Update: Lakota High School teen asks public for help to put on “Ten Little Indians”
I told you earlier today about the NAACP’s war on the high school students who wanted to perform Agatha Christie’s “Ten Little Indians” at their school. One of the high school students, Lakota East High School senior Alicia Frost, e-mailed me an update. The students are trying to put the show on outside of school and they could use the public’s help:
Hi Ms. Malkin,
My name is Alicia Frost and I was involved with Lakota East’s production of Ten Little Indians, and I just was wondering if you could inform the people interested in the cancellation of the play that the cast is currently scrambling to find a way to put the show on themselves without any ties to the school. If anyone is able to help out in any way possible–by donating furniture that we could use for a set, lending stage microphones, anything–it would be so incredibly appreciated. If anyone is able to help they can contact me at this e-mail address (aicila729@yahoo.com)
Thanks for any help you can give us,
Alicia Frost
You can also give the school district your feedback and express support for the students here.
***
Update: Another reader who lives in West Chester, Ohio e-mails…
I am a resident of West Chester, Ohio and the Lakota Local School District and for those who are unfamiliar with Mr. Gary Hines, he has created this sort of dust up in the past. About 5 years ago, Mr. Hines went after the Lakota High Schools for their lack of diversity and tried to hold them hostage until they hired his company to “promote diversity”. You referenced the article from today’s edition of the Cincinnati Enquirer and this is included in it:
Powell said Hines has a history of making racial accusations against Lakota schools with his personal financial interests sometimes coming into play.
In 2002, Hines accused Lakota schools of widespread, systemic racism and recommended that more than 2,000 Lakota employees be required to enroll in diversity and cultural sensitivity training similar to what was offered by his company. He promised to compile a report months later detailing his accusations against the schools but never produced a document.
Hines, however, has continued to allege racism in the school district.
Now, some information on the community of West Chester, Ohio. West Chester is a very affluent, booming suburb of Cincinnati. It is home to the GOP Leader in the US House, John Boehner. While certainly it is a majority white community, we have a great deal of diversity in West Chester. In fact, 2 of our township trustees (both Republicans) are minorities. George Lang is hispanic and born of Cuban parents. Lee Wong is Asian. The third trustee, Catherine Stoker, is a woman. The Township Administrator, Judi Boyko is also Asian and a woman. West Chester is home to a growing community of successful (Thank goodness legal) Indian immigrants. We have no shortage of diversity in our religious faiths as you can see from this link ( http://www.westchesteroh.org/guide/worship.htm ), including one the largest mosques in the state of Ohio. I can’t remember the last time that we had to deal with anything that the PC crowd would label as a “hate crime”.
Mr. Hines is a con-artist and may well have met his match. We are a sleepy, quiet community but when some fool like Mr. Hines sticks his neck out and makes absurd charges of racism and lack of diversity, we do not stand for it. Most of the residents of West Chester are individuals who fled the city of Cincinnati as it slowly went downhill thanks to poor government and no leadership that culminated in the April 2001 race riots when Cincinnati hit rock bottom. As we watched Cincinnati go down hill, we will not allow that to happen to our community of West Chester and will not allow ourselves to be pushed around by a racial huckster.
Shame on the school district for being spineless and weak. Unfortunately, in education, we’ve all come to expect nothing less but total capitulation.
Thank you for sharing this story with the world. I hope this makes a difference.
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I hope she can pull this off. I am going to tell one of our reps who lives in the area to help out. Good for her.
But on another note, the NAACP will probably protest.
The NAACP, Al Sharpton, and Jessie Jackson: ‘One little, two little, three little idiots….’
Where are all those Hollywood types who are always concerned about censorship? Oh yeah, buzzing around in the Gulfstreams to warn us about global warming.
Tim Robbins, hello…?
Michelle, any way to donate money towards the production? It could help towards renting the sound equipment, lights, etc. Say the price of the ticket to see the play would have been ten bucks. A hundred people kicking in ten bucks for a “virtual” ticket could really help them out.
I think if they can add a few anti religious comments into the script, or maybe defile some Christian symbols, the School could easily qualify for a Federal grant. If the NAACP protested then it could get interesting.
jus sayin.
Email Alicia.
aicila729@yahoo.com
Money to pay for some security guards too…
#6,
I’m good for a few tickets… paypal?
And thank you, tis a good thing that you do.
It is a refreshing breath of air to see some young adults with the gumption to stand up for what they believe in and go on with the show. It’s rare these days–salute Lakota High.
77WABC raido NYC is reporting this story live as of 9:39 pm (Bob Grant, I think) and taking calls…
A: It hit the fan…
B. Michelle, Mam you are cutting edge!
I sure hope this young, awesome, brave girl is a “Colored People” so the NAACP can represent her cause!
What if the NAACP gave a complaint and…nobody cared?
Lord, I hope this young lady likes reading emails–She’s sure to have a pile of them!
My guess is, Huck Finn is out as well. Suppose “The Vagina Monologues” would be ok with the school board? I bet that play would be welcomed.
Pompous asses. I’m glad the kids have some spine!
Fixed.
WOW! It is encouraging to see American citizens stand up to PC hucksters.
The absolute evil of these PC nutcases is boundless. Their mutterings reflect so much of the inner soul of liberals. Racists, condescending, glib fools.
The writers in Hollywood have some spare time on their hands. Wonder if they
canwill helpPaging Bill Cunningham! Willie!! I hope Bill O’Reilly does a story on this, too.
Polically Correct Offends and was NEVER the intent of the Founding Fathers.
Revisionist History and other Socialist Crap is a Bad Path. I am with that little lady on this business.
The NAACP, the ACLU and the entirety of those Punks, Thugs and America Haters need to back off now.
Stealing the Heritage and Culture is despicable!
Ever hear of Rule .308?
Taking Our Nation back may not be pretty but may become necessary.
Could be worse…ahem…
Set up a pay-pal account. It my give you the money to rent a space or comb thrift stores for furniture, etc.
Think…if 200 people gave 5 bucks? —that’s $1000.00
This effort reminds of the scene in Empire Records – rent a space, sell tickets and everyone and their brother shows up even if they don’t like theatre…they make so much money the drama department gets to put on some awesome performances.
So the title used to be “Ten Little Niggers” and the characters routinely added their own racist commentary. The original locale was “Nigger Island” due to “its resemblance to a man’s head- a man with Negroid lips”. Interesting.
Interesting? Not really. We may not like the ethnic terminology that was the norm in the UK (yes, and here) in 1939, but that was the reality of the time. Fortunately we’ve evolved well beyond that for the most part. To a fault, perhaps, when morons like Hines consider a play or book objectionable because of what it originally was but no longer is. He’s another Jackson/Sharpton, probably the next generation. All three of them can go to hell without an electric fan for all I care.
The NAACP is a racist organization. It only skirts the civil rights law because its leadership is black and has a few, very few, non-black people as members. LIberals love the NAACP as they can constantly s stick their “nose in the are” and claim that white male heterosexuals of German, English, Irish, Dutch or French origin are as inherently biased as they, the liberals, really are.
The community should put on the play. If your second e-mailer is correct, the trustees should get right behind this. It’s a perfect opportunity to show how mature, brave and truly open-minded West Chester is. Make the tickets donation only, and send a personal invitation to Mr. Hines.
I was just thinking; where are Judy and Mickey when you need them?
Apparently, conflict of interest principles do not apply to diversity training consultants.
I was a drama geek in high school, so I know how much work goes into these productions – both on the acting and on the stage crew side.
I salute this young woman and will do what I can to help her cause.
Political correctness needs to die.
I was pretty sure that I read somewhere…Republican minorities don’t count as minorities.
The Subject of the play is not racist or racism. Agatha Christie used the N word b/c the original song used the N word. Apparently in the UK, it did not have as negative a connotation, also THIIS WAS 65 F$#$# YEARS AGO!!!!!
Based on these people’s reasoning, we should kick throw out all of Mark Twain’s stuff as well.
Wow! After all the hoopla around Thanksgiving I thought the problem was with the name Indian in the title until I actually read the article. Funny how the NAACP doesn’t mention something so obvious that they could harp on. They’re so determined to make everything a black issue that they have to pull out some obscure reference that most people probably never even knew about.. I sure didn’t and I was educated in the public school system of Montgomery, AL in the seventies & eighties. If any school system should be sensitive to racism it’s that one.
When they come banging on the door for Huck Finn and To Kill a Mockingbird will they give in then too?
Palladin – Bingo!
Vsatt – exactly. If we have to dig around to figure out what the offense is, chances are – someone is overreaching.
ACLU, NAACP, Jesse, Al, MoveOn, Code Pink, UN, etc., etc., etc…just go away. We will be better off without you…
OK, I just sent an e-mail to the school system. I requested a response; their automated system said I should have one within 2 days. We’ll see.
I think we should turn this into a ‘Ten Little Indians/Screw Kwanzaa’ fund-drive.
I think Huck Finn has been banned in places.
Considering NAACP’s reprehensible performance during the Duke LaCrosse Rape Hoax, they can go jump in a river.
Political Correctness needs to die!
I sent out Alicia’s request to CBS, Oreilly and Ellen, might shoot out more, maybe someone wil step up.
What if they did ‘Blazing Saddles’ as the alternative?
If “Civil Rights” groups were truly interested in eliminating negative racial stereotypes, then they would do their cause a favor by disassociating themselves from Racist pimps like Hines.
Hines and his fellow travelers are literally perpetuating the hackneyed caricature they claim to disavow.
In comparison, Algonquin J. Calhoun is Lincolnesque.
If only….. the intelligent masses in the black population would stand up and denounce the racial hucksters; the Shaddy Sharptons, the Jerksons, the Hines, racism would slowly wither and die. These people only fan the flames of racism, without them there would be far less racism…..
If only…..
However, “No Snitchin”
National Association for the Advancement of Colored People
How does thins “Advance” people of color? I would love an amswer to this question.
*waiting
JohnnyNJ,
I agree with your sentiment; however, Sharpton and company are in business because of white liberal guilt.
Racism isn’t nearly as prevalent as it once was – stating the obvious. And Sharpton et al, are in business to keep it alive. Otherwise, what would be their purpose?
I think there is plenty of blame to go around. However, Jesse and Al are responsible for what Jesse and Al do. Go after them. Not the black community on the whole.
Bill Cosby has been outspoken regarding the inner city and what needs to be done to change it around. I haven’t seen him in the MSM; touting him as a champion for black people. Instead who do we see – Al & Jesse. The arbiters of racial harmony…
I just heard on fox news their doing to do “Harvey” instead.
I wish I lived close enough to go see Ms. Frost’s production.
The title of this play is inconsequential. I wonder if Mr. Hines has ever even seen/read it. It is widely considered to be one of Christie’s finest works and is, as far as I know, her best-selling novel.
The characters in the play are not Indian or black, the title merely reflects the nursery rhyme after which their deaths are patterned. And the characters are being killed off because of the deaths they caused… deaths resulting from things like war, wrongful conviction, child abuse/endangerment, etc. So actually, I would think this play would be celebrated by liberals for condemning the actions of the judge who sent an innocent man to death, the wealthy woman who dismissed her maid for getting pregnant – causing her suicide, the general who sent a man on a suicidal war mission, and so on…
Now I kind of want to read this again. Or maybe see a film version, I’ve never seen it. Anyone have a film version recommendation?
This mornings news (FOX) stated that Lakota will now present “Harvey” in place of Ten Little Indians. I have already made several calls to PETA to stop this horrible play as it puts a bad light on 6′ rabbits. How inhumane is this school?
Wait, isn’t Harvey discriminatory against mentally ill people and large, invisible rabbits?
Ten Little Indians is also on the ‘must read’ list for Lakota. What will the NAACP do?
Funny – I don’t see the NAACP protesting to have the still current name changed of things such as Richard Pryor’s albums:
Superni##er ( 1982 )
Bicentennial Ni##er ( 1976 )
That Ni##er’s Crazy ( 1974 )
All much more recent history than something written by a Brit almost a century ago.
Selective outrage once again.
Only invisible to most – both Jimmy Stewart and Ted Kennedy can see him.
Count me in; I am willing to buy a couple of tickets for this production of 10 Little Indians.
GSP
I have a question for some folks here, paticurlarly if you are Native American, but any impupt would be interesting.
I have joked above about mascots, but I’ve often wondered about the “indian” mascots. I look at the Cleveland Indians mascot, Chief Wahoo.(not to mention the flippin “redskins”) He’s red in color with a feather, and a bit stupid spit eating grin on his face. I think it’s ridiculously offensive.
Imagine:
The Cleveland Blacks- Dark, dark, brown, big pink lips, kinky afro, and a sambo grin.
The Cleveland Jews- big nose,big lips stereotypical curly sides, and maybe go the hasidic jew route
Cleveland Yellowmen- extra slanted eyes, yellow skin, stereotypical bowl cut, cheesy smile.
Cleveland Mexicans- Stereotypical speedy Gonzales hat, goofy grin.
I think every group and description I listed would be extremely offensive, and politically incorrect if you must, but no city or organization could ever, ever get away with it. I think it’s because these groups are respected for their political influence. Why do you think Native Americans get the shaft? How are you able to get away with a Chief Wahoo cariacature, and and a Redskins, name, but nobody would dare try something similar with another minority group. I don’t know many Native Americans, so I’d like to hear your take. I think the disparate treatment is abysmal, but I gave up getting excited about it, because nobody seems to care. What’s your take?
#51/Buck
You forgot to mention the ‘hayseed hicks” (Aggies, etc….) from the South. What the world needs is to grow balls and let this stuff just slide. PC in itself is incorrect. We will lose half of our language due to PCers. Too many soft skinned mommas boys in this world. Get tough and let this inanity go.
This is all I hear out of their mouth’s anymore.
Al: wawa wawawawa
Jessie: wawa wawawawa
(Riveting conversation)
Hooooray! for Alicia standing up for her rights. This need’s to happen more.
I had a 17 yr old girl working for me, she was telling me about her civics class,her teacher saw that she had a Rush Limbaugh book, he asked her “Why would you bring that book in my class” she replied that her father had given the book to her for Christmas and she was doing a book report on it for another class. The teacher took the book away, pointed at the door and told her to get out of his class “You can go sit in the office”. While she sat in the office the Head Principal of the school came out of his office and asked why she was there, she explained why and his response was hmmmph ok and walked back into his office and said nothing more basically sanctioning the teacher’s behavior.
Then conservitive Dad come’s into the picture and has a meeting with the School Admin, Principal and the Teacher and strongly suggest’s that before he initiates a law suit the Teacher should give the book back and submit a written appology to his daughter. This is what unfortunatly happened, the Admin. decided that the teacher should give the book back and that she should drop his class and take it with another teacher or take it in summer school.
What? this is a required class in this state. So instead of the teacher being reprimanded the student was required to upset their schedule to accomadate the teacher?
I’ve had to deal with these High School teacher’s before, their right the student is wrong and the parent is at fault. No resposibility is taken by the school, Yet they say that’s what their teaching our kid’s.
Sorry, I am not a “Native American” but I will put in my two cents. (By the way, I have always heard from Indians that Native American is not a preferred term, they call themselves Indians or American Indians.)
I do agree that the Indian’s mascot is the most offensive of the Indian mascots. He’s an over-the-top caricature, and he reminds me of something from a Bugs Bunny cartoon. I can’t believe that the logo has survived for this long and I would not be surprised if they were made to change it.
However, I do not think all Indian mascots are insulting. Take, for example, Chief Illiniwek of the University of Illinois (I am from Illinois, so this is a natural example for me.) I always thought that the controversy surrounding Illiniwek was silly. He is a proud Indian chief, wearing traditional-style clothing. His dance was an attempt by Eagle Scouts to recreate an accurate war dance. The Indians that demanded an end to Chief Illiniwek had nothing to do with the Illini Nation, but rather were Sioux Indians. To ban this school symbol was a silly, PC capitulation that should not have been happened, IMHO.
Sorry for going so far off topic, I just think that condemning all things that have to do with an ethnic group is silly, such as saying all Indian-themed sports teams are offensive/racist. (And I’m not saying that that is what Buck I was doing.)
#53
Maybe this type of behaviour by the screwel is the reason why the US keeps slipping in education, and the rise in the number of homeschoolers.
52 and 54 thanks for the input.
52, I don’t know, I think it’s too easy to dismiss the offensiveness. I’ve always thought the Cleveland Indians Chief Wahoo is very “Sambo” like. I doubt that the other similar analogies I made would sit right with most people, but some ethnic groups seem to have more respect and influence than others. Oh yeah, I’m a sports fan, but I don’t know what an Aggie or “hayseed Hick” represents literally, I’ll look it up.
Raised Right, #54.
I do agree with you that not all ethnic “related” mascots are offensive, the Illiniwnek Chief you mentioned is one example of how it could be done with dignity and respect. You could easily substitute and African Chief, or Asian Warrior, or Hispanic if it made sense and and applied. I too think Chief Wahoo is over the top and similar to the analogies I mentioned.
Thanks
Buck I, I don’t have to imagine it. Here’s a list off the top of my head.
Vancouver Canucks
Brooklyn Dodgers
New York Yankees
Oklahoma Sooners
Penn Quakers
Notre Dame Fighting Irish
New England Patriots
San Diego Padres
Dallas Cowboys
Houston Texans
New Orleans Saints
I could keep going, but I’ll wrap with my alma mater.
Lebanon Valley College Flying Dutchmen
Good points Radio Joe, but a key differnce is that my example like the Cleveland Indians, are named after races or ethnic groups reducing the whole group to mascot status with a over the top cariacture to match.
I simply don’t think your e.g’s apply with the exception of Fighing Irish, which I still think is lacking in offensive cariacture.
I think we’re arguing apples and bananas here.
Indians? I call them Americans.
But isn’t that the point? I could make a case for being offended by any one of the mascots on my list. It’s all subjective. Just because 1 percent, or 99 percent of people think something’s offensive, doesn’t change that. Here’s a quote from Wikipedia on Chief Wahoo, etc.
“According to polling results published in Sports Illustrated, “Although most Native American activists and tribal leaders consider Indian team names and mascots offensive, neither Native Americans in general nor a cross section of U.S. sports fans agree.”[9]. According to the article, “There is a near total disconnect between Indian activists and the Native American population on this issue.”
The only difference between Indian, or Quaker, or Dutchman or Irish is based on perspective.
Interesting stuff.
Strictly on the Chief Wahoo type scenario, teams can only get away with this regarding American Indians. Your information may explain why. Thanks for the input.
Radiojoe now I understand a lot of things. “In God We Trust”-the activists are offended. Names of sport teams-the activists are offended. War in Iraq- those damned activists again. Nothing is safe.
I collect children’s books among other things. I have a copy of Little Black Sambo, a story I loved as a child. It saddened me to see it changed to Little Brave Sambo. It’s comparable to rewriting history.
I also sent an emial to the Lakota East High School. Hopefully they will relent – “Harvey” is not the answer, unless the characters are killed off one by one…
Now we’re talking.
Here’s a trivia question that sort of ties the mascot and play themes together. What were the Lakota Sioux famous for?
Sorry. That shouldn’t have all come out as a link. I forgot to preview. It still goes to the right story though.
Radiojoe,
How about Little Big Horn? Custer & Co.
Or… Wounded Knee (ie., “Bury my heart at…)?
Congratulations to Lakota for pulling their heads out of their outrage.
Little Big Horn was what I was thinking of. I’d forgotten it was them at Wounded Knee.
I know the new thread is up, and I’m delighted the school relented, but as a last thought here I’m almost sorry the town and students lost the opportunity to do it on their own.