Golliwogs removed from Far North market amid racism complaints

Friday, 10 July 2020

A Far North market has stopped selling golliwogs but debate about whether or not the dolls are offensive and racist rages on.

A researcher in race and ethnicity says the dolls are offensive to all those taking part in Black Lives Matter demonstrations, and New Zealanders need to do better.

The Old Packhouse Market in Kerikeri will no longer have golliwogs for sale after “a lot of lively debate” on the issue.

Golliwog dolls feature black faces and red lips, a caricature of African American people (file photo).

The stallholder who handmade the dolls has agreed not to sell the golliwogs at the weekend market, after a complaint about their sale was followed by threats to boycott the market, spokeswoman Judy Hyland said.

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Some people say golliwogs are toys they used to have when young (file photo).

The stallholder is a “very caring” woman who will continue to sell other dolls, she said.

But Northlanders are divided on whether or not the golliwogs are offensive or a harmless reminder of childhood, according to the market’s social media post.

A number of people thanked the markets and the stallholder for removing the golliwogs, saying they have a racist history.

AUT Associate Professor Camille Nakhid says golliwogs are offensive – and not just to people of colour.

Golliwogs were based on minstrel shows, a 19th century American entertainment featuring comic skits performed by mostly white Americans in blackface make-up to mock people of African descent.

One commenter highlighted comments from the Human Rights Commission, which called golliwogs racist caricatures that dehumanise black people.

“No child needs a doll that makes fun of a race of people.”

However, other people said the removal of the golliwogs from the markets was “nonsensical public pressure” and political-correctness gone crazy.

“How pc is that,” wrote one commenter. “One of my sons had a beautiful gollywog that he adored, slept with it until he was about 4.”

“Don't be ridiculous. Bring your golliwogs,” said another.

But a researcher in race and ethnicity, AUT’s Associate Professor Camille Nakhid, said golliwogs are a caricature and stereotype.

“It is offensive, not just to people of colour. If you look at the young people marching at Black Lives Matter [marches], it is offensive to those who are working to make the world a better place, those people who want to see all people as equal.”

Nakhid said everyone has reminders of childhood that they want to hold on to, but she thought people who like golliwogs want to hold on to a time when no one told them what to do.

“I think our Pākehā people are not used to being told what to do or having it pointed out to them what is wrong.”

People who think golliwogs represent chimneysweeps or workers in government service were recreating a story to deny the doll’s racist past while denigrating another part of society – the working class, she said.

The removal of golliwogs from the markets was a “waving of toes” in helping address New Zealand’s racism, Nakhid said, but it was not a full step.

Taking a step in the right direction would involve things like addressing New Zealand’s high incarceration of Māori, poor performance of Māori and Pasifika in schools, and making te reo Māori readily available for those who want to learn the language, she said.