Hello. My name is Maya Walker. Chances are, you’ve never heard of me, and that’s okay. I’m not famous, and even if I were, I wouldn’t mind. I’m easy going, unless something hurtful happens to me and mine. Something did, so I decided to do something about it; I wrote a letter.
Here’s some background information: my dad is black and my mom is white. That makes me biracial of course, and hopefully you knew that. It does not make me “mulatto” because that’s a racial slur. It comes from “mule” and is a racist insult. Not everyone knows that unfortunately, so when people use it by mistake, I correct them.
When the Official Scrabble Dictionary used it by mistake, I wrote them a polite email. I gave myself a few days to be sure that I was no longer furious first. (I’m glad I found that hateful word and not my usual Scrabble opponent: my eleven year old niece.)
Hasbro emailed me back, and they wrote me a letter on their stationary. No, they didn’t promise to immediately take it out, but I didn’t expect them to. These things take time. I only expected two things. I recieved them and more.
1.) They apologized.
2.) They said. “Please be assured that the upper management team is reviewing your concerns.”
3.) They gave me the phone number of their dictionary partner Merriam Webster.
4.) They gave me the phone number for Hasbro in case I had additional concerns.
I’m going to frame the letter and hang it on my wall. I’m also going to keep on top of this, and update as needed. I’m optimistic When that word no appears in the Official Scrabble Dictionary, I’ll have a chat with my niece. I’ll tell her what Auntie Maya did. I’m not boastful, but I want her to know that one person truly can make a difference.
If someone is racist, homophobic or otherwise hateful, even if they don’t know it, please tell them and explain that it’s not okay. If you have the opportunity to make the world a little better, why not take it? It doesn’t have to be a big thing. You’ll be making the world a nicer place, and of course you’ll become a Renegade of Funk.
