Artist says protesters missed the point of “race card” cartoon
A cartoon that appeared last Friday in the student-run newspaper at Slippery Rock University in Pennsylvania has prompted protests by students who consider it racist.
The cartoon panel in question was drawn by Keith Knight, himself an African-American.
It shows a black man hanging from a noose saying “You’re doing this because I’m black, aren’t you?” while white characters accuse him of playing the race card.
In his personal blog, the K Chronicles, Knight offers his explanation:
*OFFICIAL STATEMENT REGARDING THE K CHRONICLES “RACE CARD” CARTOON..
A comic strip can be about more than cats eating lasagna or how stupid your boss is. Some of the best comic strips point out truths not only though humor, but through satire.
Many of my best strips involve real issues: Racism, suicide, war, disease. I mix those in with more humorous, less serious issues.
In the first panel of this specific comic strip, white people accuse a black man, who is about to be lynched, of pulling the race card. This is an exaggerated, satirical version of what we often see and hear in mainstream media: the victim gets accused of pulling the race card, which is an easy way to dismiss the real issues involved.
Students talk about experiencing real-life incidents of racism on campus, yet it is my satirical comic strip they’re protesting over. I’d like to hear what the students are going through. If this uproar causes the school to address those issues, then my comic has done its job.
The panel was just one of many in Knight’s commentary on the race card.
What are your thoughts? Was the noose depiction fair game in Knight’s cartoon?
(1 votes, average: 5 out of 5)
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Steve Parker is the deputy managing editor for news, and oversees the Post-Dispatch's front page. STLtoday's online news editors are on his newsroom team. Parker has been at the paper since September 1980. 
Any idea if Horrigan was asked for suggestions?
“He added (a Klan logo) at my suggestion.” ~Kevin Horrigan
http://www.stltoday.com/blogzone/the-platform/editorial-writers-notebooks/2009/09/of-moderation-and-insufficiently-flaming-crosses/#comment-16017
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The artist is really saying what many in our country say about black crimes and the lack of the black community to speak out. crime is ramped in black majority communities. The white justice system, as many blacks have called it and have said, “its unfair” blacks are singled out vie drug sentencing power cocaine vs. Crack. Whites have and continue to say society punishes because of crimes committed, not because of the color of skin. The cartoon represents that position overall in our society.
I think it’s all fair game. Keith Knight did a great job of creating several points for discussion. I did appreciate the inclusion of himself along with “other highbrow black intellectuals”. The kid’s a smart-ass.
not very artistic or creative. And panel one is truly distasteful. I think i’ve seen all of his same arguments on numerous blogs and story comments in many places. I will take the stance opposite to his “black claims of racism can be easily dismissed as playing the race card”….with… white claims that blacks are simply playing the race card instead of dealing with the subject is a way to easily dismiss logical arguments as racism.
I like some of obama’s policies and dislike others…I do not appreciate when I vocalize my dislike of some policies that I am called a racist. Once again, calling something/someone racist in this instance is the quickest way to shut a white person up and not deal or listen to any arguments or points on the opposite point of view.
of course some of the people against obama are indeed racists…but if you look at the voting numbers, racists make up a very small part of the population (and mainly are located in areas such as the one the census worker was found hanging). Really, do hillbilly’s and people in the south really count as normal people?
The media will try to dilute racism by claiming everything is racist. Be careful.
Look at who is supposedly claiming racism: “leaders in the black community”…”some in the black community”….etc, etc.
Most black folk clearly know when they see racism. In fact, it is usually evident to all races.
Don’t let the media dilute racism by claiming everything is racist in the news. They are not working for black folks best interest.
Don’t be fooled! Of course you can disagree with Obama and not be racist.
If I use the expressions “Jew me down” or Afro-American Engineering” I might be surprised to find myself being called a racist. I may not be one and yet sound like one.
I thought this cartoon makes an fundamental point with good humor. Blaming the victim for “bad manners” (ie identifying those doing the hanging as possibly being racist, or at least “pro-lynching”) by those who are committing a much more grievous act, well let’s just say “irony” may not be a strong enough word.
Moduke: “If I use the expressions “Jew me down” or Afro-American Engineering” I might be surprised to find myself being called a racist.”
No in the first instance you may be informed by someone Jewish that they do not appreciate the phrase and would you kindly refrain from using it. If you choose to persist, then you would not be a “racist” but possibly anti-semitic, or at least an inconsiderate and selfish boor.
As to the “African-American Engineering” same rule applies (subsitute “racist” for “anti-semitic” but keep “inconsiderate selfish boor”), although in my youth it used to be “Irish Engineering” or “Polish Engineering”.
Apparently Mr. Parker did not like some of the comments on this blog and has deleted those and kept only the ones he liked. Hummmm, makes one sorta think,doesn’t it?
its fair game. does freedom of speech and press mean anything anymore? i can see why its controversial but the student has that god-given right to share his thoughts. period.