Ten Little Niggers - With Video
Fox News:
An Ohio high school has canceled its student theater production of “Ten Little Indians” after local residents complained about a racial slur in the original title of the Agatha Christie novel, which never has been published under that name in this country.
The best-selling murder mystery originally was named “Ten Little N—ers” when it was published in England in 1939.
The name of the book was changed for production in the United States, and the school was using the name “Ten Little Indians” for the play’s title. The book also has been renamed in some productions as “And Then There Were None,” which is the closing line of the nursery rhyme with the novel’s name.
The play was to be performed this week by students at Lakota East High School in Liberty Township, Ohio, about 20 miles north of Columbus.
Students now will perform “Harvey” scheduled for February.
It follows the mystery novel’s storyline about 10 strangers invited as weekend guests to a private island. The guests share mistakes in their pasts that led to the death of an innocent person. Each guest has evaded punishment, but not for long.
Gary Hines, president of the Hamilton/Fairfield/Westchester branch of the NAACP, complained to school administrators about the production after a parent voiced concerns to him.
Hines, who has a child in the school district, said the play’s historical context and original title were insensitive, and he said the school showed a lack of diversity in choosing it. He said Christie had “racist ideas” and presented a tale of genocide in the novel.
Hines said that when he met with school officials, the district already had decided to cancel the play.
“We never told them to cancel the play; we just gave them the historical context,” he said.
Jeffrey Rubenstein, a member of the Lakota Board of Education, said the board was not involved in the decision to cancel the play, but he knew students and faculty were upset about the planned production.
School officials said the title and the content of the play concerned them. They said the murders portrayed in the play showed genocide, and administrators did not approve of showing violence in a school-sponsored production.
Students and faculty members also raised concerns about the racial context of the play’s original text, which led school officials to make the decision to cancel.
“The play’s history, we learned quickly, still has the power to offend, even now,” said Jon Weidlich, a school district spokesman. “There was really a lot of emotion around it, around our staff, around some students, around some people in the community.”
Rubenstein, a board member since 2006 with two children in the district, disputed Hines’ claims about the lack of diversity within the district.
“I think the district has certainly been making more of an effort in recent years to include more diversity,” Rubenstein said.
School officials hire candidates from a more diverse field and the diversity of the student population has increased in recent years, Rubenstein said.
“I feel that students are getting a good education in terms of diversity, in terms of student populations and being involved in school activities,” he said.
Hines contends there is systemic racism in the Lakota schools and has urged the district to improve diversity by focusing on faculty, curriculum design and athletics.
“We’re lacking serious leadership on the diversity issue in the district,” he said.
The battle for political correctness has left some student players feeling injured.
Luke Hull, a senior at the high school, told the Enquirer that pressure from the NAACP forced school officials to cancel the play. Hull has rehearsed since September as one of the lead characters.
“I read the play as part of a class in the ninth grade,” Hull told the Enquirer. “There are no racial undertones in it at all, and we weren’t putting on the play under its original name from 1939. We were putting on the play under another name.”
Joan Powell, president of the Lakota Board of Education, said she disagrees with the decision to cancel the play. Powell added that Hines has a history of making racial accusations against the district.
Said Powell in the Enquirer: “I’m concerned about censorship, and I’m concerned about the message it sends to other student productions that we are now in the business of censorship.”
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“Harvey” ???
Yeah, wait for the other paw to drop with PETA …
Guess the stage version of “Redacted” ain’t available … yet.
November 28th, 2007 at 11:23 amThis is ridiculous. Talk about a stretch. It was also made into a cool movie. There is no racial overtones in it whatsoever. What is wrong with these people? Trying to stamp out history.
November 28th, 2007 at 11:36 amis it serious, Doctor ?
woaa, your more F… than us
November 28th, 2007 at 11:42 am“Said Powell in the Enquirer: “I’m concerned about censorship, and I’m concerned about the message it sends to other student productions that we are now in the business of censorship.””
Amen to that, sister.
Funny how liberals are all apoplectic at the thought of censorship—and then pull it off on their own.
November 28th, 2007 at 11:59 amI’m offended by the “W” word and now am demanding as a JUDEO CHRISTIANO EUTERO PALEOPHOBIAN that the word “W H I T E” be stricken from the dictionary.
And as of today, I no longer wish to hear I am a part of the W
November 28th, 2007 at 12:01 pmHITEcommunity and y’all will refer to my heritage appropriately MOFOs!Just call it ‘Ten Little Crackers’.
November 28th, 2007 at 12:17 pmExactly, call it 10 little crackers and the NAACP will probably endorse it…
November 28th, 2007 at 12:34 pmYeah no shit, change the title to 10 little crackers if it would better suit their taste..it wouldnt offend me.
November 28th, 2007 at 12:37 pm“10 Little Christians”, anyone?
November 28th, 2007 at 1:05 pmAmos ‘n Andy would be disturbed by all of this.
November 28th, 2007 at 1:08 pmHey drillanwr, they can call it 10 little Kurts if they want to lol how about 10 little infidels
November 28th, 2007 at 1:42 pmI’d buy tickets, Kurt!
November 28th, 2007 at 2:17 pmlakota east has always been full of pussies
November 28th, 2007 at 2:29 pmThe original name is most certainly offensive. Since I have not read the book or watched the movie that was mentioned that was based on the book I do not know about racial undertones.
However, given the title I would find it hard to believe that it does not have some. Who knows, the people saying it doesn’t have racial undertones may be ok with the use of the N word, or was raised in a way that says that behavior is normal and not racist. Such as Hull there which was born in 1939.
I do not agree with Censorship much, however as in everything else, there needs to be a balance. We cannot just allow people to run around saying whatever tickles their fancy for offending people or pissing people off.
Canceling the production of this play I do not think was a bad idea.
November 28th, 2007 at 2:53 pmLet’s see, they cancelled a tiny high-school production of the play in order to stifle the book’s original name. Now however, they’ve just blown it up into a household term due to the national coverage. Good work!
November 28th, 2007 at 2:57 pmTrindam,
When I was in high school in 1977, nobody saw fit to cancel the play called “Ten Little Indians”. I would care to wager a great majority of the folks didn’t even know the name of the original book - I certainly didn’t and I’ve read it and seen the movie.
But you’ll excuse me if I think the new reference to the “N-word” is about the biggest bunch of politically correct horseshit I’ve witnessed since celebrating Kwanzaa or the need to reference some other continent followed by a hyphen before the term American…
If I have to designate myself to some category for the sociopathic left, I prefer to be called American (and damn proud of it) who happens to be white.
November 28th, 2007 at 3:43 pmI would like to read this book while enjoying a cup of coffee in a Sambo’s restaurant.
November 28th, 2007 at 3:55 pmWhat the hell is wrong with people. I don’t know what the plays is about but i do have a few questions. 1) why can’t people use the term nigger, when it is not being used out of hate, particularly when it is the subject matter or political or sociological discussion? 2) If we are going to be this hard line about political correctness, how is 10 little Indians any better? WTF? OMG! What is next, can’t read Uncle Tom’s Cabin in School or Tom Sawyer, let me guess those have already been taken to task, maybe we shouldn’t read “the stranger” because its about killing an Arab.
November 28th, 2007 at 4:46 pmDo you think we create this drama on purpose
November 28th, 2007 at 5:18 pmI have said it before and I will say it again… Sometime soon, we will not be able to get out of bed, fart and scratch our ass with out violating some fucking law or offending someone.. ah, besides the wife..
November 28th, 2007 at 6:26 pm@0311inOHio
G-d bless that wife of yours!
November 28th, 2007 at 7:01 pm0311 in Ohio -
Trust me, your wife is offended. She just picks her battles.
November 28th, 2007 at 10:13 pmAnyone heard of a band called NWA? Stands for N—-rs with attitude. Easier than afro americans with attitude I guess. Hit song is F–k the police (but thats ok)
November 29th, 2007 at 12:23 am1 little 2 little 3 little african americans, 4 little 5 little 6 little african americans…. No! it just doesnt flow.
When are the Native american protests going to start?
November 29th, 2007 at 4:26 amOh and im from this area..forgot to mention that
November 29th, 2007 at 9:33 amGoodbye Natalie,
Well, if we just take the word by its definition it is not or should not be offensive. It is just a description of a class of people.
Only problem is that people in history and still in some places use this word in a derogatory manner. That is the problem. If a word is used in an unsavory manner for long enough and often enough it might as well change the definition of the word.
Hell even Meriam Websters Dictionary has added that it is used in offensive ways. So really, just because of the social use of the word the definition has changed.
So if you are ignorant or blind enough to social dynamics that you continue to use words such as the N word that is up to you in the long run.
I do also refer to myself as American also. I am also white and I served in the Active Army for seven years. Political correctness does frustrate me and irritate me also. I believe many have become to sensitive and do not want to even attempt to have any tolerance of others.
However, I do also believe along with expecting others to have tolerance of each other, we also need to be mindful of others and not say or do things that we know for a fact is hurtful.
November 29th, 2007 at 10:28 am[…] Pat Dollard’s Comments with a Fox News video […]
November 29th, 2007 at 11:31 amNewspapers print, people infer. Latest Fox report, “Taylor said the district canceled the play after a NAACP leader brought forward concerns about the history of the play.” District cancelled the play not NAACP. District brought it back. Come on, do you really think the NAACP has that much power in our area? Get real. NAACP RAISED CONCERNS. Do you think if the NAACP had asked for the play to be cancelled the district would be saying they raised concerns? As for changing names and text. I say no way. Let’s use the original title, the original play. With all its racial language and the original British book cover with a golliwog lynched. NAACP has “buried” the N-word. I say use it. How else are kids gonna learn about racism? hell, in Louisiana those kids hung the nooses and claimed they didn’t know how much trouble they’d stir. PC in education just lets people sugar-coat history. Terribly convenient.
December 1st, 2007 at 1:23 pmAs an educator I am appalled at the decision to proceed with the play under any name. The title, the previous title, the new title, and the lyrics to the song or ‘nursery rhyme’ from which they were derived are racist, and it is very clear that faculty, administrators, parents and students at Lakota East are aware of that. Continuing in arrogance despite the pleas of aggrieved groups is reprehensible. Supporters of the play may think that now ‘there are none’ to stand up and respond, but this too is a sign of deep and abiding ignorance- the same ignorance that allows them to unabashedly use the name ‘Lakota’ and stick ‘tomahawks’ in the helmets of their team. These symbols are not funny and they do no honor to Native Americans. They are offensive, and the continued use of those symbols dishonors the school district. Listen to the national outcry, and consider how respectable institutes of higher learning will respond to Lakota east graduates with this abominable behavior the symbol of their school. How can this play represent a ‘teachable moment’ when the entire school district consistently endorses racism? Who there is qualified to teach about ‘diversity’? The play is the tip of the iceberg. The call to stop the play is NOT about censorship. It is about more free speech - it is about hearing at long last the voices of people Lakota East PRETENDS to emulate but continues to ignore. Shame on all of you who support the censorship of indigenous people!
December 2nd, 2007 at 3:58 pm