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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsUpstate New York Mayor Denies Town’s Obviously Racist Official Seal Is Racist
Above is the town seal, which dates back to the 19th century, of Whitesboro, New York. It depicts a white man throwing an American Indian man to the ground and looks like something that would be found in Parks and Recreation's satirically insensitive town of Pawnee. The image has been the subject of national discussion in relation to debates about the Confederate flag, and the Village Voice spoke to Whitesboro's mayor, Patrick O'Connor, about the issue for an article published Tuesday:
I am aware that people are upset about it ... Some have reached out directly to me through my village email. And if they looked at the seal and went with an opinion based solely on what theyre looking at, I could understand why people would have concern about it. But, [as with] everything else, I think you have to take all the facts into consideration. And if people take the time to do that and they reach out to us, or they do the research themselves, its actually a very accurate depiction of friendly wrestling matches that took place back in those days.
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tymorial
(3,433 posts)Liberal_in_LA
(44,397 posts)Agschmid
(28,749 posts)Hassin Bin Sober
(26,349 posts)alphafemale
(18,497 posts)It's murder.
etherealtruth
(22,165 posts)"....looks like something that would be found in Parks and Recreation's satirically insensitive town of Pawnee."
How can anyone defend this
Comrade Grumpy
(13,184 posts)"And if people take the time to do that and they reach out to us, or they do the research themselves, its actually a very accurate depiction of friendly wrestling matches that took place back in those days.
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This becomes an interesting study of preconception. I first saw it as a white guy trying to strangle an Indian, with the white guy aggressive because he's leaning forward, while the Indian is leaning back.
But in light of the mayor's explanation, I can easily see it as a representation of wrestling. Both guys have their arms on the other guy, and it looks like the white guy is trying to leg-trip the Indian. All wrestling stuff.
With our heightened sensitivity to racist symbolism, sometimes we might see things that aren't there.
The mayor's claim should be verifiable.
And...I hope the town was named after a Mr. White.
Mike_SMO
(13 posts)I seem to recall that frontier "wrastlin" was a rather intense "sport". If there was such an event in that town`s history, it suggests that the "home" team and the "visitors" had a good enough accomodation that they could forgo their weapons and have their champions go one-on-one. (Looser provides the venison for the feast.) Non-lethal demonstrations of male personhood seem to have quite a long history.
Or are you saying that there can be no competions in which the participants are of a different race or ethnicity?
It would have helped if the town had provided a bit of background, however.
Duckhunter935
(16,974 posts)Of Hugh White, a man, a Christian and a citizen, no better conception can be had than the inscription on his tablet in Grand View Cemetery on the hill. "Here sleeps the mortal remains of HUGH WHITE who was born 5th February, 1733, at Middleton in Connecticut, and died April 16th, 1812." In the year 1784 he moved to Sedauquate, now Whitesborough, where he was the first white inhabitant in the State of New York, west of the German settlements on the Mohawk. He was distinguished for energy, and decision of character, and may be justly regarded as a patriarch, who led the children of New England into the wilderness. As a magistrate, a citizen, and a man, his character for truth and integrity was proverbial. This humble monument of veneration for his memory is reared and inscribed by the affectionate partner of his joys and his sorrows, May 15th, 1826. He lived among the Indians as their friend and the Village Seal depicts a friendly wrestling match that helped foster good relations between White and the Indians. In the publication of the book commemorating the Whitesboro Sesquicentennial 1813-1963, complied by the First Historical Club of Whitesboro, is the Origin of the Village Seal. At the period of the first settlement of Whitestown, the Indian title had not been extinguished to any portion of the country westward of "The line of Property....". Most of the Oneida tribe of Indians had maintained their professions of friendship for the white man in an honorable manner. Judge White, as a frontier settler along the Sauquoit Creek, was required to exercise much diplomacy in dealing with his red neighbors. He soon acquired their good will and was fortunate to inspire them with very exalted ideas of his character. An incident that occurred between an Oneida Indian and Hugh White sealed a lasting friendship and confidence. An Oneida Indian of rather athletic form was one day present at the White's house with several of his companions and at length for fun commenced wrestling. After many trials, the chief became conqueror and he came up to Hugh White and challanged him. White dared not risk being brow beaten by an Indian nor did he want to be called a coward. In early manhood, he had been a wrestler, but of late felt he was out of practice. He felt conscious of personal strength and he concluded that even should he be thrown, that would be the lesser of two evils in the eyes of the Oneida Indians than to acquire the reputation of cowardice by declining. He accepted the challenge, took hold of the Indian and by a fortunate trip, succeeded almost instantly in throwing him. As he saw him falling, in order to prevent another challenge, he fell upon the Indian for an instant and it was some moments before he could rise. When the Indian finally rose, he shrugged his shoulders and was said to have muttered "UGH", you good fellow too much". Hugh White became a hero in the eyes of the Oneida Indians. This incident made more manifest the respect of the Indian for White. In all ways, White dealt fairly with the Oneida tribe and gained their confidence, which brought about good-will.
THE SEAL: In researching the Seal, another earlier drawing was found in an article in the Saturday Globe 1922. Whitesboro's Insignia, "The Parent Seal of all Western New York", was borne aloft on the aeroplane of Liet. Edgar Graves White, fifth in descent of the pioneer settler of the vast territory, over the battlefields of Europe. He was chosen one of 100 out of a waiting list of 4,500 to be trained by the Royal English Flying Corps. Since he was supplying his own flying machine, he was permitted to place his own insignia upon it and was granted permission by the Liberty Loan Committee of Whitesboro. He flew in the One Hundred and Eighty-second Aerial Squadron over the battlefields of France.
In 1923-25, the Treasurer's Report for the Village of Whitesboro displayed this same seal, and the old stamping hand press model is also of this seal. These items are on display at the Historical Society, 10 Moseley Street, Whitesboro, New York. In 1963, the Seal was re-designed by local artist, Gerald E. Pugh, to commemorate the Village's Sesquicentennial. In an article of the Observer Dispatch, written by Joe Kelly in 1977, a notice of claim was filed with the Village Board saying the seal depicts a "white man choking an Indian" and said the seal demeans, disgraces and creates prejudice and distrust of Indian people. He asked the Village to stop displaying the seal. As a result of this, the seal was re-designed with Hugh White's hands being placed on the Indian's shoulders and not so close to his neck. The wrestling match was an important event in the history of the settling of the Village of Whitesboro and helped foster good relations between White and the Indians. The new version is displayed on Village trucks, highway equipment, letterheads and documents.
http://village.whitesboro.ny.us/content/History
Mike_SMO
(13 posts)Duckhunter935
(16,974 posts)backscatter712
(26,355 posts)But don't worry, they changed it to make it more inclusive...
linuxman
(2,337 posts)It depicts a historic event from the town's past.
That won't stop the faithful of the church of our Lady of perpetual outrage from railing against it though.
msanthrope
(37,549 posts)Agschmid
(28,749 posts)WestCoastLib
(442 posts)He taught us wannabe professional designers a good lesson. "It doesn't matter what you were trying to draw, if everybody that looked at it saw a penis, you've drawn a dick."
It doesn't matter if this picture is supposed to represent a historical event, it looks like a white dude throwing down a "red man" and as an official seal for a town called "Whitesboro", it paints a naturally offensive image.