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

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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.

“Get Over It”: 1865, 2016

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1865, african-american, american history, civil rights, civil war, election, humanities, newspaper, Norfolk Post, Norfolk VA, reconstruction, Shakespeare

Norfolk Virginia (home of Don’t Duck History), June, 1865. The Civil War had ended a month prior, and a newspaper called The Norfolk Post was born. According to information provided on the National Endowment for Humanities website:

Published by E. M. Brown and edited by John Clark, the four-page paper appeared daily, except Sundays, with subscriptions available at three dollars per one hundred issues, or ten dollars per year. A typical issue included local and national news as well as poetry and short fiction–and a vibrant editorial viewpoint.

In its first issue of June 22, 1865, the Norfolk Post carefully identified itself as politically independent. And yet, each issue in truth presented a decidedly distinct perspective, one that embraced a more diverse city, including its African American constituency. The paper, for example, vigorously supported President Andrew Johnson’s reconstruction efforts and especially saw itself as an “aid in bringing about the ‘era of good feeling’ among the great sections of the nation,” all the better to help “re-establish . . . the Old Union.” Editorial discussions frequently confronted the economic and social issues facing the South–and especially those facing Norfolk. Beginning with its earliest issues, the Norfolk Post reported on news of relevance to its African American readers, particularly coverage of the proceedings of the Convention of Colored Virginians held in Alexandria, Virginia, in August 1865.

Within the first issue, the following writing by Shakespeare was included. As you read it consider the audience of the newspaper, which according to the description above seems to be both the White and Black residents of Norfolk. Who was the poem directed toward? One or the other? Both? Certainly both had experienced the situations described (anger/strife).

LET IT PASS. Let former grudges pass- Shakespeare. Be not swift to take offence; Let it pass. Anger is a foe to sense; Let pass. Brood not darkly o’er a wrong Which will disappear ere long, Rather sing this cheering song, Let it pass, Let it pass.

Strife corrodes the purest mind; Let it pass. As the unregarded wind, Let it pass. Any vulgar souls that live May condemn without reprieve; ‘Tis the noble who forgive, Let it pass, Let it pass. Echo not an angry word; Let it pass. Think how often you have erred; Let it pass. Since our joys must pass away, Like the dewdrops on the spray, Wherefore should our sorrows stay? Let it pass. Let it pass.

If for good you’ve taken ill, Let it pass. Oh! be kind and gentle still; Let it pass. Time at last makes all things straight. Let us not resent but wait, And our triumph shall be great; Let it pass, Let it pass. Bid your anger to depart; Let pass. Lay these homely words to heart, Let it pass. Follow not the giddy throng; Better to be wronged than wrong; Therefore sing this cheery song, Let it pass, Let it pass.

Less than one week ago, the United States held a presidential election that seems to have unleashed anger and strife from supporters of both major parties, both before and after the election. Since the election however, one phrase that has been overheard primarily from the supporters of the new President-elect , is “get over it”.

The purpose of this writing is not to point fingers, but to shed light on the fact that we seem to be revisiting history, and one that for this country caused financial instability, loss of a sense of security, and division of families. It was a war. If we look back to 1865, “let it pass” did not seem to be a helpful suggestion during reconstruction, or at the very least it doesn’t seem to have happened on a large scale, and in 2016, “get over it” doesn’t seem to be a helpful suggestion, either. Imagine the poem if you were to replace “let it pass” with “get over it”. Actually, don’t just imagine it, go back and read it and do it. “Get over it” may be helpful if the issue was that your neighbor cut his grass at 5 a.m. on the Saturday that you planned to sleep in, but in the aftermath of a civil war, was it really helpful? Or reasonable? No, it wasn’t, and it isn’t now. We are once again experiencing financial instability, a loss of a sense of security, and division of families, albeit on a different plane because we are not at war.

“Let it pass.” Could that also simply be an observation that cooler heads prevail? Well, it certainly could. Cooler heads certainly do tend to make better decisions. How can we get to those better decisions? Well, not ducking history might be helpful. There is enough of our history documented that should allow us to use it to help us make better decisions. If you are able to read this blog, you also have access to much of that history, as many institutions have digitized historical documents, books, and other resources, so that if you have internet access, you don’t even need to leave home to view them. For example, the Norfolk Post can be found here. Yes, you can read a newspaper from 1865 from home, with no subscription fee (ha!), as easily as you can watch a useless reality tv show. Just a suggestion. “Let us not resent but wait” does not seem to be working. Waiting for cooler heads to appear without doing the actual work to allow them to be cooler does not work. 

Peace, squeaks, and quacks.

p.s. Don’t forget to like our facebook page, and click “Follow the Duck” at the top of the page, to be alerted to future blog posts.

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Ball Of Confusion

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american history, art, Ball Of Confusion, civil rights, Motown, music, protest songs, Temptations

When you think of American history, what pops into your mind? Pilgrims? Cherry trees? Patriots? Indians? Wars? Boring classes? Yep for me, on the last one.

Today I’m sharing some history that popped into my mind recently. Back in the 70’s my family rode around in a Chevy Nova. It was a TANK! Well, it was on the outside. At some point the radio stopped working and it was a while before it got replaced. In the mean time, my father, a Viet Nam War era Veteran, decided it would be a good idea for him to just sing ‘a cappella’ as we were riding to wherever. I’m appreciating that now more than I did at the time. Just sayin’. One of the songs he used to sing was Ball Of Confusion, as performed by the Temptations, and one of the reasons I’m familiar with the lyrics is because of HOW MANY TIMES dad sang that song in the car.

As I have mentioned before, I’m not a professional (or particularly learned) historian, but since I decided to develop Don’t Duck History I find myself curious about history everywhere. In the light of recent global events (terrorism, refugees, racism, wars, the list goes on…), I thought this song would be an interesting subject. While the song was considered a protest/psychedelic/message song for it’s time, it still remains relevant today and we’re still finding ourselves struggling with some of the same issues mentioned in it.

Take a few moments and read the lyrics, then watch the video that I found on youtube. Bottom line, this planet that we live on is all we have right now, and we cannot afford to continue the confusion. I’m struggling to be a part of the solution in my moments of clarity. I hope you decide to join me.

Ball Of Confusion

People moving out, people moving in
Why? Because of the color of their skin
Run, run, run but you sure can’t hide
An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth
Vote for me and I’ll set you free
Rap on, brother, rap on

Well, the only person talking about love thy brother is the preacher
And it seems nobody’s interested in learning but the teacher
Segregation, determination, demonstration, integration
Aggravation, humiliation, obligation to my nation

Ball of confusion
Oh yeah, that’s what the world is today
Woo, hey, hey

The sale of pills are at an all time high
Young folks walking round with their heads in the sky
The cities a flame in the summer time
And oh, the beat goes on

Evolution, revolution, gun control, sound of soul
Shooting rockets to the moon, kids growing up too soon
Politicians say more taxes will solve everything
And the band played on

So, round and around and around we go
Where the world’s headed, said nobody knows
Oh, great Googamooga
Can’t you hear me talking to you?

Just a ball of confusion
Oh yeah, that’s what the world is today
Woo, hey, hey

Fear in the air, tension everywhere
Unemployment rising fast, the Beatles new record’s a gas
And the only safe place to live is on an Indian reservation
And the band played on

Eve of destruction, tax deduction, city inspectors, bill collectors
Mod clothes in demand, population out of hand, suicide, too many bills
Hippies moving to the hills, people all over the world are shouting
‘End the war’ and the band played on

Great Googamooga
Can’t you hear me talking to you?

It’s a ball of confusion
That’s what the world is today, hey, hey
Let me hear ya, let me hear ya, let me hear ya

Sayin’ ball of confusion
That’s what the world is today, hey, hey
Let me hear ya, let me hear ya
Let me hear ya, let me hear ya, let me hear ya
Sayin’ ball of confusion

Songwriters
WHITFIELD, NORMAN J./STRONG, BARRETT

Published by
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC

Read more: Temptations – Ball Of Confusion Lyrics | MetroLyrics

See what I mean? We still have work to do. Now that I have your attention, if you’re really curious, take a look at this article. It’s got interesting information on the Temptations and Motown, and includes mentions of many other songs and artists of that time. Read it here. That’s the thing when you don’t duck history. One thing leads to another. Like ducks swimming, even.

-therealrubberduck

The Rosa Parks Statue-Making History in the United States Capitol

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american history, black history, capitol hill, civil rights, don't duck history, rosa parks, statues, women in history

Today is Rosa Parks’ birthday.

Born on February 4, 1913, she is most known in American history as the lady who refused to give up her bus seat one day in Montgomery, Alabama, but there’s so much more! On a trip to Washington, D.C., we (me, the hubby, and grandkids) took a tour of Capitol Hill. Part of that tour included time spent viewing the National Statuary Hall Collection, which is a collection of statues of historical figures presented by individual states. With a twist.

As it turns out, there is a statue of Rosa Parks amongst the statues in the collection, though technically the statue is not part of the collection. Her statue is there due to a special act of Congress, and was not commissioned by any particular state. That’s the twist. Her statue is also the first one that featured an African-American in full length (vs. the busts of MLK, Jr. and Sojourner Truth, for example). That is history!

Rosa Parks statue in the U.S. Capitol. Photo credit: Tracy Clark

Squeaks and quacks:

Check out more about the lady that you probably didn’t read in a history book here: http://www.aoc.gov/capitol-hill/other-statues/rosa-parks

More about her statue here: http://www.aoc.gov/capitol-hill/other-statues/rosa-parks

Check out other statues, busts, and other sculptures at the Capitol here: http://www.aoc.gov/capitol-hill/sculpture

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Some Sat Down. This Lady Stood Up.

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american history, ann dearsley vernon, civil rights, don't duck history, greensboro four, greensboro north carolina, sit ins, woolworth's

One of the goals of the Don’t Duck History project is to give voice to those who are not often featured in American History documentation, and this is a prime example. When we read about civil rights and particularly the Greensboro, North Carolina Woolworth’s lunch counter sit-ins, what is normally presented are the brave African-American college students who boldly, yet peacefully, participated in a movement where equal treatment was the ultimate goal. Certainly, they deserve to be featured for their courage and contribution to positive change.  They were later referred to as the “Greensboro Four”, and their names are Joseph McNeil, Franklin McCain, Ezell Blair, Jr. and David Richmond.

And then there’s Ann Dearsley-Vernon. Her story appeared on my Facebook page recently, and apparently she’s been hiding in plain view right here in the city of Norfolk VA. Yes, I admit to having a history of living under the occasional rock. So who is she? Well, you should watch the video in the link below, but the quick and dirty is that she and some of her college classmates went to a certain Woolworth’s lunch counter, and upon noticing that African-American (college) students were attempting to be served, she and her classmates stood so that their seats would be available to the other history makers there that day.

Take just a few minutes and watch the video (and read about her story) here.

A relatively recent trip to the Smithsonian National Museum of American History landed me in front of part of the actual counter where that history was made. It had been donated to the museum after the Woolworth’s store closed in 1993. I don’t recall reading about Ann at the museum, so I did a quick Google search about the sit-ins and again, nothing. Now I’m not saying there is nothing out there, but my point is that you will probably have to dig to find it, or actually even know to look for it. Lo and behold, when I googled her name, I came to this blog that tells more about her part of the story. I’ll bet there are many other similar stories that have never been told or not widely known, and my goal is to have a place where those stories can be archived digitally (via a website) as well as some of them ultimately ending up in a book. Thinking ahead, let’s say a series of books.  (I also found this article about her and her attachment to a different museum, as an artist.  Check it out.)

Section of the Greensboro, NC Woolworth’s lunch counter, as displayed at the Smithsonian National Museum of American History. 1/2015

Back to the African-American students, well, one in particular; Franklin McCain. He was interviewed by NPR in the link here, and one of the things he mentioned was that there was additional support for their courage that came from outside of the black community on their first day of sitting.  In actuality, many people took the steps that they were comfortable taking, toward positive change.  Many were women, and their stories need to be told, too.  Upon recalling a “little old white lady” looking in his direction, McCain wrongly thought her stare was one of disdain, but he learned he was wrong when she approached them, and said “Boys, I am so proud of you. I only regret that you didn’t do this 10 years ago”. She has a name, too. I wonder what it is so that I can google it.

My journey continues.  Peace, squeaks, and quacks!

FACEBOOK PAGE: https://www.facebook.com/dontduckhistory

 

New Year, New Blog!

Tags

african-american, american history, civil rights, crowd funding, fundraiser, red tails, tuskegee airmen, WWII

As a child, history was never my favorite subject in school.  I made good grades, but again, not my favorite-by a long shot.  Fast forward to a college level American history class that I took, well into adulthood, and boy had things changed.  Well, I had changed.  For extra-credit, my husband and I took a day off work, visited a few local Virginia plantations, and I turned in a paper about the experience for the credit.  I got an “A” in the class, but still didn’t continue to pursue learning more after the class, even though I enjoyed it.  He and I would also take an occasional trip to visit the Smithsonian Museums in Washington D.C., not related to the class, but more for the short getaway than the learning experience.  Imagine my surprise when on one of those trips to the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum, my eyes landed on the name and photo of a relative whose name I recognized, but had never met.  That’s a story for another time, but he is one of the Tuskegee Airmen, the first group of African-American military airmen who, because of their efforts during WWII, are recognized for their significant military accomplishments in the face of adversity.  Basically, they fought a war on several fronts, including the one at home (Jim Crow).  It then made sense to me why I have additional family members who have been licensed pilots, and the one who still is has carried on the name of our family WWII-Air Force-trailblazer-veteran’s name by naming his son after him.  How cool is that?

Fast forward to today.  It is very clear to me that I’m not the only person who had not been paying close enough attention to events and people around me that not only affect me daily, but shape my life and surroundings on a daily basis.  How might I have acted differently, made different decisions, chosen different paths, had I come this enlightenment sooner?  The truth is that I believe everything happens, when it happens, for a reason, but certainly my path would have been walked with my head held higher.  I am not alone in this regard.  While everyone may not be able to point to a relative featured in a museum, or had a movie written based on their actions (Red Tails, released in 2012), history, in this case American history, surrounds us all on a constant basis, and we are all contributors.  There is a story behind every object you can sense, place you visit, and person that you run across.  Someone told me recently that “History is our teacher, not our past”, and I believe that to be true.

And so, now is the beginning of a fork in my path.  I have “ducked” history for long enough.  My final inspiration to act, and the play on the word “duck” came from my reaction to a certain “royal” duck related reality television show member who basically said during an interview that Blacks he saw (before the civil rights era, and in rural Louisiana) were all “singing and happy”.  Though it was HIS observation (ok, we sometimes see the same things differently, but here we go back to Jim Crow), it was a statement that, at best, thoroughly ignored the experiences Blacks faced at that time, and at worst, was insulting to the very people who experienced it.  Also, while I enjoy singing and am generally a happy person, I do understand that sometimes you sing to make yourself happy, not because you already are. Just sayin’.

Moving right along… My hope is to encourage others to walk their paths alongside mine, knowing that there will be forks that will take us in different directions at times.  I also believe that the more we walk together, the more chances that our paths will cross, with the ultimate destination being a comfortable place for everyone to just be able to “be”.  Everyone deserves that opportunity.

I’ll be blogging about my journey along the way, and I hope you make the time to share yours as well.  I encourage you to share your American history related posts on the facebook page.  Short stories you may elect to write may also be shared via this form , for possible inclusion in a future book, posting on the Don’t Duck History website (yet to be released), and/or used with other media that will serve the ultimate goals of the project.  Then, just be patient; this is a marathon, not a sprint!  Take a few minutes and watch this interview of one of the Tuskegee Airmen, from the History.com website.

http://www.history.com/topics/world-war-ii/world-war-ii-history/videos/tuskegee-airman-luther-smith

Last but not least, expenses are ongoing and your help in that department would be appreciated as well.  Here is the page where you can lend your support.  For a $30 dollar donation (and multiples of $30), you will receive a t-shirt as a thank you gift! You also have the option of supporting with as little as $10, and ongoing monthly support is available as well.  The timeline for a project like this is usually several years or more, but to minimize the time from idea to the first published book, funding will be used to hire as much help as possible, in addition to being used for current and upcoming expenses.  Remember, this is a marathon, not a sprint, and thank you in advance.  Peace, squeaks, and quacks!  Because that’s what rubber ducks do.

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