion of this strip (or at least, of the issues it brings up) over at Stuff White People Like.
I think the six panels exist just to support the insert. Amp should sell the insert on t-shirts.
Although I love Panel 3. I can just hear those words ringing in my head: “Ooooh, it’s a healthy black baby! God willin’…!”
That said, I’d like to see some different body language from the black women in Panel 6. She shouldn’t be leaning forward to the white woman; she should at least be “taken aback.” Maybe rolling her eyes? Pinching the bridge of her nose in frustration?
I still have the Sock Puppet cartoon on my fridge. Amp’s so good with body language, I hate to waste any opportunity to show it.
“I think the six panels exist just to support the insert. Amp should sell the insert on t-shirts. “
This. You could call it, ‘A Short History of Women of Color in Women’s Studies Classes.’
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I thought it was hilarious. And yes, the insert is the best.
I love Panel 3. I can just hear those words ringing in my head: “Ooooh, it’s a healthy black baby! God willin’…!”
Her expression reminds me very much of Ronald-Ann from Bloom County.