Innocent Things That Are Actually Racist

Racism is as American as apple pie. This isn’t a complaint…this time…it is just a fact. It is so ingrained into what we are that we don’t even realize it. As a Black man, I’m not immune to this. As I grew up, I constantly found myself becoming aware of the racist origins of…well…of everything.

The Ice Cream Truck

If you grew up in America, you probably know the familiar tune of the ice cream truck. I still hear the music if I go to certain neighborhoods on a hot summer day. It is fun. It is inviting. It is racist.

I first learned the origins of this racist song in college, around the time I was teaching myself more about Black history than school or even family ever taught me. This was maybe a couple of years after the Chain Hang Low song by Jibbs became a radio hit. I only remember it because the song had the same melody as the ice cream truck song.

Imagine my surprise that both shared a tune with a popular 1916 song called Nigger Love a Watermelon! Ha! Ha! Ha!

The lyrics are just as offensive as the title. They start with Harry C. Browne calling to Black people. “You niggers quit throwin’ them bones and come down and get your ice cream!”