uppity

JTroyer "My, but aren't you getting uppity an' all?" The Shack by WM Paul Oct 1, 2010

chained_bear You're right, of course. I'd rather publicly call the man stupid than a blatant racist, but as you said... He knew what he was saying.

I forgot about the term dog-whistle. Thanks for reminding me. I'm sure it will come in handy in the coming weeks. (Sadly.) Sep 7, 2008

skipvia "Uppity" is a code word in the same vein as states' rights and family values. Westmoreland knew exactly what he was saying and exactly who he was saying it to. A dog-whistle if there ever was one. Sep 7, 2008

chained_bear Ohhh... so maybe he really is that ignorant. *facepalm*

Thanks for the info, lampbane.
Sep 7, 2008

lampbane As Stephen Colbert pointed out last night, this is the same Congressman who pushed to have the Ten Commandments displayed in state courthouses and even in the House and Senate, but when asked by Colbert to list the Commandments (on the Better Know a District segment), he could name only three. Sep 7, 2008

chained_bear Referring back to skipvia's comments below... If a Georgia congressman raised in the segregated South truly has no idea of the racist connotation of using the word "uppity" in reference to African Americans... I can't really imagine that he didn't know, or he'd be too ignorant to be holding office.

But then, looking at his record (as reported in the same article), it's hard to believe he really "meant no offense." ("...last year ... he led opposition to renewing the 1965 Voting Rights Act. He also was one of two House members last year who opposed giving the Justice Department more money to crack unsolved civil rights killings.") Great work, congressman. Sep 7, 2008

lampbane Georgia GOP congressman calls Obamas `uppity' (AP/September 5, 2008)

Democrats are calling on a Republican congressman from Georgia to apologize for referring to Barack and Michelle Obama as "uppity," but the lawmaker stood by his comments and said he meant no offense.

Speaking to reporters Thursday, Rep. Lynn Westmoreland of Grantville, Ga., described the Obamas as members of an "elitist-class ... that thinks that they're uppity," according to The Hill, a Capitol Hill newspaper.

Asked to clarify whether he intended to use the word, he said, "Yeah, uppity."

In a statement Friday, Westmoreland — a white man who was born in 1950 and raised in the segregated South — said he didn't know that "uppity" was commonly used as a derogatory term for blacks seeking equal treatment. Instead, he referred to the dictionary definition of the word as describing someone who is haughty, snobbish or has inflated self-esteem. Sep 6, 2008

skipvia Growing up in the South during the 50s and 60s was a unique cultural experience, yarb. We had separate "white" and "colored" store entrances, drinking fountains, theaters, and waiting areas--all clearly marked as such. Jul 18, 2008

yarb Int'restin'. I wouldn't have connected this word with race at all. I remember as a kid, there was a Mr Man called Mr Uppity. Jul 17, 2008

skipvia An illiterate and somewhat vitriolic blog post I read today, in which the author calls Jesse Jackson an "uppity busybody," reminded me that I have rarely heard this word when it didn't apply specifically to African-Americans. Growing up in the US south, I was taught that there were two kinds of African-Americans--uppity ones and those who knew their place ("humble" being the code word that was most often used).

Interesting post, coming from a blog that describes itself as "A conservative journal of social, cultural, and ecclesiatical affairs grounded in a realistic Catholic Christian worldview. It is my hope that this site will be a reflection of Christ, the teachings of His Holy Church, and of the basic vision of a Christian social morality." Jul 17, 2008