Pick A Nigger

Subject: FW: (Fwd) "PICNIC"

This e-mail comes to you as a public service announcement and as information in the form of a little known Black History Fact. This information is in the African American Archives at the Smithsonian Institute.

Although not taught in American learning institutions and literature, it is in most Black history professional circles and literature that the origin of the term "picnic" derives from the acts of lynching African-Americans. The word "picnic" is rooted from the whole theme of "Pick A Nigger". This is where individuals would "pic" a Black person to lynch and make this into a family gathering. There would be music and a "picnic". ("Nic" being the white acronym for "nigger"). Scenes of this were in the movie "Rosewood". We should choose to use the word "barbecue" or "outing" instead of the word "picnic".

Please forward this e-mail to all of your family and friends and let us educate our people.

Although the source where i found this email, says that it is a hoax, i can honestly say i don't believe that it is.

Carla Homan says: This email appears to be a parody of political correctness at its worst. It is false from top to bottom, beginning with the description of the "Black African-American Archives at the Smithsonian Institute," to the claim that whites made a pleasant family event out of lynching African Americans.

Take Our Word for It, an online word-origin magazine, provides a more detailed etymology here. Upon receiving many inquiries about this chain letter, they contacted the Smithsonian Institution. Dr. Alonzo Smith, a research fellow in African-American Studies at the Smithsonian, replied with a detailed debunking, including the following comments:

To attempt to tie lynchings to family outings, where food was served, is to misunderstand the real nature of these events. Rather, they were outbreaks of mass white hysteria, and attempts by groups of Whites to terrorize and brutalize the entire Black communities where they occurred. Often, they were motivated by alleged acts of violence by Blacks against Whites, alleged disrespect and other breaches of Southern racial "etiquette," and on many occasions, victims were chosen at random. Although women and children were frequently present, it is more accurate to view these events as collective psychotic behavior, rather than family outings.

You know what i say?

FIND YOUR OWN FUCKING TRUTH

They write what they want us to know and hide the rest where they think we won't find it

im out