July 27, 2003 at 12:00 am #19207
Liz
Participant
My impression is that this epithet came from the common sight of old black men gathering on front porches for conversation. Whereas the old white guys would presumably be inside their air-conditioned homes or on a shaded park bench, I suppose! Or perhaps unemployed black men of any age gathering on a front porch to while away the hours. Apart from the monkey aspect, it’s actually a positive image in this white person’s mind, insofar as I think the support of a community/social network is hard to come by in these days of gated fortresses in the suburbs. Just my two cents.