How "Dilbert" Racist Rant Impacts the Mixed Race Community
Cartoonist racist comments aren't so Black and White
Did you know comic strips are still a thing?
I didn’t.
Until this week.
As a kid during the late 1980’s, I remember seeing the colorful comic page in my grandma’s Sunday newspaper. While she read obituaries to make sure her name wasn’t listed (nope, I’m not kidding. Maybe she was and I was too young to appreciate her sense of humor), I would scamper away with what she called “the funnies.”
I scanned the sequence of squares where a lazy cat ate lasagna and a bald, lonely boy tried to fit in as much as his lovable beagle.
Oh, and there was another little boy and his tiger. I think the tiger was his imaginary friend or maybe another part of his own personality. I don’t know. Do comics get that deep? Anyways, the twosome’s funny faces and endless antics always made me giggle in my fort apartment behind the sofa.
I vaguely remember two comics at the bottom of the page. One was about a lady dealing with a lot of guilt. The other featured a guy with glasses but no eyes. He always freaked me out a little. Why do you need glasses if you don’t have eyes? Anyways, these two must have been for adults because their jokes were lost on nine-year-old me.
It’s been years since I’ve even seen a comic strip.
But this week, one from the bottom of the page made it to the headlines…and come to find out, no one is laughing.
What’s not so funny?
It wasn’t the cartoon’s humor that fell flat, but rather its creator’s comments. Scott Adams, the creator of the highly successful comic Dilbert about a micromanaged office engineer, shared a recent video where he expressed his opinion to a recent poll.
The poll by Rasmussen Report found that 53% of Black Americans agreed with the statement “It’s okay to be White.” Adams decided to focus on the other 47% in his YouTube video response on February 22, 2023.
In his video, Adams made the following statement (I’ve edited the profanity):
“Nearly half of all Blacks are not okay with White people. That’s a hate group. The best advice I would give White people is to get the “heck” away from Black people. You just have to escape. So that’s what I did. I went to a neighborhood where I have a very low Black population.”
I’m just going to let that sit with you for a second.
Why does Scott Adams’s statement impact Mixed Race people?
Adams was very forthcoming with his opinion and feelings towards Black people.
Ok, but then isn’t this a Black/White issue?
How do his comments affect mixed and biracial people?
Mixed Race and biracial people often have a connection to Black identity. In the US, race is often a very Black or White issue…even if you’re mixed or biracial. With historical laws such as the One Drop Rule, many biracial and mixed-race people have either chosen or been taught to identify as only Black.
Many Mixed Race & biracial people are considered Black even if they have no African heritage. When your skin is dark, it doesn’t always matter what your Ancestry DNA test shows. A person could be from South Asia, the Middle East, South America, or countless other places without any biological or cultural connection to Black identity. However, their deep, rich skin tone is all some need to make assumptions and draw conclusions.
Interracial families often have connections to Black identity. Interracial families are beautifully blended. They are diverse and complex. And they often have ties to Black identity and culture. I receive emails and DMs all the time from White men and women who want to learn more because someone they love, is mixed, biracial, or part of an interracial family unit. And you know, when someone you love hurts, you hurt too.
Comments like Adams are like shotguns. Their devastating impact spreads much wider than their target.
Is Scott Adams Being Canceled or Held Accountable?
As I learned more, I discovered this wasn’t the first time Adams had made broad, hurtful comments toward a group of people. In the past, he’s personally targeted topics and groups from the accuracy of the Holocaust death toll to unvaccinated Covid survivors.
Scott Adam created Dilbert in 1989. Since then, the cartoon has shared its satirical office humor in hundreds of publications. But some have seen Adams’ tone shift from humorous to hurtful.
In 2022, thirty-three years after it debuted, Adam created Dave, the Black Engineer (yes, that’s the character’s name). Dave was the first Black co-worker in Dilbert’s office. His purpose - to make fun of diversity in the workplace.
To date, Dilbert has been dropped from virtually every publication and Adams’s publisher has canceled his upcoming book. While the Dilbert creator is claiming he’s being canceled for his opinions, others are saying he’s finally being held accountable for his actions. NPR quoted Hilary Fitzgerald Campbell, a cartoonist for The New Yorker
"I'm proud and happy to see publishers, magazines, and newspapers are dropping him because there should be no tolerance for that kind of language. It's a relief to see him held accountable.” (npr.org)
The Heart of the Matter
The more I reflected on this story, the more I was reminded of Matthew 12:34
But out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks.
Matthew 12:34
Scott Adams is a lesson for all of us. Not just to watch what we say. This isn’t about minding our words, although words matter and what we say is important.
This issue goes straight to the heart.
Our words are a reflection of what’s stored in our hearts.
Which is why we all need a heart check from time to time. It’s easy to allow our opinions, biases, and convictions to build walls rather than bridges.
Let’s Get Personal…
Friend, what is your heart saying about people who are different than you? It’s easy to look at this trending news story and others like it and quickly draw our own opinions and assumptions. BUT what about our own hearts? If you think your heart is fine, pay attention to the words you say, jokes you laugh at, and social media accounts you follow. Ask yourself if they are building people up or tearing them down.
Pray about it. Ask God to show you where your heart might need some attention. Ask Him to forgive you for the way you’ve treated those who aren’t like you. Finally, allow Him to help you see others through His eyes.
Your words, stories, experiences & comments matter! Leave them below to start the convo.
I’m cheering for you!
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A Little Something Extra…
Each week, I like to share a little something extra, something I’ve found fun or helpful. It might be a post, book, podcast, tv show, movie, song, Bible verse…or something else I think you’ll enjoy.
Meet Tyler
I first heard of Tyler from a mutual friend who was posting about his new book. I’m not sure if it was her post, the book title, or the fact that he was from Las Vegas that caught my attention, but whatever it was I’m forever thankful.
I downloaded Tyler’s memoir, I Take My Coffee Black. Before I finished chapter one, I knew I wanted to listen to Tyler tell his own story via audible. There’s just something about when an author reads their own audiobook, am I right? Plus Tyler adds a lot of extras in the Audible version!
I Take My Coffee Black is a memoir of sorts. In it, Tyler shares his life & experiences, what it’s like to be a six-foot-two Black man with locs who’s often stereotyped as threatening, and how proximity to people who are different than us can be the cure for racism.
Have you ever loved a book so much that you hesitated to read or listen to the last chapter? That’s this book! It immediately became one of my favorite books EVER!
My First Giveaway - Enter to WIN!!!
That’s right! I love this book SO much that I want to gift one of you with your own copy.
It’s super easy to enter:
1 - Subscribe to Mixed.ology (if you’re not already)
2 - Share this post.
3 - Follow Mixed.ology & Tyler Merritt on Instagram
That’s it!
But Wait… There’s MORE!
One lucky winner will not only get Tyler’s memoir but ALSO his new children’s book, A Door Made for Me, which recounts Tyler’s first childhood experience with racism. He refers to the incident in chapter 2 of ITMCB. So this is a pair the whole family can learn from and enjoy!
Good Luck! The winner will be announced on Thursday, March 9, 2023.