Racism In Five Little Monkeys

Ever since I was young I have always had a deep passion for nursery rhymes. Now that I am older my passion is transitioning into curiosity. I have done research on several nursery rhymes and their deep dark history. For this project I chose to do the nursery rhyme, “Five Little Monkeys.” This innocent rhyme that has helped many young children learned to count has a dark past and is quite demented. “Five Little Monkeys” was once said to be now what so would call racist. It is to be believed that the monkeys were once a rude name for African Americans that several Caucasians said to them. Along with several other nursery rhymes “Five Little Monkeys” they believed to be racist. These include: “Eenie, Meenie, Miney, Moe,” “Ten Little Indians,” “Chinese, Japanese, Dirty Knees, Look at These,” “Oh Susanna,” “Short’nin Bread,” “Do Your Ears Hang Low?,” “Bowl of Cherries,” “Jimmy Crack Corn,” “Camptown Races,” “Shoo Fly Don’t Bother Me,” and “ Tie Me Kangaroo Down, Sport.” …show more content…
There are also couple older versions that I found in which used several derogatory terms to African Americans. The word monkeys were changed to these terms several times. “Five Little Monkeys” was published 25 years ago as “Five Little Monkeys Jumping on the Bed.” “Five Little Monkeys” was a replenished version of “Short’nin Bread.” The words is this nursery rhyme is this was: Mamma's little baby loves shortnin', shortnin’ Mamma's little baby loves shortnin' bread Mamma's little baby loves shortnin', shortnin’ Mamma's little baby loves shortnin'