This image or variants of this image

[u/RoundGeologist5417]

[u/TL_TheLegend]

It should be noted that the author later apologized, and the book was reprinted with "black as soot".

[u/Bannana_man27 → u/TL_TheLegend]

apologized because they feel bad or apologized because they got in trouble later on

[u/xXxMindBreakxXx → u/Bannana_man27]

Considering it was afaik a reprint a few years after probably had someone tell them it was a problem and changed it.

[u/TL_TheLegend → u/Bannana_man27]

Considering Awdry was both a priest and a good person in general, I doubt he only apologized due to controversy over it

[u/terryaki_chicken → u/TL_TheLegend]

Considering he wrote the line and was a priest, I doubt he actually felt sorry

[u/TheGreatStories → u/terryaki_chicken]

I'll worried the baby doesn't think people can change

[u/zebzeb2015 → u/TheGreatStories]

You think that is slicked back!? That is just pushed back. He used to be a REAL piece of shit!

[u/TheZoneHereros → u/terryaki_chicken]

There’s nothing inherently insulting in the line, he is just indicating color with inappropriate language. They had black stuff on them and looked black is all that is being said.

[u/Foolish-Goose → u/TheZoneHereros]

The resident priest and certified ‘good guy,’ awash with remorse as he realizes why all the Black people he’d previously addressed reacted so, so negatively

[u/TheZoneHereros → u/Foolish-Goose]

So you think there is something inherently insulting in the sentence outside of the word choice? Or are you talking to someone else.

[u/Foolish-Goose → u/TheZoneHereros]

I think its use in the sentence is just as non-insulting as calling someone the N-word and meaning nothing by it

[u/TheZoneHereros → u/Foolish-Goose]

And do we know that he felt that way, at the time he wrote it? Did he think it was inherently insulting? That is the whole point.

[u/Foolish-Goose → u/TheZoneHereros]

Did the British white man find a slur targeting Black people inherently insulting? Hmmmm, who’s to say?

My point is that ignorance really isn’t a good excuse for something like this making it into a children’s book.

[u/TSD-ragon → u/Bannana_man27]

A bit of both really but, he did get a bit annoyed about it which is fair because it took 20 years for someone to finally say "hey maybe we shouldn't have that word in the book", the book was first published in 1951 and was only altered to remove the wording in 1972, it had to have been approved by like 5-10 people and no one at any point said or did something about it, he was quite apologetic but also rather annoyed that no one told him for twenty odd years, which is honestly fair, I wouldn't want to knowingly put a slur in my kids books, but if I did I'd want someone to tell me about it sooner!

[u/Flat-Leading-2520 → u/Bannana_man27]

How are you meant to know? Unless you know of some secret mind reading techniques.