When is a watermelon not food?
"DETROIT, MI -- A "bad call," "racially insensitive," "ignorant" and a "joke gone bad" are some of the social media reactions offered after a probationary Detroit firefighter was fired for bringing the gift of a watermelon adorned with a pink bow to his new firehouse in west Detroit."
"It's tradition for new firefighters to come bearing gifts when they are stationed in a new firehouse, but this firefighter's decision to bring a watermelon to a predominantly black firehouse struck some as a potentially racist move."
"The watermelon has been attributed to demeaning stereotypes connected with black culture."
http://www.mlive.com/news/detroit/in...atermelon.html
The story gets even stranger...
Apparently he's got the support of other black firefighters from his graduating class. Don't know if the support is universal, but it doesn't appear to be an isolated case of one or two people, either. Curious how this will all play out.
Quote:
But Tuesday a social media post by Tadarius Spearman stuck up for Pattinson including a group photo of him with other African-American firefighters.
"Just want to let everyone know he's a real amazing dude and it was all good intentions," he wrote. "And our entire class [[is) supporting him in this. Especially us African-Americans and that's all that needs to be said. Stay up brother. #DFD."
http://www.fox2detroit.com/news/loca...ver-watermelon