Re-"uppity"

[Laurence Horn]

Someone else who observes, and more eloquently than I did below, that
calling a black man--particularly one running for national
office--"uppity" is not as racially innocent as was claimed by Rep.
Westmoreland (and "the dictionary"):
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/22/opinion/22observer.html

LH


>Date:         Sat, 6 Sep 2008 20:18:34 -0400
>Reply-To: American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
>Sender: American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
>From: Laurence Horn <laurence.horn at YALE.EDU>
>Subject:      Re: uppity
>
>At 2:45 PM -0700 9/6/08, Susan Tamasi wrote:
>>I'm trying to do some research on the word "uppity" and it's racial
>>connotation.
>>
>>>>From yesterday's TheHill.com: "Georgia Republican Rep. Lynn
>>>Westmoreland is standing by his statement that Barack Obama is
>>>'uppity,' claiming that he has never heard of the term being
>>used in a 'racially derogatory sense'."
>>
>>Having grown up in the South, I've always known (or felt) that
>>"uppity" is derogatory when used to describe an African American.
>>The term "uppity nigger" definitely rings in my ears when I
>>hear the word. When I heard of Westmoreland's gaff, I almost choked.
>>However, in conversations with other white folk over the last couple
>>of days, it seems that this connotation is only
>>known by about half. Some claim that it is a neutral term which
>>simply refers to "snobby" or "elite", as Westmoreland claims.
>>
>>I'm trying to figure out how widespread the "racially derogatory
>>sense" actually is as well as when "uppity" took on this
>>connotation. I have some ideas, but I wanted to your get your
>>thoughts.
>>
>I had always understood "uppity" to be used of those who (because of
>class, sex, or more generally race/ethnicity) did not "know their
>place", e.g. by running on a ticket for national office.  No doubt
>Westmoreland's remark won't do any damage to the Republican ticket in
>Georgia, despite the presence of a woman on it.  It is a bit scary,
>though, given what has traditionally been done to rectify the problem
>of someone being uppity.
>
>LH
>
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