Jackson Free Press

The Qweem-O-Wheat man addresses the Cootie Creek County Community College Black Student Union during their Pre-Black History Month Miss Sausage Biscuit Beauty pageant.

Qweem-O-Wheat: "The word for today is 'Chocolate.' I remember serving qweemy, dee-wishious bowls of Qweem-O-Wheat to the senior citizens and poor needy children in Washington, D.C. During the post-civil rights era of the 1970s, Parliament Funkadelic's George Clinton—not associated with Bill or Hillary—gave D.C. (District of Columbia) the nick name C.C. (Chocolate City). The song 'Chocolate City' was an allegory about "white flight" and a growing, confident and thriving population of African Americans living in the nation's capital.

"Yeah, I fed black folk dee-wishious, Qweem-O-Wheat while they danced and sang with pride to the song 'Chocolate City,' playing from the eight-track player inside my Qweem-O-Wheat truck. I recall the song's most poignant line: 'We didn't get our 40 acres and a mule, but we did get you CC.'

"I know Mayor Ray Nagin referred to his city being a 'Chocolate City' and he sure wasn't talking about candy in Hershey, Pa. Nevertheless, Mr. Nagin needs to be careful about what he says, and say what he means, so that other folk understand what is said. All I'm saying is: People need to understand each other better.

"The Qweem-O-Wheat man urges everyone to use the past to shape the future."

Previous Commentsshow

Amen because that slip of the tongue is a dangerous and embarassing thang. I once said "ugly teacher" when I wanted to say "other teacher." I said this in front of a very good and wonderful teacher upon being introduced to her. I tried to correct it but said "ugly teacher" a second time. She started laughing at me as I tried to apologize. Later during the year as she talked about the slip of the tongue concept in her psychology class she told everybody what I said upon meeting her. I am still ashamed of myself for doing this and could never intentionally do that to anyone, especially a woman. The truth of the matter she wasn't ugly at all but was standing by an exceptionally nice looking teacher who introduced her to me. Apparently, I subconsciously made an uncontrolled comparison of them and was too dumb and unskilled to control myself. I'm amazed she wasn't offended and still liked me.

Ray Carter

Jan 26 2006