Many have heard the phrase “fuzzy wuzzy,” whether describing warm feelings, a furry texture, or baby talk. It’s seemingly harmless, but its origins are anti-Black.
In the late 1800s, British colonists used the term as a derogatory reference to the natural hair textures of members of the East African Hadendoa tribe.
The term entered everyday speech when an English author wrote a poem called “Fuzzy Wuzzy” about the Hadendoa in Sudan.
Like other racist words and phrases, it appears in the media today without us knowing its true origins. “Fuzzy Wuzzy” has ironically become a popular nursery rhyme about a bear with no hair. No matter how innocent they might seem, words are powerful.
When we know better, we do better. Let’s refuse to participate in anything that mocks our beautiful Blackness.