"Sure, I'm Sensitive": article draft by Roosevelt Fitzgerald

SURE, I'M SENSITIVE BY ROOSEVELT FITZGERALD
"Free at Last. Free at Last. Thank God Almight, we're free at last." Those words, uttered by the late Dr. Martin Luther King in front of the Lincoln Memorial of Washington, D.C. on the occasion of the 1963 civil rights movement's "March on Washington," has come to epitomize the goals of the civil rights movement.
Between Saturday morning, May 14, 1988, and Monday evening, May 23, 1988, without any thought of doing a scientific poll, I asked 366 people the following question: "What is the first that that occurs to you when you hear; 'Free at Last'?" The following is a composit of the responses I received. One man had this to say: "When I hear 'Free at Last' the first thing that comes to my mind is something which occurred just over two years ago. My ex-wife re-married and I was finally free at last from paying alimony." Another fellow who had recently been released from Soledad Prison after having served eight years on an armed robbery conviction associated the phrase with the date of his release. Someone else was happy to be free of debt for the first time in years. One young man simply said; "TGIG." A female acquaintance remembered being "free from a creep she had been in an abusive relationship with for almost four years." Another person thought of something that would not happen until November and not go into effect until January of next year. One fellow associated it with an enema freeing him of constipation. One of my students thought of the Civil War and another of being free of trouble and yet another free of exams.
351 of the 366, however, like myself, were reminded of the speech delivered by Dr. Martin Luther King. Some of the respondents reported to have thought of Dr. King with the mention of the word free. Others, without my solicitation, felt compelled to recite portions of the speech. The respondents were of all races.
In conducting my unscientific survey, I realized after the first dozen
-2-
or so queries that, unconsciously, my tone and phrasing of the three words served as memory exciters. Upon realizing that I was indeed generating or at least prompting the desired response, I began to consciously ask the question in a super monotone. The responses, however, continued as before.
What prompted my poll was an Associated Press piece which, appeared in a local newspaper having to do with an event in Atlanta, Georgia. The article ran approximately 500 words with a captioned picture. The picture shows a 460 pound gorilla who is at least 27 years old. The caption underneath reads: "FREE AT LAST--After spending 27 years in a small enclosure, the lowland gorilla Willie B. ventures out into a new $4.5 million simulated rain forest in Zoo Atlanta on Friday." (May 13,1988—that's Friday the 13th).
For years, there have been some among us who have chosen to equate black people to monkeys. A standard description has been "jungle bunnies." The historical association of a race of people to primates has been the cause of a great deal of laughter for some and grief for others. All in good fun, of course. The fact that this particular gorilla is named Willie B. becomes significant as it relates to many other factors which individually might appear innocent enough.
Black people have been described as being far too sensitive on these matters. A few years ago when I first heard of the gorilla being named Willie B. I was offended but I said and did nothing because I was certain someone would say; "you're being too sensitive." I kept my mouth shut. Still, why couldn't the gorilla have been named Trixie or Trigger or Fido or Spot or some other equally innocuous name that could not'possibly be offensive to anyone? I knew a fellow who owned a german shepard that he called Adolph and that offended me. Someone else had a black cocker spaniel that they called "Nig" and that definitely offended me. A fellow down the street from where I lived in South Bend, Indiana had a yellow dog that he called "Chink" and that
-3-
offended me too. I was more offended when no one else seemed offended but I never doubted the rationality of my own feelings. With Willie B. the gorilla, the only white guys I've ever heard of being named Willie is Willie Nelson, Willie Shoemaker and Willie of "Willie and Joe" World War II comic fame.
Willie, like Beaulah Mae, Leroy (few Hispanic exceptions) and a few others, are unofficial black names. Ok. Disagree if you want to.
Willie B. the gorilla arrived at the Atlanta zoo in 19j61. Do you remember what it was like in Georgia in 1961? The whole state had pretty much the same racial attitude as that found in Cummings, Georgia today--"we hate negroes." In 1961 when the gorilla was given that name, it was probably given by some neo nazi type with an active klan mentality which is pre-neanderthan and who's idea of good fun was lynching the first black man who was handy or cutting open some pregnant black woman's stomach and stomping on the fetus. Others who were there and associated with the zoo probably got a good laugh out of it. The gorilla had nothing to do with it. Gorillas, fortunately, have sense enough not to be racists.
After 27 years it's too late to call the gorilla by any other name. Both it and we are stuck-with that. However, even on a slow Wednesday in 1988 in Atlanta, Georgia, the final resting place of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., one would think that to use such a caption with such a picture of such a gorilla with such a name—five weeks after the 20 year anniversary of the assassination of Dr. King when the air ways had been recently filled with exerpts of his "March on Washington" speech, that the author had to have conscious malicious intent. No doubt about it and I'm not being "too sensitive." In fact, I'm not being sensitive enough.
I don't know how many more of these "little slips" I can accommodate.
Bu
as
Zoo Atlanta officials, is the most
advanced gorilla habitat at any
zoo. Named the Ford African
Rain Forest and built with $1
million from the automaker, it’s
the latest stage in a $26 million
renovation at the 99-year-old zoo.
The exhibit will open to the
Last month, Willie B. was
moved from his tile-walled, steelbarred
cage — his home since he
arrived at the zoo in 1961 — into
the new indoor quarters he will
use for sleep and shelter.
After five weeks to grow accus-
■iCU
judged
R.
quick!
vincedj
compel
the del
Sial
Th«nj
womsq
page!
he suE
bodied
Just four years ago, the U.S.
Humane Society named the zoo
One of the nation’s worst. The
U.S. Department of Agriculture
slapped sanctions on the zoo for
poor record-keeping on animal
care. The deaths of star animals
made national headlines and political
turmoil gripped the cityowned
attraction.
In 1985, Maple, a Georgia Tech
animal behavior specialist who
helped turn around the New Orleans
zoo, was named director,
and operations were handed to a
non-profit agency. Maple took to
calling Zoo Atlanta "the world’s
next great zoo,” and proceeded to
convert the old facility into a
modem, natural animal habitat
Associated
Demos
runner M
der attac
Friday as
fense ant
Massachi
to come i
for fightii
Dukakj
the adnfl
negotiatiS
Panamafl
Noriega fl
iega is fl
United
Thevfl
"I said K
it." But fl
to see
brought fl
Bushfl
Aircraftfl
Calif.,
is the fl
ing.” Hfl
only slifl
they VW
strategic#
in
abandofl
prograsfl
his h^ad.
As reporters and photographers
patched from behind trees and
across a protective moat, the 30-
year-old lowland gorilla stepped
hesitantly into his new outdoor
quarters, a $4.5 million simulated
rain forest where he will live near
13 other gorillas and a host of
other apes. .
Skeptical of those watching
him, he spent almost an hour
stepping back and forth from his
enclosed shelter before he seemed
secure enough to run atop his hill,
scamper for food and begin ripping
down tree limbs.
“I think he has responded well.
He came through. He seems to be
enjoying his environment,”
beaming Zoo Atlanta Director
Terry Maple said.
« Associated Press
FREE AT LAST - After spending 27 years in a ventures out into a new $4.5 million simulated
small enclosure, the lowlands gorilla Willie B. rain forest in Zoo Atlanta on Friday.
day, Ja
war pla
scribed]
nor as!
from Ba
Aliq
were ■
prize ol more ia
Jul
Willie B. hears call of wild
Gorilla swaps tile cell for green grass, open sky
Associated Press
ATLANTA — Willie B. found
it’s a jungle out there.
Zoo Atlanta’s famous gorilla
saw something Friday he hasn’t
seen since he was captured in Africa
27 years ago: green grass beneath
his feet and open sky above tomed to the enclosure, with his
keeper of 14 years often sleeping . public June 11.
nearby to keep him company, he
was allowed to roam free. Zoo officials
don’t know if he can remember
being outdoors.
In a physical last month, Willie
weighed in at 460 pounds, about
60 pounds overweight, but not
too bad after 25 years in a cage,
Maple said.
For now, Willie will live in an
area of his own, adjacent to three
"families” of gorillas on loan from
Emory University’s Yerkes Primate
Research Center. They’re
all separated to prevent fights.
Zoo officials hope that within a
year, he can be introduced ty another
gorilla — probably a female,
with whom they hope he’ll
breed.
The new exhibit, according to
8A/La* Vegas Revlew-Joumal/Saturday, May 14, 1988
The SENTINEL-VOICE, June 9. 1988 5
Vegas
I don’t know how many
more of these ‘‘little slips” I
can accommodate.
other equally innocuous
name that could not possibly
be offensive to anyone? I
knew a fellow who owned a
German shepherd that he
called Adolph and that offended
me. Someone else
had a black cocker spaniel
that they called ''Nip” and
The gorilla had nothing to do
with it. Gorillas, fortunately,
have sense enough not to be
racists.
After 27 years it’s too late
to call the gorilla by any other
name. Both it and we are
stuck with that. However,
even on a slow Wednesday in
1988 in Atlanta, Georgia, the
final resting place of Dr.
Martin Luther King, Jr., one
would think that to use such
a caption with such a picture
of such a gorilla with such a
name — five weeks after the
20 year anniversary of the
assassination of Dr. King
when the airways had been
recently filled with excerpts
of his ‘‘March on Washington”
speech, that the author
had to have conscious malicious
intent. No doubt about
it and I’m not being “too
sensitive.” In fact, I'm not
being sensitive enough.
by
Roosevelt Fitzgerald
"Free at last. Free at last.
Thank God Almighty, we’re
free at last." Those words,
uttered by the late Dr. Martin
Luther King in front of the
Lincoln Memorial of Washington,
D O. on the occasion
of the 1963 civil rights movement's
"March on Washington,"
has come to epitomize
the goals of the civil rights
movement.
Between Saturday morning
May 14, 1988, and Monday
evening, May 23, 1988,
without any thought of doing
a scientific poll, I asked 366
people the following question:
"What is the first thing
that occurs to you when you
hear 'Free at last’?" The following
is a composite of the
responses l received.
One man had this to say:
“When I hear ‘Free at last’
the first thing that comes to
my mind is something which
occurred just over two years
ago. My ex-wife re-married
and I was finally free at last
from paying alimony.”
Another fellow who had recently
been released from
Soledad Prison after having
served eight years on an
armed robbery conviction associated
the phrase with the
date of his release.
Someone else was happy
to be free of debt for the first
time in years. One young
man simply said: “TGIF.”
A female acquaintance remembered
being “free from,
a creep she had been in an
abusive relationship with for
almost four years.” Another
person thought of something
that would not happen until
November and not go into effect
until January of next
year. One fellow associated it
with an enema freeing him of
constipation. One of my students
thought of the Civil
War and another of being
free of trouble and yet another
free of exams.
Three hundred fifty-one of
the 366, however, like myself,
were reminded of the
speech delivered by Dr. Martin
Luther King. Some of the
respondents reported to have
thought of Dr. King with the
mention of the word free.
Others, without my solicitation,
felt compelled to recite
portions of the speech. The
respondents were of all
races.
that definitely offended me.
A fellow down the street from
where I lived in South Bend,
Indiana had a yellow dog that
he called “Chink” and that
offended me, too. I was more
offended when no one else
seemed offended but I never
doubted the rationality of my
own feelings. With Willie B.
the gorilla, the only white
boys’I’ve ever heard of being
named Willie is Willie Nelson,
Willie Shoemaker and Willie
of “Willie and Joe” World
War II comic fame. Willie,
like Beaulah Mae, Leroy
(few Hispanic exceptions)
and a few others, are unofficial
black names. Ok. Disagree
if you want to.
Willie B. the gorilla arrived
at the Atlanta Zoo in 1961.
Do you remember what it was
like in Georgia in 1961? The
whole state had pretty much
the same racial attitude as
that found in Cummings,
Georgia today — "we hate
negroes.” In 1961 when the
gorilla was given that name,
it was probably given by
some nazi-type with an
active klan mentality which
is pre-neanderthal and
whose idea of good fun was
lynching the first black man
who was handy or cutting
open some pregnant black
woman's stomach and
stomping on the fetus. Others
who were there and associated
with the zoo probably
got a good laugh out of it.
In conducting my unscien- <
title survey, I realized after i
the first dozen or so queries l
that, unconsciously, my tone 1
and phrasing of the three |
words served as memory ex- i
citors. Upon realizing that I '
was indeed generating or at
least prompting the desired
response, I began to conciously
ask the question in a
super monotone. The responses,
however, continued
as before.
What prompted my poll
was an Associated Press
piece which appeared in a
local newspaper having to do
with an event in Atlanta,
Georgia. The article ran approximately
500 words with a
captioned picture. The picture
shows a 460 pound gorilla
who is at least 27 years
old. The caption underneath
reads: “FREE AT LAST—
after spending 27 years in a
small enclosure, the lowland
gorilla Willie B. ventures out
into a new $4.5 million simulated
rain forest in Zoo Atlanta
on Friday." (May 13,
1988—that’s Friday the
13th.)
For years, there have been
some among us who have
chosen to equate black people
to monkeys, A standard
description has been “jungle
bunnies. " The historical association
of a race of people
to primates has been the
cause of a great deal of
laughter for some and grief
for others. All in good fun, of
course. The fact that this
particular gorilla is named
Willie B. becomes significant
as it relates to many other
factors which individually
might appear innocent
enough.
Black people have been
described as being far too
sensitive on these matters. A
few years ago when I first
heard of the gorilla being
named Willie B. I was offended
but I said and did nothing
because I was certain someone
would say, “you're
being too sensitive.” I kept
my mouth shut. Still, why
couldn’t, the gorilla have
been named Trixie or Trigger
or Fido or Soot or some
Professor
Fitzgerald is
director of ethnic
studies at
University of
Nevada-Las