Ms Rachel calls for removal of “racist” nursery rhymes

Children’s entertainer Ms Rachel has urged an end to several traditional nursery rhymes she says contain racist undertones.

On Newstalk’s Lunchtime Live programme, Ms Rachel identified “Jimmy Crack Corn”, “Oh! Susanna” and “Eeny, meeny, miny, moe” as songs with problematic lyrics. Both “Jimmy Crack Corn” and “Oh! Susanna” date from the 19th century and have been criticised for mocking African‑American people and culture. The counting rhyme “Eeny, meeny, miny, moe” historically used the “n‑word”, although most children now substitute the word “tiger”.

Guest commentator Sarina Bellisimo described Ms Rachel’s stance as “just common sense” rather than radical. She noted that the rhyme “Eeny, meeny, miny, moe” has already been altered in her own household, with children singing “catch a tiger” instead. Bellisimo added that the other two songs were written in the 1800s and questioned why they continue to be sung unchanged.

Bellisimo suggested that updating the lyrics is a practical solution, citing her son’s experience of singing the revised version with friends. No official response from the songwriters or rights holders was reported.

Source: Newstalk. Photo: https://kaboompics.com/ / Pexels.