Waldo Watermelon Seed - Here is the picture of the watermelon seed art that started such a racist ruckus at the Calfornia State Fair.
The watermelon seed art was part of an exhibit to celebrate Colusa County’s seed producing crops.
Veronica Hannon Thrasher and her husband took offense to the watermelon seed artwork saying it was racist and looked like “a happy black slave eating watermelon.” (That’s her, front row on the left.)
What Veronica Thrasher didn’t know is that the artwork was created by kids at the juvenile hall whose population is 40% black and 40% hispanic. Other seeds depicted in the California State Fair seed art were ‘Diamond Crested Cucumber Seed,’ a rapper, ‘Patrick Pumpkin Seed,’ a rough tough guy, ‘Rocky Tomato Seed,’ a boxer, and ‘Waldo Watermelon Seed.’
Made by the boys of Fout Springs Boys Correctional Facility, Waldo Watermelon Seed along with the other seed artwork was part of a project assigned to depict the $30 million seed crop of California.
When Thrasher was told who had made the artwork she said… get this… “But they probably never had the benefit of a black history class” showing images of African Americans “as a happy black slave eating watermelon. If the students were presented with that history they might have drawn Waldo Watermelon Seed a little differently.”
Oh you can bet they did indeed have the ‘benefit’ of a black history class. It’s part of the curriculum for all school age children. However to include a ‘White history class’ or a ‘White history month’ in the school’s curriculum would be considered racist.
Oh another interesting tidbit of information we’ve dug up. See that picture above? It’s a picture of the local chapter of Chi Eta Phi Sorority, a national sorority of registered professional nurses and nursing students. See any white people in there? Look at the Chi Eta Phi sorority website at www.chietaphi.com and you won’t see any white people there either. And what’s more, Chi Eta Phi sorority membership is by invitation only.
Now whose a racist?
And that’s the latest news about Waldo Watermelon Seed.
Tags: california state fair, chi eta phi sorority, veronica hannon thrasher, waldo watermelon seed, watermelon seed art
August 31st, 2008 at 2:27 pm
What a hypocrite! She calls that racist? She is the one who is racist. She is the member of a sorority that states on its info page….
Chi Eta Phi Sorority, Inc. is a professional association for registered professional nurses and student nurses (male and female) representing many cultures and diverse ethnic backgrounds.
Yeah right as long as your black. No where on that site did I see a single picture of a non-black person. Oh yeah thats really diverse. She and her sorority are the real racists. If that had been an “all white” sorority they would have been claiming racism and discrimination. But non-blacks dont have that privilage do they? Guess what blacks were not the first peoples to be enslaved and abused throughout history….read the bible and get over it.
August 31st, 2008 at 4:34 pm
I think it is very strange that some people always have to see the worst in everything. The picture would not invoke upon me the idea of a watermelon seed, and perhaps it may look like it is stereotyping blacks, but my concern falls with the idea of the need for black history classes.
I agree, where is white history month and white pride? The history classes i took covered American history, both black and white.
This too is the kind of mentality that tries to make people feel racist, because they won’t vote for Obama.
America needs to wake up and grow up.
August 31st, 2008 at 7:05 pm
So what type of slave songs do “happy black slave eating watermelon seeds” sing?
August 31st, 2008 at 9:57 pm
A watermelon seed drawing racist? A racist believes that one race is superior (or inferior) to other races. Is a watermelon seed an inferior seed to other seeds?
I guess she meant the picture represents a bigoted view. But now do you paint a ‘black’ watermelon seed? Without the smile?
August 31st, 2008 at 11:39 pm
I fail to see how the picture depicts the “slave” portion of her comment.
I was unaware that slaves wore sneakers and slackers.
I guess “happy black guy eating watermelon seeds” doesn’t sound racist at all considering the seed’s actual color………..
This whole topic just depresses me. I wish there was a seed depicting Muhammed so I could actually see why someone may get a bit angry. /sigh
September 1st, 2008 at 12:50 am
I agree with all of the above comments thus far. Aren’t you just Sick of the same old rhetoric..poor black people. They never had a chance in life, everyone’s always picking on them. So sickening.
September 1st, 2008 at 10:20 am
So, am I allowed to ‘take offense’ to ‘Patrick Pumpkin Seed’? He gives off a vibe of the ‘Angry White Male’. Oh, wait, I’m sorry. As a slightly overweight heterosexual married white male Evangelical Protestant Christian veteran father from the Southeastern United States, I am not allowed to be offended by anything. As I understand it, everything bad that has ever happened to anyone not exactly like me is my fault. Never mind that my ancestors never owned slaves, in fact were leading abolishionests. Never mind that my Great-Grandfather fought for the Union, helping end slavery. Never mind that my Grand Parents and Parents marched for civil rights. Never mind that my sister is mixed race. Never mind that my brother-in-law is black (he prefers this term over African-American). Never mind that I had nothing to do with anyones actions but my own. OK, I’ll take the blame for anything truely racist that my wife or children do, but NO ONE else.
September 1st, 2008 at 11:58 am
and I thought it was a picture of obama chiding hillary. bot, was I wrong!
September 1st, 2008 at 5:39 pm
The point about racist is correct, but do not tryt o argue with modern bad english, just go with the PC flow. The idea of superior races is ridiculous, last I looked there is only on human race with a bunch of different ethnicities, but i get tired of making the distinction.
The sad thing with all this is that people have been raised to believe that everyone is out to get them with every word, picture or comment.
If this woman would just quit whining and start volunteering in her community, then maybe there would be less boys in jail having to paint pictures of watermelons.
The happy watermelon seed is not a bad depiction of black people it is a bad reflection on attitudes of people.
The bad depection of the black community is the stereotypical characatures portrayed by the hip hop, bling bling types and the woe is me, everyone is out to get me cause I am black types.
I hope my comments only offend those whose sensibilities need offending.
September 2nd, 2008 at 12:52 am
Let’s see…
People who haven’t had black history classes don’t have a clue about why this image would be considered racist. But people who have had black history classes see it as obviously racist.
The inescapable conclusion is that black history classes turn ordinary people into race-hypersenstives who see racism at every turn (but only white-on-black racism). Which seems to be exactly what black history classes are intended to do.
Racism will never, ever die because the beneficiaries of the supposed racism won’t ever let it. The ironic thing is that this will in turn create a certain amount of real racial resentment on the part of those who are tired of being falsely accused.
September 2nd, 2008 at 8:43 am
Well said BobDog