The Dark Origins Of The Eeny, Meeny, Miny, Mo Nursery Rhyme

According to Vox, the 19th century American version of the nursery rhyme was rooted in the slave trade. Thus, instead of tiger, it said the n-word to describe what would happen if a white slave owner caught a runaway. Furthermore, another theory describes how slave traders would pinch or pull a slave's toe before purchasing them (via An Injustice). Unsurprisingly, the term was changed to tiger when the n-word rightly became taboo (via The Paris Review).

In 2004, two African-American sisters sued Southwest Airlines for discrimination on the basis of the nursery rhyme. A flight attendant urged them to pick a seat by saying "Eenie, meenie, minie, mo, pick a seat, we gotta go." The sisters claimed the flight attendant was being racist. Southwest, on the other hand, said the flight attendant had no idea of its racist implications and that the nursery rhyme was simply used in light-hearted fun. The sisters lost and when they appealed, the Tenth Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed the ruling.

It's safe to say that as classic as "Eeny, meeny, miny, mo" is, the centuries-old nursery rhyme no doubt has a haunted past and not so kid-friendly origins.

ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7qL7Up56eZpOkunCBmGpscWhfqbWmecOaqaRln6e2qLXNrGSonl2ptaZ5xJ6lsmWdmrKvxYymoKexXaK8brrUq6qeqqliv6nFzJ5m