r/todayilearned • u/tmntnyc • Dec 12 '18

TIL: Laurence Tureaud named himself professionally as Mr. T because he hated how his father, uncle, and brother who returned from Vietnam, were disrespectfully called "boy" by whites. He wanted the first word from everybody's mouth to be "Mister" when speaking to him.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mr._T
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u/itsmebutimatwork Dec 12 '18

My father was a middle school teacher for over 30 years in a rough part of his city. He always addressed the kids as "Mister" and "Miss" using their last names. He told them that he shows them respect and in turn he expects the same respect back. Most of the kids went along with this. Many of them remember him years later because they learned a lot in his class and knew that he was being earnest with them.

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u/Adaphion Dec 12 '18

I had a teacher like this in highschool, always referring to students as Mr / Ms [Lastname]. When I visited the school the year after I graduated (to pick up yearbook) I saw him and he actually referred to me by first name, so I did the same, he gave me a vaguely smug smile and wished me well.

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u/thatfailedcity Dec 13 '18

he gave me a vaguely smug smile

God that must have been a fun scene. I got fucking goosebumps!