Larry's Library

Friday, January 31, 2014

AFRICAN AMERICANS OLDER THAN THE U.S.A.

AFRICAN AMERICANS OLDER THAN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA With respect to African American slavery, it is what it is. Without it, America would not be what it is. But for slavery, America would not be! African American slavery is older than the United States of America. It predates the Declaration of Independence, the Articles of Confederation, and the U.S. Constitution. So, also, do African Americans--and by extension--their descendants, predate those founding documents. African Americans, in fact, predate the British in America. Africans arrived here with the Spanish, French, and the Dutch, then finally with the British in 1619 at Jamestown, Virginia. We, African Americans, go back to the early 1500's, not always as slaves, but also as ship pilots as Pedro Alonzo Nino, with Columbus, or as explorers of Texas, New Mexico etc. with Estevanico.

"WHITE" NEGRO SLAVES

http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/01/30/the-young-white-faces-of-slavery/?_php=true&_type=blogs&nl=opinion&emc=edit_ty_20140131&_r=0 Harriet Beecher Stowe used nearly-white slave characters for heroine Eliza and her son, in UNCLE TOM'S CABIN, as did Francis Watkins Harper in her novel IOLA LEROY.

Thursday, January 30, 2014

POST-PETE SEEGER PARDON

http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/tom-morello-remembers-pete-seeger-he-had-a-backbone-of-steel-20140129?utm_source=dailynewsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=newsletter I sneered ignorantly, when another friend posted a notice of Pete Seeger's death. "Why should I care?" I wondered. "Just some old hippie." Then, today, another friend wondered aloud why her news-feed had contained no Pete Seeger postings. That did it! I liked her post, without commenting, and whirled into action. No more sneer. "Who in the heck was Pete Seeger," I wondered, as I searched. Then, I read a NY TIMES obituary of this great soul (posted below) and song-writer, and I wept. From "Where have all the flowers gone;" to "We shall overcome"--a real SHOCKER--to "If I had a hammer" and much, much more. A man among men he was and one great soul! Often persecuted, but resiliently resistant. American hero, legend and cultural icon in its finest sense.Forgive me Lord for my self-righteous sneer!

hardly prosaic mosaic....

THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD... EXCERPT.

THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD by William Still (Benediction Classics, Oxford: 1878, 2008), pp.217-218 “With the above three arrivals on hand, it may be seen how great was the danger to which all concerned were exposed on account of the bold and open manner in which these parties had escaped from the land of the peculiar institution. Notwithstanding, a feeling of great gratification existed in view of the success this new and adventurous mode of traveling. Indulging in reflections of this sort, the writer on going from his dinner that day to the anti-slavery office, to his surprise found an officer awaiting his coming. Said officer was of the mayor’s police force. Before many moments had been allowed to pass, in which to conjecture his errand, the officer, evidently burdened with the importance of his mission, began to state his business substantially as follows: ‘I have just received a telegraphic dispatch from a slave-holder living in Maryland, informing me that six slaves had escaped from him, and that he had reason to believe that they were on their way to Philadelphia, and would come in the regular train direct from Harrisburg; furthermore I am requested to be at the depot on the arrival of the train to arrest the whole party, for whom a reward of $1300 is offered. Now I am not the man for this business. I would have nothing to do with the contemptible work of arresting fugitives. I’d rather help them off. What I am telling you is confidential. My object in coming to this office is simply to notify the vigilance Committee so that they may be on the look-out for them at the depot this evening and get them out of danger as soon as possible. This is the way I feel about them; but I shall telegraph back that I will be on the look-out. “While the officer was giving this information he was listened to most attentively, and every word he uttered was carefully weighed. An air of truthfulness, however, was apparent; nevertheless he was a stranger and there was case for great cautiousness…”

LADDERS AND HIGHWAYS

WHile I thoroughly enjoyed the President's SOTU address last Tuesday, for its hopeful audacity, it still fell short of what is required, for real restitution of the structurally omitted. Even the POTUS's metaphor of "ladder to the middle class" is inadequate! Only 1 at a time can ascend a ladder! We need economic infrastructure akin to a highway to the middle class, meaning: higher wages, fair tax policy, good jobs, and fairness in the justice system, top to bottom! We have certainly descended on a highway to marginality, without these things en mass, since 1968, exceptions noted!