Sundown town
In a discussion of the racist anthem sung by the SAE frat students @ Oklahoma Univ. Jo-Ann Reid had these thoughts on its genesis that she puts into words, telling the story with an understanding that is also one of healing as knowledge is gained
At minute 5:50 of this 'Last Word' w/ Lawrence O'Donnell video clip, once again Joy-Ann Reid demonstrates her unique ability to capture the deeper meaning of a thing in such a way that enlightens the listener to the facts of a problem while simultaneously exposing and making the solution integral to the narrative - imo
transcript of Joy-Ann Reid:
"..what I love about history is that it is a continuum right?.. so we were in Selma where the attempt to keep AA's out of civil society, away from voting, was a direct response to the Civil War. It was a response to the emancipation of the formerly enslaved. And the desire of the white citizens of the South to not get over slavery. And to say even a hundred years after the Civil War we will not allow the sons and the grandsons of former slaves and the granddaughters of former slave to participate equally in society.
This fraternity that has now been expelled from this particular university was founded in the mid-eighteen hundreds..in the 1860's in the years after the Civil War.
I don't believe for ten seconds that those kids made that chant up. You're talking about an institution that was reacting, probably in the same era when people were marching across the Edmond Pettis bridge, to the imperative from the Federal government to integrate; to allow the grandsons and granddaughters of former slaves to be with you in society; to eat with you in a restaurant.
This was the fact that the south couldn't get over it, and not just the South. We're talking about the places that former slaves migrated to. Places like Illinois saying 'after dark get off our streets, don't be here, clean our homes, take care of our kids, but when the sun goes down * you better get out of here'.
Because they couldn't get over slavery.
The inability of an entire tract of our county's society not to get over slavery and to allow the formerly enslaved to become full citizens is what all of this is about.
That chant, what it specifically saying is; 'you're not integrating out fraternity'. That wasn't something those kids made up. They all knew the words to it. This must have been something that was part of the body of this fraternity. That's what's really frightening."
(end of Joy-Ann Reid transcript)
Facts and history conveyed with understanding and kindness
- Kudos, Joy-Ann Reid
* the history of sundown towns (aka racial cleansing) Joy-Ann Reid was teaching of. An attitude that we are still witnessing in towns across the country today:
"We ask that any groups wishing to assemble in prayer or in protest do so only during daylight hours in an organized and respectful manner." Participants should disperse well before the evening hours, the city says.
- Mayor of Ferguson Mo. James Knowles III
(source of quote found at the sundown towns link directly above)
Also participating in the discussion was Mark Thompson, host of "Make It Plain" on Sirius Radio, former Gov. Howard Dean, with a feed of Isaac Hill (Pres. of univ. O.K. Black student association) reporting in.
After reading a Diary by Calvino Partigiani this morning titled: Origins of the racist SAE song lyrics, something I'd heard Joy-Ann Reid say days before clicked into place:
"This was the fact that the south couldn't get over it, and not just the South. We're talking about the places that former slaves migrated to. Places like Illinois saying 'after dark get off our streets, don't be here, clean our homes, take care of our kids, but when the sun goes down * you better get out of here'. Because they couldn't get over slavery.
The inability of an entire tract of our county's society not to get over slavery and to allow the formerly enslaved to become full citizens is what all of this is about.
That chant, what it specifically saying is; 'you're not integrating out fraternity'. That wasn't something those kids made up. They all knew the words to it. This must have been something that was part of the body of this fraternity. That's what's really frightening."
- emphasis added
- thank you for stopping by