Ebonics and the Weather Reports (PG-13)

Okay - I had to post this - having lived in N.O. just before Katrina hit I about died when I read this - I came to love the black culture down there as I was welcomed in - and one thing I do enjoy is they can laugh at themselves.  Yes, Katrina was a tragedy, but lets not distract from the joke - okay?  Yer not supposed to think about it too much.

A black congresswoman (this would be Sheila Jackson Lee, of Houston), reportedly complained that the names of hurricanes are all Caucasian sounding names.

She would prefer some names that reflect African-American culture such as Chamiqua, Tanisha, Woeisha, Shaqueal, and Jamal. I am NOT making this up! 


She would also like the weather reports to be broadcast in 'language' that street people can understand because one of the problems that happened in New Orleans was, that black people couldn't understand the seriousness of the situation, due to the racially biased language of the weather report. (Yeah....if you've lived down there...you KNOW what a coming hurricane feels like and looks like...I think I've been through 7 hurricanes in my service in the navy and been out at sea on 20 foot waves or however big on a fast boat with seven sea spouts coming down on me - you KNOW what it's like unless you're a total idiot)

I guess if the weather person says that the winds are going to blow at 140+ MPH, that's too hard to understand. 

Picture of a category 4 "Street Language Friendly" hurricane depiction

I can hear it now, Sheila Jackson's racially sensitive weather report: "Wazzup, mutha-fukkas! Hehr-i-cane Chamiqua be headin' fo' yo ass like Leroy on a crotch rocket! Bitch be a category fo' ! So, turn off dem chitlins, grab yo' chirren, leave yo crib, and head fo' de nearest FEMA office fo yo FREE stuff! G'wan! Git! Mo' yo asses!"