Pick Nic?

Dear Other Black People,

Every Spring that old underground railroad email starts circulating again about how we as Black people should never use the word "picnic" because it's racist. According to the email, White people used to have potlucks outside while buying slaves. "Picnic" is supposedly the abbreviated way of saying, "Pick a nigger." Even though common sense told me that this was the dumbest fucking thing I'd ever heard, I still had to do some investigating to be sure.

I went undercover as a White man. After several months I finally gained their trust and was given access to their secret lair where they keep their "real" dictionary. Inside, I found the answer. Apparently "picnic" dates back to 18th century France. "Piquenique" basically meant "potluck." People would come together and bring food to eat. By the 19th century, the word had made it's way to England where it took the connotation of an outdoor eating event. America stole the word from the Europeans, marketed it on baskets and constructed giant grassy enclosures where people would perform the art of picnicking for generations.

Please stop forwarding that email. It just makes us sound stupid.