Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
Just came from some last minute Christmas shopping at my local Hallmark store at the mall.
I noticed Hallmark carries a line which features black people on it, and noticed the back of all these cards said "Mahogany". Googled it to find out it is Hallmark's African American line which is meant to cater to their culture. This raises 2 questions:
1. (Minor question) Why is this being distributed outside of the US? (I live in the Southern Caribbean...there are very very few African American tourists/expats here)
2. The main question...if the US touts itself as such a massive melting pot why is a separate product line needed to cater to another culture. Ideally to me there should be no Mahogany line at all and African Americans should be featured on Hallmark's main line of cards according to their proportion of the overall population. Why marginalise a non immigrant group of Americans like that? (not saying it is okay to marginalise immigrants of course lol)
* Sorry if my post seems a bit ineloquent compared to others on here....I have a math background and writing is not my strong suit.*
Why wouldn't a Black person want to share a holiday card with a family member that has a face and culture on it that the family member will relate to?
Do you make the same thread and ask the same question when the White American shopper gets to buy a product that features a White family? So, are we all going to be forced into buying one thing? Should greeting cards not have people on them so we won't even have this question? Should we hide from race instead of just accepting it, yet, respecting one another and not having hate?
Duh, people often like to have meaningful pieces that they can relate to. There is nothing wrong with celebrating differences adn acknowleging one's culture. It's when people can't accept other people's cultures that we have a problem. Basically, let people have their comfort.
Ummmm, I seriously doubt that Hallmark came up with this idea on their own. If you haven't noticed, African Americans like to separate themselves from everyone else by doing things like this. They want their own language, their own churches, their own caucus, their own TV channels, their own everything and now it looks like greeting cards make the list. But god forbid you say anything at all about them doing this and you're a RACIST!
... so sad. What would you do if the country you lived in seemed to want to separate you from everyone else? Do you recall the "Whites Only" and "Coloreds" water fountains, schools, buses?
I mean, seriously, think before you speak and have an open mind. Also, the majority of the things you mentioned were created in a time when Black people were segregated. Black churches of today are very historical and are the result of a time when Black and White people did not worship together, so some enterprising Black Christians got the money together to create their own churches.
Ok. I really didn't know that. I'm not American (but have vacationed there many times). I thought the melting pot ideal was huge over there...as compared to Canada for instance which embraces the smorgasbord concept.
My issue is not with Hallmark having cards with African American faces on them. That's perfectly fine and reflective of the American makeup. I just don't understand why they needed to bring out a separate line for that purpose. It implicitly is saying African Americans are "different". They could have achieved what they wanted to (black people on cards) by just working it into their main line.
Because we DO have different cultures, lifestyles and things that we do in our household. There is nothing wrong with that either. We CAN be different and still love, respect one another. Why do you think so many comedians base their standup routines on the differences between the different groups of people in the United States? Because we ARE different. A greeting card often has scenes on it, a scene may not be of relation to one group as it is for another.
Why do we see Jesus Christ in the church with blond hair and blue eyes? LOL Did you question that? When I was growing up, even I know something was wrong with that. The Bible said he looked different then that, but U.S. mainstream media depicted him as a white man, lol. Based on your logic, isn't that wrong?
Well, there are entire TV networks, magazines, toys, movies, etc that cater to African-Americans.
I do not speak for them, but I suppose they might find it...innaccurate to send a card to another black person which featured white people on it. Just like a white couple might prefer white couple figurines on top of their wedding cake.
Being different is NOT a bad thing, at least on this scale.
Exactly, LOL. Is a White couple going to have a wedding cake with two Black figurines on it? We relate to what we relate to and that's all it is to it. I feel sorry for the Asian couple that can't find Asian figurines and has to settle for figurines that look nothing like them while everyone else gets to choose the ones that look like them.
I'm white and sometimes buy Mahogany cards for white friends. Usually for the confused looks and ultimate laughs... especially if it's one of the over the top sentimental ones (I don't know what it is, but the writers of Mahognay cards try to channel Maya Angelou for every occasion). Then again, I've also bought Spanish language cards for non-Spanish speaking friends, as well as cards for inappropriate occasions (such as a Happy Hannukah card for Christmas, or Kwanzaa for Christmas).
OP, I agree that Hallmark could've incorporate black people in their "regular" line of cards. Instead, they chose to create a Mahogany line. Why? Perhaps that's the bigger question.
I can't ever remember seeing a black person on a "regular" Hallmark greeting card. I'm black, so if I'm giving a card to another black person for whatever reason, it would be strange for it to feature a white person.
Culture my friend. We are mahogany. We are soulful. We are smooth, soulful and warm like mahogany. The cards are very soulful and reflect all of those things. THAT ... is why a separate line was needed. A greeting card is an Expression, it can be an intimate moment.
They also have cards in the Spanish language marketed toward "Latinos". I have seen cards in German and French from Hallmark as well.
Big deal. I think people of all backgrounds like to send "personal" greeting cards when they buy them off the shelf. What's more personal than having a greeting card being culturally/ethnically relevant to you?
If Hallmark had not expanded their product offerings and cornered the market on those greeting cards you can bet that some other company would have done so and Hallmark would have become less important to those who care to send more ethnically/culturally specific greeting cards - resulting in loss of market share by neglecting that demographic.
How can they offer Christmas cards? Isn't Kwanzaa the official black holiday?
Kwanzaa is a holiday that is celebrated by some Black Americans, yes. What is your point or question? Have you ever even read about Kwanzaa? If not then you are only showing your ignorance by judging it while knowing nothing of it.
it's the anticipation of my chitlins. You're getting a bit loopy.
lol
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
