• About

Don't Duck History

~ American History. What's your Story?

Don't Duck History

Tag Archives: Black Lives Matter

Statues and History Books: The Legacy of the United Daughters of the Confederacy

19 Friday Jun 2020

Posted by therealrubberduck in African American, Child history makers, civil war, Civil/human rights, Cultural Interest, Education, Historic Landmark, Literature, Military, Veterans

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

1865, african-american, Alabama, american history, black history, Black Lives Matter, civil rights, civil war, Confederacy, Education, human rights, Jim Crow, libraries, Norfolk VA, Publishers, riots, Segregation, slavery, statues, textbooks, war, Women, women in history, Women's history, women's rights

Confederate Monument located in Elmwood Cemetery – Norfolk, Virginia

In light of the recent focus on removing Confederacy-related statues, and monuments of those who supported the transatlantic slave trade and/or the “peculiar institution” of slavery in what is now the United States of America, a deeper look at history can be helpful to understanding the thoughts of people who support leaving the monuments in place, and those who prefer them moved to places that some consider to be more acceptable: cemeteries and museums. It’s obviously a debate that’s being held all over the country right now, and a worthy one. But is there another conversation about where and how history is remembered and presented that is being missed? Let’s look back at who was responsible for much of the history that was presented in the American history textbooks that shaped the conversations and beliefs that we see today.

There is a phrase heard frequently that “history is written by the victors,” but in the case of the Civil War, the Confederacy lost the war but were later able to have a huge influence on how the story of the war, and slavery, is told. Case in point: The United Daughters of the Confederacy (UDC).

In 1919, 54 years after the end of the war (that surrender at Appomattox), a commission was formed by the United Confederate Veterans (UCV). It consisted of five representative members each, from the UCV, the Sons of Confederate Veterans (SCV), and the UDC. The Rutherford Committee, as it was called, was named after Mildred Lewis Rutherford: a well known supporter and storyteller about a particular peculiar institution (“happy” slaves), the South as a victim of North (they were mean and didn’t want to play fair!), and the KKK (well, they protected White women and children, right?).

Mildred Rutherford later went on to publish a pamphlet called “A Measuring Rod to Test Text Books, and Reference Books in Schools, Colleges and Libraries,” which was used to ensure that the history of the “benevolent” and valiant southern war heroes and the “benevolent” southern supporters of slavery were presented with the loudest voices to the public, and not just those in the south. But they lost the war, remember? Who says women didn’t have power before they could vote? Well, that’s another story for another day in this year that we’re celebrating the 100-year anniversary of women gaining that right. Meanwhile, watch this video for some background on history (or her story?).

Whew, right? But wait, there’s more!

Here are some excerpts from an article presented by the magazine, “Facing South,” which show “history” as quoted from textbooks in 1957.

Life among the Negroes of Virginia in slavery times was generally happy. The Negroes went about in a cheerful manner making a living for themselves and for those for whom they worked.

Fourth grade history book, Virginia History

[Slaves]… did not work so hard as the average free laborer, since he did not have to worry about losing his job. In fact, the slave enjoyed what we might call comprehensive social security. Generally speaking, his food was plentiful, his clothing adequate, his cabin warm, his health protected and his leisure carefree.

Virginia high school history book, Cavalier Commonwealth

Raise your hand if you didn’t know that enslaved Africans had it so good: food, clothing, shelter, healthcare, vacation, (okay, maybe staycations) and you got to look down on the lowly “free” laborers who worked harder than you did. Nice work if you can get it, right? (Yeah, no.)

And a last exerpt from the article:

Up until 1980, Mississippi’s public schools used Lost Cause textbooks exclusively — and it took a federal court order to make them stop.

Photo title: “The United Daughters of the Confederacy Reception Room, used as a House of Representatives committee room at the Mississippi State Capitol in Jackson”; Created/Published: 2017-11-03; Photographs in the Ben May Charitable Trust Collection of Mississippi Photographs in the Carol M. Highsmith Archive, Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division

Notice the date of the photo above: November of 2017. That’s less than three years ago.

The following are photos of the partial removal of the “Johnny Reb” Confederate Monument, which was located literally in the middle of Main Street, in Norfolk VA. The image of the soldier (not pictured) was removed on June 12, with the balance of the removal to be completed later. According to Norfolk Mayor, Kenneth Cooper Alexander, in this 13 News Now article, the “Virginia Division of the Sons of Confederate Veterans did not oppose the proposed move to Elmwood Cemetery where the monument will stand amongst the graves of Confederate soldiers.”

Maybe it would benefit our united and freshly “woke” selves to pay as much attention to history textbooks and library collections, as we do to statues.

Bonus read: The video mentioned a document called the Confederate Catechism that was taught to schoolchildren. You can (and should!) read it here. You know how we love primary resources, and it’s perfectly okay for you to read it even if it’s been a while since you were young enough to skip history class.

Oh, and don’t forget to read the 23-page pamphlet, A Measuring Rod to Test Text Books, and Reference Books in Schools, Colleges and Libraries, here. Within the link, scroll down and you will see several options for you to be able to read the document, in addition to the option to listen to a choppy (but accurate) audio version.

*****The mission of the Don’t Duck History program is to promote and facilitate the learning and sharing of American history, along with its personal and social implications, and to highlight the history of Americans whose stories are not often presented in traditional American history textbooks. 

Don’t Duck History is a program of United Charitable, a registered public 501(c)(3) nonprofit.

Share this:

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Email
  • More
  • Print
  • Tumblr
  • LinkedIn
  • Reddit
  • Pinterest
  • Pocket

Like this:

Like Loading...

The Tulsa Massacre, 1921: In The News

14 Sunday Jun 2020

Posted by therealrubberduck in African American, Civil/human rights, Cultural Interest, Education, Historic Landmark, Native American, Veterans

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Black Lives Matter, Black Wall Street, Little Africa, martial law, massacre, newspapers, reconstruction, reparations, Richmond VA, riots, Tulsa OK

If you have followed the Don’t Duck History Facebook page over the past few weeks, you should have noticed several mentions of the Black newspaper, The Richmond Planet, sometimes simply referred to as “The Planet,” based out of Richmond, Virginia. If you haven’t followed our Facebook page, today is a good day to fix that!

Also today, The Planet will be used to tell a story (history) that came to light for many due to recent news, but has also largely been ignored in American history textbooks. The recent news is the recent 99th anniversary of the Tulsa Massacre, (Oklahoma: May 31, 1921-June 1, 1921), where the area of Greenwood contained a district that was sometimes referred to as “Black Wall Street.” Ironically there were other areas in the country that earned that nickname, and a section in Richmond, Virginia was one of them.

Back to Tulsa, the “riot” is said to have been triggered by a Black male being accused of assaulting a White female, and the end result was the massacre of Blacks in the area, and the physical destruction of the thriving community that they had built. Both people and businesses were displaced, and the following article from The Planet announced a request from the NAACP in December of that year, for clothing items to be donated to survivors in need. (It is followed by a transcription of the article, slightly edited for form.)

The Richmond Planet, Saturday, December 17, 1921, Richmond Virginia

N. A. A. C. P. ASKS CLOTHES FOR TULSA SUFFERERS

The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, 70 Fifth Avenue, New York today asked that donations of clothes be sent to the Tulsa Relief Committee, for riot victims who have to face the rigors of winter with inadequate housing and insufficient clothes to protect them from the cold.

The Association’s statement is as follows:

‘Inquiries have been coming in to the National office as to whom to send clothing to in Tulsa, to help the riot sufferers face the cold of winter. The Association has been made a center in New York for relief funds, having raised $3500 which is being exponded for physical relief and legal defense in Tulsa, but cannot undertake the distribution of clothing.

We are therefore asking that those who have clothes to give to the Tulsa sufferers, send them to

MR. S. D. HOOKER, Chairman TulsaRelief Com., 124 N. Greenwood St., Tulsa Oklahoma.

Needless to say only clothes in good condition should be sent, preferably warm garments.’

For the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.

JAMES WELDON JOHNSON, Secretary.

Another resource of information about the massacre is the Library of Congress’ digitized photos, that are available online, which is a good thing because libraries are still closed because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Check out the photos, below, and follow the links in the captions for more information on each.

“Smoldering ruins of African American’s homes following race riots in Tulsa, Okla., in 1921”
Library of Congress
https://www.loc.gov/item/95517072/

“Tulsa, Oklahoma, race riot, June 1, 1921] / photo by Alvin C. Krupnick Co., Tulsa, Okla.”
Library of Congress
https://www.loc.gov/item/91796047/

“Furniture in street during race riot, probably due to eviction, Tulsa, Oklahoma, 1921] / photo by Alvin C. Krupnick Co., Tulsa, Okla.”
Library of Congress
https://www.loc.gov/item/93501250/

“Rear view of truck carrying African Americans during the Tulsa, Okla. riot of 1921] / by Alvin C. Krupnick Co., Tulsa, Okla.”
Library of Congress
https://www.loc.gov/item/95519929/

“Truck on street near Litan Hotel carrying soldiers and African Americans during Tulsa, Okla., race riot in 1921”
Library of Congress
https://www.loc.gov/item/95517748/

“Rubble of houses in African American neighborhood in Tulsa, Okla. after race riots”
Library of Congress
https://www.loc.gov/resource/cph.3c17624/

“Headquarters staff, American Red Cross Disaster Relief Hdqs., Tulsa, Okla., after the race riot of June 1921”
Library of Congress
https://www.loc.gov/item/2011661526/

“Little Africa on fire, Tulsa, Okla. Race riot, June 1st, 1921”
Library of Congress
https://www.loc.gov/resource/anrc.14742/

Notice that the last photo is captioned as being in “Little Africa.” If you were to Google that phrase, you would get results from several areas in the country that were described as such. Also, notice that most of the Library descriptions use the phrase “race riot,” though a more accurate description is massacre. “Massacre” because not only was the ultimate outcome the slaughter of what may have been hundreds of Blacks, but the killing and destruction was aided by government entities, which are rarely, if ever, accused of “rioting.”

Finally, spend time learning more about the incident from the following articles:

One, from the perspective of Jim Goodwin, publisher of the Black-owned newspaper, Oklahoma Eagle, here.

The second, from this article that calls attention to a manuscript written by Buck Colbert Franklin (1879-1960), which describes Franklin’s first-hand accounts of what he witnessed years before, during, and after the historic massacre, here.

That’s all for now, but stay tuned for more interesting history that you probably didn’t get in history class! 🦆🦆🦆🦆

*****The mission of the Don’t Duck History program is to promote and facilitate the learning and sharing of American history, along with its personal and social implications, and to highlight the history of Americans whose stories are not often presented in traditional American history textbooks.

Don’t Duck History is a program of United Charitable, a registered public 501(c)(3) nonprofit. If you appreciated this writing, follow the blog for more American history, and consider a making a donation. Ducks need to eat, too! DONATE HERE

Share this:

  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Email
  • More
  • Print
  • Tumblr
  • LinkedIn
  • Reddit
  • Pinterest
  • Pocket

Like this:

Like Loading...

Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Blog at WordPress.com.

  • Follow Following
    • Don't Duck History
    • Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now.
    • Don't Duck History
    • Customize
    • Follow Following
    • Sign up
    • Log in
    • Report this content
    • View site in Reader
    • Manage subscriptions
    • Collapse this bar
 

Loading Comments...
 

    %d bloggers like this: