Dan Rather Apologizes for 'Watermelons' Comment (He really meant to say 'Fried Chicken')

NewsBusters ^ | March 10, 2010 | Goeffrey Dickens

[Zakeet]

HDNet's Dan Rather, in a piece for the Huffington Post, apologized for his use of the word "watermelons" during a segment about Barack Obama's ability to pass health care, that was aired on the March 8 Chris Matthews Show. In his explanation Rather offers his Texas background as an excuse saying, "I used the analogy of selling watermelons by the side of the road. It's an expression that stretches to my boyhood roots in Southeast Texas" but then goes on to plead "I'm sorry people took offense."

The following is the most relevant portion of the statement, from the former CBS Evening News anchor, as it appears in The Huffington Post:

I was talking about Obama and health care and I used the analogy of selling watermelons by the side of the road. It's an expression that stretches to my boyhood roots in Southeast Texas, when country highways were lined with stands manned by sellers of all races. Now of course watermelons have become a stereotype for African Americans and so my analogy entered a charged environment. I'm sorry people took offense.

But anyone who knows me personally or knows my professional career would know that race was not on my mind. Reporting on the injustices of race was part of the reason I became a reporter. I grew up in segregated Texas on the same side of the tracks as the African American community. At the time, enlightened people called them Negros. Many people called them much worse. When I covered the Civil Rights movement, I saw sheer hatred in ways that still haunt and shock me. For doing my small part in reporting on the South in the 1960s, I was called a traitor to my roots and other names not fit for print. I was threatened with death by people who would have welcomed me to their church on Sunday on account of my white skin if they didn't know what I was there to do. I do not take this issue lightly.

I can understand why someone who just happened upon my comments could take offense or want clarification. But what has caused this comment to "go viral" is the trumpeting of an online and cable echo chamber that claims the banner of news but trades in gossip, gotcha, and innuendo. Furthermore, even for those who brook no prejudice, when everything is condensed to 140 characters or a small YouTube clip, many people who got this "news" did so without any context, just a headline that popped up on their phone or inbox.

For the full piece visit The Huffington Post.

[YHAOS]

Won’t wash, Rather. You simply reaffirm that Liberals are racist. Always have been.

[kenmcg]

Sorry Dan all your apologies won’t conceal that you be a racist!!

[TankerKC]

But anyone who knows me personally or knows my professional career would know that race was not on my mind.

I beg to differ.

[swain_forkbeard]

What did he originally say? I’ve been looking but can’t find.

[Deo volente]

I'm sorry people took offense.

Translation: I'm sorry that some people are so deeply racist that they would consider an innocent Texas expression about watermelons to be a racist comment. These people should be ashamed of themselves.

[dead]

But anyone who knows me personally or knows my professional career would know that race was not on my mind. Reporting on the injustices of race was part of the reason I became a reporter. I grew up in segregated Texas on the same side of the tracks as the African American community. At the time, enlightened people called them Negros. Many people called them much worse. When I covered the Civil Rights movement, I saw sheer hatred in ways that still haunt and shock me. For doing my small part in reporting on the South in the 1960s, I was called a traitor to my roots and other names not fit for print. I was threatened with death by people

Somebody wake me when he's done typing...

The lady do^th protest too much.

[hecht]

what does watermelons have to do with Obama? He was raised in whitelandia by his white mother. BTW how did he magically develop that “black” accent?

[green pastures]

As much as I hate to give Dan a pass, I, too, don’t care much for the speech police. Additionally, people seem to be so easily ready to take offense.

Maybe when the weather warms up a bit he can join Biden and Obama in the rose garden for a beer— or some watermelon whine.

[TChris]

Tone deaf as always, huh Dan?

[MrB]

Steve Dunham was a very bitter child because he felt ostracized by blacks and whites as he grew up.

He couldn’t “appear white”, so he overcompensated and spent his life hating whitey.

[Buckhead]

Good one.

[ConservativeDude]

Well, if that isn’t the pot calling the kettle black!”

RACIST!

[TankerKC]

Good one.

We have Billy to thank, 'cuz that is 100% authentic.

[reagandemocrat]

Old Dogs, Children, and Watermelon Wine.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7HU-C4Wost8

[libertarian27]

Two-Fer

(Even has an Asian theme to throw Tom Hanks into the mix:)

[crosshairs]

He really meant fried chicken AND watermelon.

[reagandemocrat]

Nice to see you two FReeper legends here.

RD

[green pastures]

Ah, good ol’ Tom T...

:-)

[I Buried My Guns]

I moved to TX 8 years ago from (what I now realize to be) a very racist and hateful part of CA. You know, the part with people in it. Many of the folks around me in CA were quiet and vehement about their racist beliefs and you would never know until an unguarded moment what really dwelled in them folks' hearts. Of course, they never rubbed elbows with black people, except for Steve, the mainframe guy (example), and had no valid reason to hold the beliefs they did, as they were based on ignorance rather than real world experience.

Anyway, having been raised in that environment, and having no real experience with black folks either save for that Ice-T video with the girl shaking her butt, I was entirely unprepared the day I saw a black guy at the side of the road selling watermelons from his pickup. I did a double take, burned a 180, and went back to get a closer look at this rarified specimen. Turns out he is a small farmer in the area. He sells what he grows, and at that point in the season, it was watermelon for sale. He works hard. I restrained myself for asking for a photo of him in front of his truck, (because that would have been awesome!) but I really did open my mind and learn something that day: Liberals from CA are close minded pricks!.

This occured on the road to Bryan, about 40 miles south, almost to highway 290. Apparently he is still there.

[VRWCmember]

I have no doubt that farmers sell their produce on the side of the road. In fact, I have seen folks do that out of the bed of their pickup trucks - especially in southern Texas. But I have never heard that expression as Dan Ra^ther put it.