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Vol. 8 Issue 9…Dedicated to the Dialogue on Race…March 4, 2005
Bit of History
By John Burl Smith
The spirit of self-sacrifice for freedom has
always been strong among black Americans fighting to end their enslavement. Nat
Turner's revolt, insurrection plots by Denmark Vesey and Gabriel Prosser and
more recently the inner-city black power revolts of the 1960s are incidents
chronicled in US history books. However, less well known is the desperate slave
revolt and struggle for freedom that spread through St. John the Baptist, St.
Charles and Orleans parishes in Louisiana in 1811. Involving well over 500
slaves, it is the largest slave uprising in US history.
The population of New Orleans and its suburbs in 1811 was about 25,000; there
were nearly 11,000 slaves, 8,000 whites and about 6,000 non-slaves of color.
Non-slaves were mainly children of white men born to African slave women raped
by white men. Slaves outnumbered slave owners. Fearing revolts, slave owners
tried to create a buffer by giving colored non-slaves the privilege of owning
slaves.
The Roman Catholic Church was by far the biggest slave owner. Jesuits,
Capuchins and Ursulines had plantations and all three engaged in the slave
trade. Slaves planted, cultivated and harvested their sugar cane, hauled it to
mills and processed it into sugar and molasses for market. Slaves were forbidden to speak African
languages or practice their religions by the Catholic Church, which forced them
to be baptized.
Africans continued to cherish their customs and ways of life, which produced
conflicts and rebellions. A slave on the Deslonde plantation named Charles led
the Louisiana revolt. Beginning the evening of January 8, 1811, armed with cane
knives, hoes, clubs and a few guns, Charles and his lieutenants overwhelmed
their oppressors and marched down the River Road toward New Orleans. The
insurrection spread quickly to the Andry plantation, then the Louis-Augustin
Meuillon plantation -- the larger estates in St. Charles Parish with 70 adult
slaves. The ranks of rebellious slave swelled as they moved from plantation to
plantation on the East Bank of the Mississippi river. Declaring themselves
free, they chanted, "On to New Orleans!"
Emulating Toussaint L'Ouverture and the Haitian revolution, their goals were to
create a slave army, capture New Orleans and seize state power. Fighting
valiantly for almost two weeks, this black army tried to liberate tens of
thousands of their sisters and brothers in bondage in Louisiana. Unfortunately,
they could not replenish and re-supply their forces, unlike the US Army troops
they fought. By January 19, they were out of ammunition, but many died fighting
with cane knives, hoes and clubs with the cry of "freedom or death"
on their lips. Those captured were executed. Their heads were cut off and
placed on poles along the River Road and at the gates of New Orleans.
This intrepid battle was over, but the fight never ended. Slaves and their
descendants in Louisiana and across the South continued to revolt and fight for
their freedom, even until today. Therefore, the sacrifices of these courageous
men and women were not in vain. They redeemed the honor of our people by
nourishing the black revolutionary struggle for freedom. www.coax.net/people/lwf/1811-rebellion.htm
The Dark Knight-Batman/White Ninja/Zorro has been struggling with what he
perceived as a hostile environment. With the announced transfer to a new
school, his outlook changed considerably. Without prodding for comments from
his grandma, the Dark One/Ninja/Zorro volunteered, "I dreamed I made four
A's and two B's, and as a reward, my dad took me on a shopping spree!"
Hood Notes
The Quilt: Road Map to Freedom
As a black grandparent, I am always delighted to
find books, movies and other educational media for my grandchildren with heroes
and heroines that they can identify with. Black children so rarely see their
images positively reflected in popular media. While there are certainly more
black faces on television and occupying important political positions, too
often their messages do not reflect positively on black people. From personal
experience, there is nothing like seeing someone that looks like you doing
something positive to advance the interest of humanity. Hence, the book Sweet
Clara and the Freedom Quilt by Deborah Hopkinson has become a big hit with
members of my family.
Set in pre-Civil War USA, it is
the story of a young slave girl that has been separated from her mother and
sold to work as a fieldhand on another southern plantation. Taken under the
wings of a house slave, the young girl is taught to sew, and she becomes a
seamstress in the big house. Dreaming of reuniting with her mother, Sweet
Clara, as she is called, begins to make a map back to the plantation where her
mother is a slave.
Sweet Clara's map to freedom is a quilt made from colorful scraps of cloth
leftover from her sewing chores. Using bits of information gleamed from other
slaves, including runaways caught and brought back to the plantation, Sweet
Clara creates a road map to her mother and north to freedom.
Sweet Clara also learns about the Underground Railroad, the secret method used
to help runaway slaves escape to northern states or Canada. The most famous
Underground Railroad conductor, as those that personally helped runaways along
the trail to freedom were called, Harriet Tubman assisted more than 300
runaways on the Underground Railroad before her death on March 10, 1913. Using
Sweet Clara's quilt as a guide, runaways could connect to the Underground
Railroad at the Ohio River.
Sweet Clara and the Freedom Quilt is a wonderful story about a
treacherous and desperate time in the history of black people. Warmly told by
Hopkinson, it is beautifully illustrated by James Ransome. Published in 1993 by
Alfred A. Knopf, Sweet Clara and the Freedom Quilt makes a great
addition to the family library. Reading it aloud to young people is an
excellent way to celebrate black history.
Venue
for an Artist
Across the Lines
By Tracy Chapman
Across the lines
Who would dare to go
Under the bridge
Over the tracks
That separates whites
from blacks
Choose sides
Or run for your life
Tonight the riots
begin
On the back streets
of America
They kill the dream
of America
Little black girl
gets assaulted
Ain’t no reason why
Newspaper prints the
story
And racist tempers
fly
Next day it starts a
riot
Knives and guns are
drawn
Two black boys get
killed
One white boy goes
blind
Little black girl
gets assaulted
Don’t no one know her
name
Lots of people hurt
and angry
She’s the one to
blame.
About Me: Born March 30, 1964 in Cleveland, Ohio, Tracy Chapman
joined an African drum ensemble while studying anthropology and African studies
at Tufts University. After developing her own musical style based on folk
guitar and self-written acoustic songs, Chapman released her first album on
April 5, 1988. Across the Lines is a cut from her debut album.
Recipient of numerous awards for her unique musical style, Chapman has toured
throughout the US and performed in countries in Europe and Africa. She has
appeared as a guest on a number of popular television shows and lent her name
to causes as varied as Free Tibet and Amnesty International. The multi-platinum
recording artist released her sixth album, Let It Rain in October
2002. (For more biographical information on this talented artists, lyrics and
more, visit www.about-tracy-chapman.net)
Legacy of Slave
Revolts
By John Burl Smith
Philosopher George Santayana's maxim "Those
who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it," exemplifies the
1811 Louisiana slave revolt. The corollary, "those who write history over
time determine what is remembered," explains why it seems our ancestors
accepted enslavement pacifistically. The riots of the 1960s are emblematic of
the same process. A report by William J. Collins and Robert A. Margo of
Vanderbilt University, The Labor Market Effects of the 1960s Riots
(May 2004) provides a case in point (www.vanderbilt.edu/Econ/wparchive/working04.html)
Their review traced the harsh conditions in US
inner cities today back to 1960s riots and suggested that "the 1960s riots
had negative effects on blacks' income and employment." Moreover, they
concluded, "Since the riots occurred in predominately black neighborhoods
they may have depressed the relative economic status of some African Americans
through a downward spiral in neighborhood employment opportunities, property
values and peer quality."
Looking mainly at these riots' after-affects,
they ignored governmental enforcement of segregation and discrimination.
Beginning with Birmingham (1963), a series of riots by blacks spread from Watts
(1965) to Newark and Detroit (1967). A violent reaction to racism,
discrimination and inequality in both the North and South, the summer of 1967
saw riots in 127 cities. In Newark and Detroit, sixty-nine (69) people died,
over 2,588 were injured, 8,500 were arrested and an estimated $32 million in
property was destroyed.
Collins and Margo's report attempts to absolve
whites of the debt owed blacks for the 3/5 Compromise, slavery and second class
citizenship. Whether Birmingham, Harlem, Watts, Detroit or Newark, urban unrest
was rooted in a multitude of socioeconomic and political factors, namely police
brutality, the absence of affordable housing, political exclusion, racist urban
renewal, economic inequality, black militancy, the pattern of unemployment,
poverty and rapid demographic changes.
The volatile impact of these factors was
substantiated by President Lyndon B. Johnson's Kerner Commission, which
examined causes of race riots during this period. Led by Illinois Governor Otto
Kerner, it identified "white racism and its heritage of discrimination and
exclusion" as causes of racial violence. Joblessness, poverty, lack of
political power, decaying and dilapidated housing, police brutality, and poor
schools that bred a sense of frustration and rage were also cited as
contributors to the violence.
Other factors ignored by Collins and Margo were
demographic changes that destabilized communities, slum landlords that maintain
dilapidated structures driving down property values, redlining that deprives
black communities of needed investment capital, and white flight of businesses
that reduces the tax base. Compounded by an out-flow that began in the 1950s of
manufacturing jobs, an influx of pool halls, liquor stores, sleazy bars, pawn shops,
gas stations, fast food restaurants and second-hand businesses lowered the
character of black communities. Finally, there is the legal structure found in
the 3/5 Compromise of Article 1 Section 2 of the US Constitution, which
mandates a black-white income gap. Historically, by keeping the black
unemployment rate at twice the rate for whites, black median family income is
held constant at 2/5 less than white median family income.
Conditions that produced slave revolts and 1960s
riots persist today. Santayana's maxim holds for slave descendants, and the
debt remains for slave masters' children.
Disgruntled feels: Repetitious! On
Saturday, black leaders met in Atlanta to discuss the state of black America
and the healthcare crisis in our community. For this, the sixth installment in
the Tavis Smiley series, the assembled black leaders made some common
observations and tossed around some tired ideas, including the creation of a
contract for politicians seeking black votes -- been there! While a sense of
outrage lies just below the surface in ghettos across the US, Smiley's
panelists were laid back in laying out their assessment of the black condition,
which sounds dire, and what needs to be done to improve the situation. Striking
was the absence of a sense of urgency. It is obvious these "leaders"
will not lead a struggle to make meaningful change. Inured of the system, they
are very much a part of the status quo. As George Santayana's admonition
suggests, those ignorant of their history are doomed to repeat it. And,
unfortunately, since most blacks are ignorant of our history, too many of us
thought Saturday's forum "refreshing" and "informative,"
rather than boringly repetitious!
Disgruntled wants to
know: US education has markedly changed over the past three to four
decades. Rather than surge ahead of the industrialized world in math and
science, the nation's educational system has lagged behind. As a consequence,
jobs requiring agile minds for less are moving overseas to what amounts to
Third World countries. A recent meeting of governors had harsh words for the
rigidity and lack of funding for the Bush administration No Child Left Behind
federal education program, which touts accountability and requires annual
testing. At present, it does not cover the nation's public high schools, but
the governors would like to see tougher curricula and more testing of high
school students. Given that schools spend an inordinate amount of time
enforcing foolhardy rules and meting out discipline for a laundry list of minor
infractions, which are treated like federal criminal offenses, rather than
teaching, one wonders where is this new push to improve high schools really
headed?
Disgruntled says:
In a narrow 5-4 decision, the US Supreme Court found the execution of juvenile
offenders "cruel and unusual punishment," a violation of the Eight
Amendment to the US Constitution. The Court's ruling provides a reprieve for
more than seventy individuals convicted of capital crimes committed when they
were under age eighteen in nineteen states. Writing for the majority, Justice
Anthony Kennedy laid out a reasoned argument, which included evolving
standards, international law against the barbarous practice and research that
shows young brains do not reason like adults. Joining Kennedy in favor of this
ruling were Justices Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Stephen Breyer, David H. Souter and
John Paul Stevens. True to form, in a scathing dissent, Antonin Scalia
suggested the US should not care what the rest of the world thinks. Instead of
joining the civilized world in banning this inhumane practice, Scalia and his
fellow states' righters, Sandra Day O'Connor, William Rehnquist and Clarence
Thomas, would rather the US continue killing children.
Kudos! Kudos!
Foxx and Freeman
In a departure for the usually staid affair, the
irreverent comic Chris Rock hosted the 77th Academy Awards, which proved to be
an historic occasion for black performers. Congratulations all around for this
year's winners and the award night's presenters and performers, including
Beyonce. Rock deserves special recognition for the splendid effort to clean up
his usual foul-mouth standup routine for the evening. He did an upstanding job
as host of the ceremonies.
Certainly one of the best actors
in Hollywood, Morgan Freeman won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor in
"Million Dollar Baby" for his portrayal of ex-prizefighter Eddie
Scrap-Iron Dupris. In accepting the award, Freeman thanked actor-director Clint
Eastwood for giving him the role in the movie, which also took Oscars for Best
Picture and Best Actress for Valerie Swank for her portrayal of a female
prizefighter. In candid comments about his award, Freeman declared, "It
means that Hollywood is beginning to make history. We're evolving with the rest
of the world."
With Jamie Foxx taking the Oscar for Best Actor for his realistic portrayal of
music legend Ray Charles in "Ray," black actors won two of the four
coveted prizes. Two tied the number of best actor awards won three years ago by
Denzel Washington and Halle Berry, who received Best Actor/Actress Oscars for
performances in "Training Day" and "Monster's Ball,"
neither of which was especially positive black roles.
Let's hope Freeman is right, and black actors
have crossed the color lines in Hollywood and will be rewarded and receive
opportunities to perform based on ability rather than skin color. Kudos to
Freeman and Foxx for the best in show this season!
Mailbox: E-Mail, Faxes and
Telephone Calls
Email wprm_britain@yahoo.co.uk
Recently the UN general secretary Kofi Annan said the Iraq war was illegal.
This means that the US and British governments headed by Bush and Blair who
have killed tens of thousands of Iraqi people are war criminals, they have to
be arrested and put on trial. But now these war criminals are dictating their
road map to the Palestinians and the London Conference is a part of their plan.
Can these imperialists who have murdered and tortured tens of thousands of
Iraqi people for plundering their oil and increasing their control over the
Middle East really bring peace for the Palestinian people?
Email drymarc2003@yahoo.ca Dr Khalid
ash-Shaykhli, representative of the Iraqi ministry of health confirmed US
forces used internationally prohibited substances - including mustard gas,
nerve gas, and other burning chemicals - in its attacks on Fallujah.
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