I heard many years ago that pic nic, was a derogatory term for African Americans. I did not research this term, but understood that it referred to finding and killing a black person, and then having a Pic nic. Maybe someone else knows exactly what the historical significance is of this word. Anita >From: Debra Jackson/Harold Forsythe <[log in to unmask]> >Reply-To: Discussion of research and writing about Virginia history > <[log in to unmask]> >To: [log in to unmask] >Subject: Re: Violent holidays (was Re: Juneteenth) >Date: Sat, 23 Jun 2007 10:52:03 -0400 > >In the African-American community events do not require official sanction. >Given the history of repugnance among whites to the presence of blacks, if >black people chose to attend a public place on a particular day, it would >become part of the unofficial telegraph of the white people to avoid that >place on that day. Assuming only that the facts stipulated below are true >about the National Zoo, it is easy to see how that particular day became a >blacks only day at the Zoo. > >In this regard, in one of her early novels, I think it is Sula, Toni >Morrison makes a similar point. Early in the history of a small Ohio town, >the people in the black district proposed that a central street in their >area be called Doctor Street, because the only black doctor in town lived >and practiced on that street. The town fathers, of course, rejected this >suggestion. Thereafter, the street was always known locally as "not >Doctor's Street." > >Harold S. Forsythe >----- Original Message ----- From: "Ray Terry" <[log in to unmask]> >To: <[log in to unmask]> >Sent: Friday, June 22, 2007 7:28 PM >Subject: Re: Violent holidays (was Re: Juneteenth) > > >>In a message dated 6/22/2007 6:58:15 PM Eastern Daylight Time, >>[log in to unmask] writes: >> >>>Didn't the National Park Service have to cancel its annual African >>>American >>> >>>Family Day at the National Zoo in DC because of all the shootings and >>>rapes >>>that occurred each year during that event? >>> >>>By the way, where does the National Park Service get the right to limit >>>the >>> >>>use of a national park, the National Zoo, to only members of a designated >>>minority group anyway? >>> >>>Basil >>> >>> >>--- >> >>The annual African American Family Day at the National Zoo in DC has >>existed >>for more than 100 years as an informal community tradition. In 1993, it >>was >>made an official event. >> >>The Zoo does not exclude others (just as the US does not exlude >>non-secretaries during National Secretaries Day). >> >>There was an incident in 2000 of youth gangs having an altercation at the >>Zoo >>which was pretty bad. >> >>(BTW, we have a Japanese friend, from Japan, who wanted to visit us in >>Prince >>Georges County, contiguous to D.C., but was apprehensive at doing so >>because >>of the rapes and murders occurring in DC & PG every minute or so. He did >>visit, but we kept quiet about our [shhh...don't tell] Negro neighbor.) >> >>B&R >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >>************************************** >>See what's free at http://www.aol.com. _________________________________________________________________ Make every IM count. Download Messenger and join the i’m Initiative now. It’s free. http://im.live.com/messenger/im/home/?source=TAGHM_June07