Niggers in the White House (1901)

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Niggers in the White House is a poem released between 1901 and 1903, which published in the newspapers aroun the United States. The poem was written in reaction to an October 1901 White House dinner hosted by President Theodore Roosevelt from Republican and invited an African-American presidential adviser, Booker T. Washington as a guest. In 1929, the poem re-appeared after the first Lady Lou Hooverwife of President Herbert Hoover, invited Jessie De Priest, the wife of African-American congressman Oscar De Priest. However, the poet’s identity remains unknown, known also as “unchained poet.”

The poem sparked criticism especially in the South, the word nigger was frequently used (over 20 times) as a term to represent African-American. [1]

Poetry

Six Months Hence

Things at the White House,

Looking mighty curious;

Niggers running everything,

White people furious.

Niggers on the front porch,

Niggers on the gable

‘Niggers in the dinning room;

Niggers at the table.

‘Niggers in the sitting room,

Making all the talk;

Niggers in the ballroom

Doing cakewalk.

Niggers in the East room

Make a mighty throng,

Niggers in the music room

Make coon songs.

Niggers in the hallway

Taking off their wraps

Niggers in the billiards rooms

Shooting game of craps.

Niggers in the storeroom

Packing away their plunder,

Niggers in the bedroom

Snoring like thunder.

Not a room in the White House,

Without a nigger many;

Baby in nursery,

A Nigger pickaninny.

Niggers on the stairway

With very much satiety,

Niggers in the Blue Room

Assembled for society.

Niggers in the front yard,

Niggers in the back;

Niggers on the omnibus,

And niggers come in hack.

On they go to Washington

With a mighty rush;

Forty thousand niggers,

Getting in the push.

There’s trouble in the White House,

More than you can tell

Yelling like wild men,

Niggers raising hell. [2]

Racism Issue

The racist poem was written in 1902 as a reaction to President Roosevelt’s invitation upon Booker T. Washington to the White House. The intention is to mock black people in the United States, who were at that time able to efficiently defend themselves intellectually and economically, even born into slavery. The poem also mentioned the death of Roosevelt due to allowing Washington in the White House. [3]

References

  1. Niggers in the White House. wikipedia.org. Retrieved January 23, 2021
  2. The P Word. January 8, 2014. westviewnews.org. Retrieved January 23, 2021
  3. The P Word. January 8, 2014. westviewnews.org. Retrieved January 23, 2021