tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893219718076521675.post8385745136546068952..comments2024-03-28T07:58:41.643-04:00Comments on pancocojams: Is The Caribbean Game Song "Brown Girl In The Ring" Racist?Azizi Powellhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14963772326145910073noreply@blogger.comBlogger14125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893219718076521675.post-50429502339109393292023-04-18T11:38:15.241-04:002023-04-18T11:38:15.241-04:00If I understand your comment correctly, you are sa...If I understand your comment correctly, you are saying that a person is really an idiot to consider whether "Brown Girl In The Ring" is or isn't racist.<br /><br />I disagree with that statement. Given "Brown Girl In The Ring" 's color referent, I can understand why some people might wonder if this singing game is racist.<br /><br />I don't believe its lyrics in and of themselves are racist, but the singing game can be played with racist intent/s and/or racist result/s. Azizi Powellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14963772326145910073noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893219718076521675.post-73195585554046828742023-04-18T08:26:51.610-04:002023-04-18T08:26:51.610-04:00Simply the fact that anyone thinking of if its rac...Simply the fact that anyone thinking of if its racist or not is a deep-idiotism!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893219718076521675.post-58145702241730518142023-01-13T14:00:59.427-05:002023-01-13T14:00:59.427-05:00I want to acknowledge that my conclusion about whe...I want to acknowledge that my conclusion about whether the game song "There's A Brown Girl In The Ring" is racist is vastly different in my 2023 post on this subject than it was in my original 2017 post on this subject. <br /><br />The content of that 2023 post is basically the same as the current 2017 post. Here's the link to that 2023 post <a href="https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2023/01/revisiting-questions-about-whether.html" rel="nofollow">https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2023/01/revisiting-questions-about-whether.html</a>.<br /><br />I didn't save any of the old versions of this post because I want to make sure that the content of this post is read rather than what I've come to see is the incomplete and faulty post that I had written and revised between 2017 and now.<br /><br />I don't promise that there won't be other additions to this post. If so, I will date them in the post itself.<br /><br />Thanks again to all those that read these pancocojams posts.Azizi Powellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14963772326145910073noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893219718076521675.post-11513226272049970732023-01-11T22:30:57.517-05:002023-01-11T22:30:57.517-05:00i Just came across this statement about the song &...i Just came across this statement about the song "Brown Girl in the Ring" in this Wikipedia page <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colorism_in_the_Caribbean#Jamaica" rel="nofollow">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colorism_in_the_Caribbean#Jamaica</a> <br />"Colorism in Jamaica was perpetuated through social and cultural institutions such as music, social games, sports, and school [28] For example, in one particular school-yard game, Jamaican children have been heard chanting "Brown girl in the ring." According to Dr. Petra Robinson, in her dissertation, the game promotes a preference for 'brown skin girls' over dark-skinned ones.[28] ....<br />-end of quote-<br />"There's A Black Boy In The Ring" singing game is included in a 1904 collection entitled "Jamaican Song and Story: Annancy stories, digging sings, ring tunes, and dancing tunes" by Walter Jekyll. A digital version of this book can be found at https://www.gutenberg.org/files/35410/35410-h/35410-h.htm#Page_207. [This singing game is actually on page 208]<br /><br />I don't know when or why the color referent in this song changed from "black" to "brown". However, I'm not sure that children singing this song consciously or unconsciously are promoting brown skin color over darker [black] skin color.Azizi Powellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14963772326145910073noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893219718076521675.post-42460231337125628582022-03-23T14:33:33.250-04:002022-03-23T14:33:33.250-04:00Thanks for your comment, Anonymous.
In my opinion...Thanks for your comment, Anonymous.<br /><br />In my opinion, "Brown Girl In A Ring" game song was originally performed only by brown people as a way of helping to instill self-esteem and group esteem. As such it is "racial" and not "racist" in that it doesn't promote one race over another.<br /><br />"Brown Girl In The Ring" becomes problematic when it is performed by integrated groups of children and the "Brown girls" are singled out for attention-either good or bad.Azizi Powellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14963772326145910073noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893219718076521675.post-9060408659251409302022-03-23T11:52:33.591-04:002022-03-23T11:52:33.591-04:00I grew up listening to the Raffi album that had th...I grew up listening to the Raffi album that had this song. I always thought it was "Brown Girl in the Rain" and imagined it a descriptive song about a child playing in the rain "tra-la-la-la-la" (I imagined her splashing in the puddles). I have a daughter now and played the Raffi album and googled to see if the song was racist. It does seem to be told from the perspective of a viewer of the girl focusing to some degree on her appearance ("brown" and "she looks like a sugar in a plum") which is a little voyer-y, but the beat is so childlike and joyful. I was surprised to find it's actually "Brown Girl in the Ring." The historical/social context makes more sense. Definitely different from my original interpretation of a celebratory song about playing in the rain.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893219718076521675.post-70464648841113548342022-02-12T15:32:40.023-05:002022-02-12T15:32:40.023-05:00tweetycontrabajo, Thanks for your comment.
The si...tweetycontrabajo, Thanks for your comment.<br /><br />The singing game "Brown Girl In The Ring" predates Lord Invader [13 December 1914 – 15 October 1961]. <br /><br />"There's A Black Boy In The Ring" singing game is included in a 1904 collection entitled "Jamaican Song and Story: Annancy stories, digging sings, ring tunes, and dancing tunes" by Walter Jekyll. A digital version of this book can be found at <a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/files/35410/35410-h/35410-h.htm#Page_207" rel="nofollow">https://www.gutenberg.org/files/35410/35410-h/35410-h.htm#Page_207</a>. [This singing game is actually on page 208]<br /><br />Best wishes!Azizi Powellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14963772326145910073noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893219718076521675.post-83003449615907444302022-02-12T07:24:43.247-05:002022-02-12T07:24:43.247-05:00The Song origin es propably from Trinidad, not Jam...The Song origin es propably from Trinidad, not Jamaica, since Lord Invader was from Trinidad.tweetycontrabajohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03723955130742155617noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893219718076521675.post-4130711288734767902021-12-20T09:56:55.353-05:002021-12-20T09:56:55.353-05:00chawchee, my apologies for failing to return your ...chawchee, my apologies for failing to return your comment in a timely fashion. I'm just reading it on Dec. 20, 2021.<br /><br />You're welcome and thanks for your comment.<br /><br />Best wishes to you and your daughter, and keep on keeping on!Azizi Powellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14963772326145910073noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893219718076521675.post-84744981774779459222021-04-27T07:31:57.026-04:002021-04-27T07:31:57.026-04:00I am a cuban woman, 30 years old, I first heard th...I am a cuban woman, 30 years old, I first heard this song by Boney M when I was about 15 when I discovered my love for reggae music and I just wanted to thank you for this article. I stumbled across it while showing this song to my daughter. Very good read, thanks again Azizi.chawcheehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03215538896154150187noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893219718076521675.post-72861935446506806392020-05-31T10:09:48.192-04:002020-05-31T10:09:48.192-04:00Thanks for your comment, Luis Angel Cabrero Blanza...Thanks for your comment, Luis Angel Cabrero Blanzar.<br /><br />I agree with you that it is sad to think that people could consider "Brown Girl In The Ring" racist. Unfortunately, too many people think that it's racist to even mention race, even if it is mentioned as a way to build self-esteem and group esteem to help counteract racism.Azizi Powellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14963772326145910073noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893219718076521675.post-77109945310471514702020-05-31T02:06:19.721-04:002020-05-31T02:06:19.721-04:00Hi, I am mexican and I really love this song, I re...Hi, I am mexican and I really love this song, I read all your post and it is very interesting. I don´t think this is a racist song at all but make me feel sad that currently new generations of kids could become to think this is racist. Luis Angel Cabrero Balanzarhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05778452611511202627noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893219718076521675.post-42692434230049592672017-04-20T07:48:00.309-04:002017-04-20T07:48:00.309-04:00I appreciate your comment, Tommy Jhon.I appreciate your comment, Tommy Jhon.Azizi Powellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14963772326145910073noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5893219718076521675.post-2211000213912777682017-04-20T04:53:50.492-04:002017-04-20T04:53:50.492-04:00niceniceAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12688282764343727897noreply@blogger.com