Figure 1: Asshole
For people who aren’t from the Washington D.C. area, Zema Williams (a.k.a. Chief Zee) is the racist asshole who throws on a warbonnet and beaded warshirt at Washington Redskins games and proceeds to dance around like an unmitigated fucktard. He has become the unofficial de facto mascot of the Redskins, despite the fact that he’s basically Native America’s Al Jolson in blackface.
There isn’t enough space on this blog to list everything that’s wrong with what he’s doing, nor is there enough space to explain how offended Native people and I, as a Native person, are offended by this assclown. What possibly sticks in the craw the most is the fact that November 7, 1985 was declared ‘Chief Zee’ day in Washington D.C. - right smack in the middle of American Indian Heritage Month. Fuck you very much whoever’s idea that was.
Now on to the much shorter and more easily explained reason why this, and indeed the very fact that a team called the ‘Redskins‘ is even allowed to exist, bothers me as a black man:
Black people are next.
Figure 2: Coming in 2012
Remember the 80’s? I sure as hell do, and I remember that back then any non-black person who hung a noose or used the word ‘nigger’ was pretty much good as dead. Now nooses are being hung all over the country. Thanks greatly in part to Dave Chappelle and Comedy Central, suddenly it’s OK for anyone to use the word ‘nigger’ (remember back in the day when ‘nigger’ was bleeped out in TV shows on network television and most cable programming? Not anymore.)
It’s clearly only a matter of time before the Detroit Redwings are renamed the Detroit Darkies and some Vietnamese dude in blackface doing the Soulja Boy dance becomes their unofficial mascot. What does Chief Zee have to do with this? Simple - he’s convincing everyone that there’s nothing wrong with it. If it’s OK to do it to Indians, what’s wrong with doing it to black people? And the resounding answer in Detroit will be “not a damn thing!”
I’ve heard that Chief Zee suffered an aneurysm and a clot in his leg, and on a basic human level, I feel a little sorry for him. I’d feel even sorrier for him if he was truly ignorant and didn’t know what he was doing was offensive, but that went out the window when security as a ‘Skins game intercepted a bunch of real live Indians descending the stadium stairs to smack him down like he was in Philly in ‘83. As such, he knows what he’s doing is wrong, he’s a racist fucking asshole, and I have to say that in all honesty - deep down, I’m laughing at his plight.
Get well Zee, but get a fucking clue while you’re at it.
Recent Comments