Who started the term "Porch Monkey" and what does it mean?

From what I understand, the term PORCH MONKEY existed long before it became considered a racial slur. I grew up in a small town in Eastern Oregon where the term was used quite frequently to refer to welfare recipients. There were no African Americans in this town at the time. I suspect that, as use of the phrase became more urban than rural, it may have been "perceived" that more African Americans were on welfare than other racial subgroups - leading some African Americans to believe it was really a slur against them when, in reality, the slur was meant to cover all welfare recipients - not just African American welfare recipients.

I have never heard the term used to describe any affluent person, regardless of their race. So, I think it's more welfare-related than race-related.

I take exception to a comment made earlier, quote, "I think it sad however, that hanging out with one's own family/peers without a t.v. on and finding things to do that don't cost money is actually viewed by more priveledged folk as 'backwards'."

The use of this term had NOTHING to do with finding things to do that don't cost money. It had EVERYTHING to do with the activity of hanging out on a porch when they should get OFF the porch (often) to search for work - so they wouldn't NEED welfare. It may be hard to find work in some places. But it's definitely harder if all you do is sit on your porch.

I think the term comes from the cultural behavior of some African-Americans in the South of spending a lot of time sitting on the front porch of their house, talking with their neighbors, who are on the front porches of their houses.

Of course it's extremely derogatory. Not being black, though, I don't know how offensive it's considered. It's probably up there in the same league as the N-word.

I am ashamed to say. I was as surprised as Randall when I first heard it was a racial slur, in fact I had a similar "enlightenment" as he did. Thankfully, it was around friends, and not customers...

(parental discretion advised)

It is a derogatory term for Black people as has been explained in the other answers. I have no clue where or how it originated but it probably came out of the South.

It is also stupid.

How many non-Black people sit on their porches and gossip or just hang out?

I have sat on my porch talking to folks. Am I a Porch Gypsy?

A porch monkey is a derogatory term targetted at lower class blacks and/or blacks in general, based upon years of being seen sitting on their porches or their front stoops watching others drive by. The "others" were most likely on their way to and from work, not sitting on a porch watching the world pass them by, as they sat idly drinking and conversing loud enough to be heard over the din of a passing car motor.

Also used in conjunction with the following terms:

1) Coon
2) "N" word (fill in missing letters)
3) Spear Chucker
4) Shine

Famous American Negros who epitomize the word, "Porch Monkey"

1) Al Sharpton
2) Henry Louis Gates
3) Jesse Jackson
4) Kanye West
5) P-Diddy
6) Reverend Wright (Not necessarily in the above order)

Wow, was I suprised to read all the answers to this questions. And to think I was just gonna say I thought about all the many families, couples, friends & just people...that sit on their front porches & watch their neighbors, and the folks that pass by. Maybe give a friendly wave or two. What a sad place many people live in.

'Sup,
Y'all aint ever seen a Movie called "Deliverance" with Burt Reynolds right? I never seen clerks or w/e. Not interested in any new versions of what stupid people try to pass off as another reason to claim justification of their elevated racial hypersensitivity.
"Porch monkey" is not racially motivated in use unless it is directed at a person solely to reference their race. "Porch monkey" is a phrase born of an activity. This activity is shared by many and often used by many to describe those who do so. Inbred White Hillbillies sit on a porch all day pickin banjos and discussing sex with animals... what would you call them? Yard Apes? Darwin says we are all descendant of apes, so, why the sensitivity to a phrase that describes what is taught in school now anyway. I love bananas. It doesn't make me African, Black, or even ghetto. I'm white. why do i automatically gotta be a racist if I argue reverse discrimination?
Porch monkey used to describe black people today is kinda lame anyway. Black people dont hang out on porches. They hang out with central air and BET or a 20" set of Low Profile Pirellis on a Beamer. WTF?
If you wanna get technical about it, the word "Nigger" is on its way out too.
Who invented the Phrase "Porch Monkey" was prolly some white Cracka wit an axe to grind... cruisin da hood in his big long white caddy wit his cuban cigars, lookin to score a lil moonshine. He there for bidness and dont dig all the friendly family atmosphere that was the norm on any front porch in those days.
then again...coulda been bubba, hard ass plowjockey tellin his brats "you monkeys get your asses back on the porch like yooz told"... either way you look at it... i seriously doubt it was some racist pig white tramp lookin for a new way to slander black people. it most likely came from describing a common activity in certain poor southern rural districts where porches was a meetin spot for all kinds of stuff. Nobody could afford to hang out at a bar all day. Most news of the town could be passed around on a front porch and air conditioning in those days was a freakin shade tree.
y'all quit freakin over the phrase porch monkey til you see what a sick white porch monkey looks like. Go watch "Deliverance". THAT is a freakin inbred hilljack porch monkey that is probably more monkey than anything human and less likely to refer to a black man as a porch monkey than an oddity to be ogled.

- Sincerely yours,
Yahonkey Datarbaby

The Term Porch Monkey is not only a racial term, but a word of ignorance… I my self have bi-racial children and the first time I saw the movie “Clerks” and when I heard my own boss refer to African Americans who sit out on the front porch enjoying a day… (Porch Monkeys) I was shocked…
I recently saw “The Jockey holding a lantern” a real statue … of what some ignorant people now call “The Porch Monkey”

My African American friends… and you ignorant people who seem to think it’s not only funny but cool to use that term so freely….
Jocko or Lawn Jockey was a Little Boy Named Jocko Graves 12 years of age who in 1776 when George Washington a (white male) decided to cross the Delaware Rive to launch an attack on the British forces at Trenton.
Ordered Jocko to look after the Horses, asking Jocko to keep a lantern burning along the cold Delaware so that the troops would know where to return after the battle..
When they arrive Jocko was found with the horse’s ties to his fist frozen to death with the lantern still clenched to is hand.
Washington was moved my Jocko and his devotion he commissioned … The Statue of the Faithful Groomsman to stand in Grave’s honor at the general’s state in Mount Vernon. In 1875, the first 13 winners of the Kentucky Derby were black…. People read up on your History before making racial remarks on our fellow African Americans who also made your freedom possible…..

It describes my neightbor. He sits on his porch all day long because a) it's hot inside and he has no money for electricity b) he can watch his neighbors all day instead of his tv because electricity costs money c) he has no real job because working for "the man" makes him hurt inside and only the crack he sales makes the pain go away d) he's really just lazy with a whole lot of excuses e) he's stupid enough to have a satisfactory life staring at his neighbors' houses wondering what they are doing all day and f) because it's closer to the mailbox his check arrives in than his couch inside his house. I hate my neighbor because every time I go outside I know he's staring at me whether it's on my way to work, stopping by the house for lunch, or coming home. Also my wife hates him because when our daughter plays in the front yard on her swing set or swimming pool, he stares at her too. Not sure how the word got started but I'm pretty sure it was around the same time the South made the mistake of bringing over some cheap labor. Hope that helps Khamaileon!

A person who sits on the porch and watches the neighbors.

a derogatory way of describing an person of African decent

A derogatory for a person of african or african american decent. BUT it could also mean a generally lazy person. This term came to be when you think of african americans sitting on there porch chatting it up. Also in the movie Clerks II, the sequal to Clerks, Randal tries to reclaim it as a new term for lazy people. And thus offends several customers and his boss.

in the past, porch monkey has a term used when referencing someone of african american decent...on July 21, 2006 Randle Graves altered the meaning of porch monkey for the better...he reclaimed the term and changed its meaning to not be a racial slur against african americans but a mere term to discribe any lazy person.

someone without a job that sits on their porch all day drink'n 40's, and trading food stamps for crack.

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=porch+monkey

http://youtube.com/watch?v=x2DxyAGzGxM

A variation: ALABAMA PORCH MONKEY

a derogatory word for a person of African descent; a negro

1. The Alabama porch monkey tends to be lazy and would rather draw welfare than work.

2.The Alabama porch monkey likes to wear gold chains and drink malt liquor.

http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=ALABAMA+PORCH+MONKEY

The term is a derogatory slur directed at people in low income neighborhoods, who frequently are seen hanging out , socializing on their porches for lack of other entertainment. I think it sad however, that hanging out with one's own family/peers without a t.v. on and finding things to do that don't cost money is actually viewed by more priveledged folk as "backwards".

It was also a derogatory term for Portuguese or Portuguese-speaking Cape Verdean people. That was according to someone who lived in Fall River Mass where there are many of them and prejudice is high. The first part of the name comes from its sounding like the first part of Portuguese.

i think that PORCH MONKEY mean that a n***a and another n***g talks to each other on their porches not doing nothin

a colored person sitting on their porch all the time doing nothing at all, not working well fare recipient. Someone that could do something with their selves but too damn lazy to do anything but sit on their porch ( chilling)

Once , when trying to enter a bar to listen to a poplar local artist, I was denied entrance due to fire code limits. After informing me I could enter as soon as some others vacated, I asked if I could go in to purchase beers and wait out "on the porch" until allowed to enter. "No!" the doorman replied. "Go to the parking lot- we call free-listeners like you 'porch monkeys' ." We have laughed about that night for 30+ years!
Gibzilla- college station, tx