What do you think of "Little Black Sambo"?

Question

Hi everyone,
I loved this story as a child, and my son does, too. Is it offensive, and should I be reading it to my child?
Thanks in advance!

Answer 1

I read it as a lil' kid in the 1950's, and I looked up to Sambo very sincerely. But I guess it'd be incorrect with today's standards, regardless of how innocent it is.

Answer 2

Sorry to place a question within a question, but I have only heard the story read once. Is it the story where Sambo get washed white at the end for being so "good"? If it is, and I do say IF cos I'm not sure, then that is where the offence lies for obvious reasons. That, and the fact that "Sambo" is use as a racially aggressive word today.

Anyway, I hope someone will answer my question (while answering the main one of course) so can participate in this debate a little more intelligently.

Answer 3

I'm surprised you found a copy of the book 'Little Black Sambo' and I'd love to have a copy of it (I'll look on Amazon) ... it was 'removed from publication' many years ago, because many 'black people' found the use of the word 'black' in describing Sambo to be 'offensive.' I'm sorry, but I find it NOT AT ALL OFFENSIVE, because didn't Sambo 'outsmart' the tiger by 'running so fast' that the tiger turned into butter while chasing him? But, since 'black people' find is 'offensive' I suppose I must at least 'try' to think of it as being 'offensive' too ... but if your son 'enjoys the story' I think that if you tell him that the 'color black' is not as important as the 'fact' that the 'little boy named Sambo' was so much 'smarter' than the tiger you should be 'okay' reading it to him.

Answer 4

I think the problem lies in the fact that Sambo is a racial slur. It doesn't matter how innocent the book is (being a child's book), it is a known fact that that word was -and still is!- used in a derogatory manner. That would be like saying "Little Black Pickan****". Totally uncool. The young boy was a caricature of what a "black" person is supposed to look like. That is also perpetuating a horrible stereotype that blacks are less than human or resemble animals. Do you want your child to think this about other human beings?
If you are adamant to read this book to your son, please do some investigation. People who have responded seem to think it's an innocent, "cutsie" story where Sambo outsmarts the tiger, but there are much deeper issues. Find out the real purpose behind the story - what were the intentions of the writer? Certainly not to make a cute story. They were deliberately being mean to blacks and people of African decent. There is a reason this book is out of print! It carries with it a long painful history with it...one that black Americans don't quickly forget.
I would say that it's *really* offensive. I gasped when I read that you actually shared this with your child....YIKES!

Answer 5

It's ok to read as long as he is old enough to understand that it is outdated. It might even be a good way to talk about those sorts of issues. There's plenty that's racist in The Chrnoicles of Narnia, or the Just So Stories, or old Warner Bros. cartoons, and we just have to explain.

A smart kid will get it, and appreciate learning it.

Incidently, read or see the play "Spinning Into Butter" it's a play about labels and accidental racism that quotes a Little Sambo story. Good play.

Answer 6

Frankly, the story is entertaining and the characters are not portrayed in an offensive manner. Sambo is resourceful and outsmarts the tigers. It is often forgotten that the characters are Indian and not African as a lot of people think.

Answer 7

It's a difficult one. I have this book and I enjoyed it as a child and it certainly didn't make me racist or make me think racism is alright - i think it was explained to me by my parents that the representation of black people in it was, for good reason, considered offensive by today's standards but as a story it is good and also as a piece of historical evidence showing the way that attitudes have changed (for the better).

Answer 8

I found a copy of it on Amazon and think that it is OK to read it if you explain why it can be seen as politically incorrect. Personally I hate PC being taken too far - I'm really happy that I have my Mum's copies of Enid Blyton books from the 60's as they are notoriously un-pc - I think all new one's published have been edited. Such books are useful as historical artifacts of how people used to think and can teach that it is not acceptable today - plus some of it is just plain funny.

Answer 9

My husband and I have this same discussion over Mexico's Memín Pinguin. The problem with both characters is the dehumanizing physical portrayal. In much the same way that Jews were made to resemble rats in Hitler's Germany, black characters are made to look like monkeys in both of these depictions. THAT is where the offense lies, not in how clever or unclever the character is. It builds walls between ethnic groups by exaggerating distinctions and making one set of characteristics look sillier and abnormal.

Answer 10

I have had little to do with this character already being out of favour in my upbringing. I think the racial flippancy from what ive read is distasteful and unnecessary. Much like the gollywogs in noddy if the stories were that strong you could change him to little man samuel and have them all be green in a teletubbies way. While books like this may not trigger racism, they do fuel it and legitimise unrealistic associations in children.