Race/racism and the late Prof. Frederic G. Cassidy

[Charles Doyle]

Wilson's mention of Shug Otis reminds me of how, last year while teaching _The Color Purple_, I had such a struggle discouraging the students from pronouncing the character Shug's name so as to rhyme it with "hug."  But then, there really isn't a good way to represent the nickname or common (Southern?) epithet clipped from "sugar" orthographically.

--Charlie
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---- Original message ----
>Date: Thu, 2 Nov 2006 14:59:11 -0500
>From: Wilson Gray <hwgray at GMAIL.COM>
>Subject: Re: Race/racism and the late Prof. Frederic G. Cassidy

>
>sThanks, guys. A really weird aspect of the American variety of racism is that *anyone* can become black merely by saying, "I'm black," and be believed, regardless of what he looks like. A case in point is the late, great, rhythm-&-blues musician and bandleader, Johnny Otis, born to Greek-American parents as Yannis Veliotis, who lived nearly his entire life, from the 'teens on, as a black man. Those who are fans of obscure jazz musicians may be aware of his son, the guitarist, Johnny, Jr., better known as "Shug" Otis, though I can remember when he was still an infant nicknamed "Sugar Boy."

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