Remember the song “Baa Baa Black Sheep”? The harmless nursery rhyme was written in the early 1700s and has been sung by children around the world ever since. At least it used to be, now it may be a hate crime.
Child care centers in a suburb of Melbourne, Australia, are changing the song because of racial and sexist connotations in the lyrics.
The Herald Sun reports, “Staff at childcare centres in the south-eastern suburbs told the Herald Sun the lyric was being changed because of concerns over the racial connotations of “black,” and to reflect a multicultural community.”
Racism was not the only reason for the potential change, sexism is also playing a role. “Kindergarten teachers have told the Herald Sun a centre in Melbourne’s east had also considered changing the line ‘one for the little boy who lives down the lane’ in case it could be deemed sexist.”
Understandably, parents are befuddled. One telling the Herald, “I am a person who has black skin. Can we please stop with the political correctness, it’s becoming a joke. The song is called baa baa black sheep. No need to change it!”
An administrator at Malvern East’s Central Park Child Care said “children could still use the word ‘black’ if they chose to,” and that they “try to introduce a variety of sheep.”