The title of this post is what my mind got out of this title:
Dozens of bodies exhumed in Texas likely those of black inmates forced to work on plantations
This is an article about the accidental discovery of a previously unmarked historical cemetery. It's an interesting article, but given the climate of the racism in the US, the fact that we still work prisoners on plantations, Blacks are incarcerated at a higher rate than Whites, our still existing corrupt prison-industrial complex system and the tendency for American police to kill Blacks at a shocking high rate, the current title is misleading in a very inflammatory way.
This is a sensitive topic, so I have chosen to not title this post with the impression the original title gave me, which was to the effect that they had found much more recent evidence of the wholesale horrifying mistreatment of Blacks. This cemetery dates to the late 1800s and the early 1900s. It's "old news." While still being horrifying, it isn't as throw gasoline on the fire of current racial tension as I thought this piece would be.
But, wow, major title fail, given the current racial climate. It gives no indication this is a historical cemetery rather than, say, some current criminal investigation.
It is not only insensitive, it is downright irresponsible. People are dying over racism in America. It may not be as full on "war" as the Civil Rights Movement was, but Black folks don't feel safe walking the streets or talking to cops. I'm appalled that this tone deaf title made it through editorial and all that.
I posted it to Hacker News with the title Bioarchaeologists exhume newly discovered historical unmarked cemetary in Texas. It think it is a good article, but the actual title would likely get it flagged to death post haste.
Here is a different article about this topic that has a better title:
Bodies believed to be those of 95 black forced-labor prisoners from Jim Crow era unearthed in Sugar Land after one man’s quest.
However, the title is too long for Hacker News, which has an 80 character limit. I submitted it as Sugar Land: Bodies from Jim Crow Era forced-labor prisoners unearthed.
Dozens of bodies exhumed in Texas likely those of black inmates forced to work on plantations
This is an article about the accidental discovery of a previously unmarked historical cemetery. It's an interesting article, but given the climate of the racism in the US, the fact that we still work prisoners on plantations, Blacks are incarcerated at a higher rate than Whites, our still existing corrupt prison-industrial complex system and the tendency for American police to kill Blacks at a shocking high rate, the current title is misleading in a very inflammatory way.
This is a sensitive topic, so I have chosen to not title this post with the impression the original title gave me, which was to the effect that they had found much more recent evidence of the wholesale horrifying mistreatment of Blacks. This cemetery dates to the late 1800s and the early 1900s. It's "old news." While still being horrifying, it isn't as throw gasoline on the fire of current racial tension as I thought this piece would be.
But, wow, major title fail, given the current racial climate. It gives no indication this is a historical cemetery rather than, say, some current criminal investigation.
It is not only insensitive, it is downright irresponsible. People are dying over racism in America. It may not be as full on "war" as the Civil Rights Movement was, but Black folks don't feel safe walking the streets or talking to cops. I'm appalled that this tone deaf title made it through editorial and all that.
My suggestions:
I posted it to Hacker News with the title Bioarchaeologists exhume newly discovered historical unmarked cemetary in Texas. It think it is a good article, but the actual title would likely get it flagged to death post haste.
Here is a different article about this topic that has a better title:
Bodies believed to be those of 95 black forced-labor prisoners from Jim Crow era unearthed in Sugar Land after one man’s quest.
However, the title is too long for Hacker News, which has an 80 character limit. I submitted it as Sugar Land: Bodies from Jim Crow Era forced-labor prisoners unearthed.
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