GOP Congressman Westmoreland (R-Ga.) calls Obama "Uppity"

This was something that didn’t get much play at the time, but which does seem to encapsulate many of the Republican party’s former and current attacks against Obama – i.e., that he’s “uppity”, a racially-charged term most often used against blacks in America thought not to “know their place”. voices.washingtonpost.com/the-tr … calls.html

Westmoreland subsequently tried to say that “uppity” as he used it was a race-neutral term. times-herald.com/Local/Westm … as–541045

But when was the last time that anybody ever used “uppity” without it having a clear racial context? Much in the way that calling black men “boy” gives great offense, calling a black person “uppity” has too long of history mostly used as the first half of a commonly used expression for any black person hoping to rise up, get educated and make something of themselves.

ajc.com/travel/content/opini … nform_artr

[quote]Most people who were born and raised in the South know the rest of the phrase Rep. Lynn Westmoreland (R-Ga.) was using when he recently referred to Sen. Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle, as elitist and “uppity.”

The phrase “uppity (N-word)” was used to let a black person know he was out of his “place.”

It was used on black people during the civil rights movement, who refused to give up seats on buses and who moved into segregated neighborhoods, as well as black people who used proper English. It was likely the last phrase heard by freedom riders in Mississippi before they were killed and buried in an earthen dam.

And it was the phrase I heard one day during the 1960s in southwest Atlanta when my grandmother became one of the first black families to move into what was then a predominantly white neighborhood.[/quote]

To date, not a single GOP official has spoken publicly against Westmoreland’s statements, and Westmoreland remains unapologetic. What has happened to the “Party of Lincoln”.

Another item to add to my growing list of examples of Republican racism.

It sounds bad, but I have to say I can’t remember ever hearing the word spoken where I come from. Can’t really attest to how it’s used down there. Be interested in hearing what some southerners think.

It’s old racist jargon, no doubt about it.

Uppity can mean a lot of things

urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=uppity

[quote]1. uppity
Taking liberties or assuming airs beyond one’s place in a social heirarchy. Assuming equality with someone higher up the social ladder.
Mr. Smith does not allow his subordinates to address him by his first name, it shows uppityness and he will put you in your place with a good tongue lashing.

  1. uppity
    arrogant, concited, snobbish
    I can’t stand these uppity bastards.

  2. uppity
    snobby people, usually rich (and proud of it) they usually never know it.[/quote]

And of course there’s the famous use of uppity to mean black people demanding the right to vote.

There is some doubt in this case and he done lent my Pa his pickup truck and rifles, so rather than crucifixion I’d probably just nail one of his feet to the floor so that he walks round in circles. Next!

Westmoreland, too, points to the dictionary, although for those of us who have spent significant periods of time in former slaveholding states, the term “uppity” has a very specific meaning made clear by it being spoken as “uppity negro” or “uppity n*gger”. The term being used in this instance about an African-American tends to indicate that this is what Westmoreland was trying to communicate.

If anybody can find race-neutral uses of “uppity” in actual speech and writing (not mere hypothetical examples), then I’d like to see some. But in the meanwhile, the GOPpers seem to just love using it to refer to African-Americans:

ajc.com/metro/content/shared … the_w.html

[quote]Goddard was just back from the Republican National Convention in St. Paul.

This is the sound clip sent to us by the Telegraph. Here’s what Goddard said:

“I’ll tell you one thing, I think we’re going to have a very, very strong, capable president in John McCain. Last night, Newt Gingrich disarmed a very uppity newscaster who tried to question him on the capabilities and leadership of Governor Palin. There’s simply no comparison between a governor and a community organizer….”

Now, you could say that Goddard was referring to media elitism, a topic that was all the rage up in St. Paul last week. Then again, you could also say that Ron Allen, the MSNBC reporter in question, is African-American.[/quote]

I’ve been searching for race-neutral uses by one person calling another “uppity” without there being a clear “white-southern-person-calling-black-person-uppity” scenario with no luck yet.

MFG- There you go getting all uppity and shit.
You want it in writing, well the people that use that kind of talk aren’t exactly into literature , I doubt if any of them ever wrote anything down, let alone put it on a blog somewhere.

I’m talking about Appalachia, Small hick towns were the people live in tarpaper shacks and work the mines. The term was used occasionally in reference to blacks, but much more often it wasn’t. Usually it was used by elders talking to younger people. Mothers or Fathers, aunts or uncles, and sometimes teachers. I can remember quite a few teachers using that line on me. Boy, don’t be getting all uppity on me.
Also they would use the expression "don’t get above your raisin’ ".
Maybe it’s changed there, I haven’t been back to that area in 25 years, but back in the 60’s and 70’s, when I was coming up through school, that term was used alot, and not just in reference to black people.

By the way, I’m not a GOP’er, and I supported Obama. I have no idea if the guy that said it meant it to be racial or not. He may have, but that don’t mean that people use that term are always being racially derogatory.

MFG- There you go getting all uppity and shit.
You want it in writing, well the people that use that kind of talk aren’t exactly into literature , I doubt if any of them ever wrote anything down, let alone put it on a blog somewhere.[/quote]

I didn’t merely want it in writing by the person’s own hand – a journalist quoting someone saying “uppity” would have sufficed, as would a video clip. Youtube is a popular device used by the young kids these days who are familiar with the “internet” – check it out.

[quote=“bobl”]I’m talking about Appalachia, Small hick towns were the people live in tarpaper shacks and work the mines. The term was used occasionally in reference to blacks, but much more often it wasn’t. Usually it was used by elders talking to younger people. Mothers or Fathers, aunts or uncles, and sometimes teachers. I can remember quite a few teachers using that line on me. Boy, don’t be getting all uppity on me.
Also they would use the expression "don’t get above your raisin’ ".
Maybe it’s changed there, I haven’t been back to that area in 25 years, but back in the 60’s and 70’s, when I was coming up through school, that term was used alot, and not just in reference to black people.[/quote]

This is a lot more useful to the discussion. Although Appalachia is a region and thus it’s a bit harder to pull out the U.S. Census figures, West Virginia (which many acknowledge as being smack dab in the middle) is one of the whitest states in America – more than 94% is white, putting their population right up there with states like Vermont, Maine and New Hampshire. It also has one of the smallest black populations – 3.3% verus 12.8% for the population of America as a whole. It could be a struggle for someone in Appalachia to find a black guy to call “uppity”.

To put that in a bit of context, New York’s black population is more than 17% and Georgia’s is about 29%.

However, in the context of two Georgia politicians in one day commenting on black persons as “uppity” I’ll tend to figure it’s not race neutral.

I’ve heard the term “uppity” used to describe women who have ambition as well. I’ve never heard it used as a compliment. Basically, it is a word that says more about the opinions of the person saying it that it does about the person they’re speaking about.
I don’t think many (I would say any, but in America you can find 1 or 2 of everything) people who grew up after the civil rights movement or the feminist movement of the 1970’s would use this term. “Uppity” is a word used by people who believe certain classes of humans (non-white and non-male, specifically) don’t deserve equal rights. Let me guess, Congressman Westmoreland is OLD, an old relic who no longer understand the country he purports to serve.

In 10 years or so, the voting bloc that put his kind into office will shrink in numbers, not because people change their opinions, but because they will have died of old age. They will be outnumbered by a younger generation of voters who grew up believing that racial and gender equality are the normal and right state of things. As they die out, they shall not be replaced, and amen to that.
:pray:

Some kid wrote: [quote]Let me guess, Congressman Westmoreland is OLD, an old relic who no longer understand the country he purports to serve.[/quote]

And let me guess, you are YOUNG, very young. My crystal ball is also telling me that you have a liberal arts degree and you teach children. Oh, and you have some Michael Moore books lying around your “pad.”

So far, from the searches, dictionaries and comments so far, we can establish the following:

  1. “Uppity” is not considered a good thing by anybody.

  2. “Uppity”, when used, is overwhelmingly used by southern whites with regards to blacks who don’t “know their (lower) place”.

  3. The exceptions that prove the rule stated at No. 2 are: a) Appalachians who statistically have hardly any black people to look down on will sometimes call each other “uppity”; b) some people who discriminate against women will also sometimes call them “uppity”.