| Origin of the Word 'Picnic' | |||
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| Netlore Archive: A lame email joke contends that the word 'picnic' originated in 'family outings' during which white people lynched African Americans | |||
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Email example contributed by Tim A., 19 April 1999:
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Subject: FW: (Fwd) "PICNIC" This e-mail comes to you as a public service announcement and as information in the form of a little known Black History Fact. This information is in the African American Archives at the Smithsonian Institute. Although not taught in American learning institutions and literature, it is in most Black history professional circles and literature that the origin of the term "picnic" derives from the acts of lynching African-Americans. The word "picnic" is rooted from the whole theme of "Pick A Nigger". This is where individuals would "pic" a Black person to lynch and make this into a family gathering. There would be music and a "picnic". ("Nic" being the white acronym for "nigger"). Scenes of this were in the movie "Rosewood". We should choose to use the word "barbecue" or "outing" instead of the word "picnic". Please forward this e-mail to all of your family and friends and let us educate our people. |
Comments by Carla Homan: This email appears to be a parody of political correctness at its worst. It is false from top to bottom, beginning with the description of the "Black African-American Archives at the Smithsonian Institute," to the claim that whites made a pleasant family event out of lynching African Americans.
You can find the etymology of the word "picnic" by consulting any dictionary. Merriam-Webster Online gives the following origin:
Etymology: G or French; German Picknick, from French pique-nique. Date: 1748Take Our Word for It, an online word-origin magazine, provides a more detailed etymology here. Upon receiving many inquiries about this chain letter, they contacted the Smithsonian Institution. Dr. Alonzo Smith, a research fellow in African-American Studies at the Smithsonian, replied with a detailed debunking, including the following comments:
To attempt to tie lynchings to family outings, where food was served, is to misunderstand the real nature of these events. Rather, they were outbreaks of mass white hysteria, and attempts by groups of Whites to terrorize and brutalize the entire Black communities where they occurred. Often, they were motivated by alleged acts of violence by Blacks against Whites, alleged disrespect and other breaches of Southern racial "etiquette," and on many occasions, victims were chosen at random. Although women and children were frequently present, it is more accurate to view these events as collective psychotic behavior, rather than family outings.– Take Our Word for It, 15 March 1999
The lynching of African Americans by whites is an undeniable horror, but to forward what was probably someone's feeble attempt at humor as though it were real only serves to diminish the seriousness of the matter. This email does, literally, make a joke out of the lynchings of African Americans. If you receive it, better to educate the sender than allow this hoax to continue unchecked.
