(I'm sharing an email I received from my very informed, and socially active friend, who makes it his business to tell the good, bad, and ugly like it is to his network. Let this story serve as a reminder that ignorance is still around, and we must do our part to ensure that we don't fuel it with our hard-earned dollars. Please pass this link around to your friends, family, foes, and co-workers. This is the new age boycott, and now it's your turn.)Monday January 26, 2009
Familia,
Every now and again, something so wretched happens in life that one just has to stop and contemplate not only how we 've arrived at such an event, but the consequences thereof. A New York City baker decided to 'play the dozens,' of sorts, when he baked his Drunken Negro Face cookies, a pastry that, with exaggerated features that are stretched out of proportion, are meant to represent an intoxicated African American.
The baker,Ted Kefalinos, of Greek heritage, defends his creation as a "work of art," that isn't offensive at all, not even when he changed the name to "Obama cookies" on Inauguration Day. He also followed up with the statement that Obama, like Lincoln, "will get his." We are all, of course, aware that 16th President, Abraham Lincoln, was assassinated.
Kalifonos is the proprietor of Lafayette French Bakery, located at 26 Greenwich Ave, New York, NY 10011, USA - Greenwich Village, is not only a vile individual who takes the privileges of Free Speech (as some would like to defend this act) to an entirely different realm, but I was most struck by his ignorance. He sincerely believes that these ridiculous cookies are not offensive. I am further incensed by the Black man who was interviewed by Arnold Diaz that "you have to just laugh" at insensitive racism. Nay, nay! I do NOT laugh at racism. I combat it at every chance I get, be it boycotting, writing letters, or taking my patronage elsewhere.
Every now and again, something so wretched happens in life that one just has to stop and contemplate not only how we 've arrived at such an event, but the consequences thereof. A New York City baker decided to 'play the dozens,' of sorts, when he baked his Drunken Negro Face cookies, a pastry that, with exaggerated features that are stretched out of proportion, are meant to represent an intoxicated African American.
The baker,Ted Kefalinos, of Greek heritage, defends his creation as a "work of art," that isn't offensive at all, not even when he changed the name to "Obama cookies" on Inauguration Day. He also followed up with the statement that Obama, like Lincoln, "will get his." We are all, of course, aware that 16th President, Abraham Lincoln, was assassinated.
Kalifonos is the proprietor of Lafayette French Bakery, located at 26 Greenwich Ave, New York, NY 10011, USA - Greenwich Village, is not only a vile individual who takes the privileges of Free Speech (as some would like to defend this act) to an entirely different realm, but I was most struck by his ignorance. He sincerely believes that these ridiculous cookies are not offensive. I am further incensed by the Black man who was interviewed by Arnold Diaz that "you have to just laugh" at insensitive racism. Nay, nay! I do NOT laugh at racism. I combat it at every chance I get, be it boycotting, writing letters, or taking my patronage elsewhere.
This bakery happens to be housed right beside my favorite sushi place in all of New York City, Funayama, and I have, on occasion, run in with my roommate who happens to like the bakery's canoli. But, I'd be damned if I ever set foot in there again. . . and whenever I walk by, I will certainly mention it to anyone whom I see headed through the door.
See the video and read the accompanying story here: http://gothamist.com/2009/01/23/greenwich_village_bakery_selling_dr.php
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Dontré L. Conerly
