I suppose I should explain the title to this post and the above mug shot. Since this post of mine was shared by a number of people, I’ve begun receiving email responses about the segregation and discrimination I witnessed as a young child born in Raleigh, North Carolina. Most express appreciation or thank me, but not all. A few are oddly off topic, and one went to some length to advise me of the story of C.J. Pearson. (Long story short: 12 year old African American kid claimed he was banned from Facebook after he posted a YouTube video questioning President Obama’s love of America, which led to a major conniption fit by the right wing media thanks to Fox News. The usual suspects claimed a conspiracy to censor conservative criticism by the administration in league with Facebook. In fact, Facebook requires account holders to be 13 years of age, and when advised of his age, they deactivated his account. Facebook has now given Mr. Pearson a public figure page to get around its own terms of service restrictions.)
By far the one reaction I did not expect was the following one in which I was asked for proof of my whiteness:
That was a great piece you wrote for Dailykos. Unfortunately, a young friend of mine, who is not always the most progressive thinking had this to say.
“JR. While I agree with this article. I think he is lying about his ethnicity. Almost seems like he really believes he will get more respect from saying he is white. I guess living in the Midwest for most of my life may scour my opinions on racism, but I really do not think it is as bad as it was in the 1950s. I agree that we have a long way to go as people, however, bringing up the ancient past most likely will not help.”
It would be great if you could send me a proof of life picture so that I might hit him over the head with it.
Clearly, some people believe no white person would ever write about the segregation and overt anti-black racism prevalent in the fifties, so that means in their minds my skin tone must be of a darker hue.
At first, as you might imagine, I was put off that someone would suggest I wasn’t who I said I was. It also seemed odd to me that someone would think that the rather mild stories from my childhood regarding the existence of segregation, Jim Crow laws and overt racism prevalent at that time, must have been written by a black person. After all, real stories from African Americans who lived in the South during the era of the Civil Rights movement are generally more harrowing then mine. Experiences, for example, such as those described by the people like Pearl Avery, an African American woman born in Birmingham, Alabama, who were interviewed by the Library of Congress’ Civil Rights History Project. In the following video she speaks of, among other events she recalls, the effect the deaths of Emmet Till and another black man (both killed for the crime of looking at white women in an inappropriate manner) had on her at a young age:
If you have the time, you can view other oral histories from this collection at the this website.
I considered not responding at all to this bizarre request, but then I realized that the person who questioned my identity, was not only insulting me, but his or her words were also an insult to every black person who lived during that era. Indeed, his or her reaction to my post is further evidence of a persistent racist attitude among far too many people. That is, the attitude, whether expressed or not, that African-Americans complain too much about racism, that racism isn’t that big an deal anymore, and that Americans, whether white or black, should all just get over it because things are so much better now.
You see, this person, whoever he may be, did not just question the authenticity of my white cred, but also the relevance of any discussion of racism in America, past and/or present. Because, talking about our nation’s history of racism against African Americans is just not helpful. Or to repeat the person who suggested I must be black stated:
… I really do not think it is as bad as it was in the 1950s. I agree that we have a long way to go as people, however, bringing up the ancient past most likely will not help.
I guess I have a different view of what constitutes the “ancient past.” Considering African Americans are presently being disproportionately killed in cold blood by the police, imprisoned at higher rates than whites, are discriminated against in housing, financial services and employment, and are witnessing their voting rights increasingly eroded, I think a discussion of what this country went through a mere 50-60 years ago is not only relevant to our times now, but essential.
So to that person who doubted my story, yes, I’m white, and yes speaking about the history of the racial divide in our country, whether discussing slavery, the Jim Crow era, the Civil Rights Movement, or the history of white backlash from the 1970s to the present, is more than relevant to today and our country’s persistent problem of racism. Ignorance is not a virtue, for if we fail to understand our past, how can we possibly hope to address the issues of our present?
There a some people who either feign rhetorically or are actually in total denial.
What is ironic about this is that the era that you described in Raleigh NC was an era that was in a more progressive place than most in the South thanks to Luther Hodges, Frank Porter Graham, Terry Sanford, William Friday, and even Dean Smith. In the late 1960s and early 1970s, North Carolina in general and the Triangle in particular were destination of migration of Southerners who aspired to a more progressive racial and political environment. Atlanta was another progressive destination at that time.
Yet, even within these areas, old habits of course persisted. And transplants themselves soon became accustomed to those bad habits. Or brought the same bad habits from whereever it was they had moved.
What is underappreciated by whites outside the South is the extent to which whites who disagreed or even mildly questioned segregation, whites who were more American than Southern (and lot of the World War II generation in the 1960s were) were constantly having to watch what they said, we obligated to laugh at the racist jibes, and even retell one or two of them in order to maintain social approval.
My dad’s favorite was about the black college graduate who came back to Georgetown SC and went to register to vote. When given as a literacy test the opportunity to read and interpret an obscure section of the 1895 South Carolina Constitution, the young man read over it and politely and calmly replied, “It says right here that colored people are not supposed to vote in South Carolina.” When my dad told it, it always got laughs from everyone present. And he was well-liked among the people he had to deal with. Only later did I see the subversiveness of that story to the defense of segregation. And yes, the story is apocryphal. And it is not original with my dad.
A lot of people of good will got liberated in the South during the 1960s, Most of us have reacted with consternation as the rest of the nation has backslid with the Republican Party and the proliferation of shock jocks and Fox News. We won’t go back either.
Parents shape their children’s attitudes in strange ways even when verbal instruction from an early age might be risky.
The bigots are afraid that their reign of terror and social punishment is rapidly ending. So they holler about losing their freedom (to enforce social attitudes of discrimination). And they project their motives onto people who are opposed to discrimination.
Same-sex marriage is in this debate a stalking horse for the ability to discriminate on the basis of race. Hopefully it’s the last gasp of the bigots before they lose demographic relevance.
They never thought that a time would come when they weren’t the default Americans and would have to accommodate themselves to a broader range of cultures, religions, and understandings of humanness.
Truth is that none of us is white. Pink, beige, tan, a whole host of shades. In the late 1600s the Colony of Virginia divided its domain into white, negro, and Indian as a matter of law of identity. Proof of that identity was a matter of law. “White” was defined as “not-negro” and “not-Indian” and eventually that definition was redefined and adjusted and further redefined as a “one-drop” rule except where upper-class exceptions applied (wink-wink).
So the challenge to prove that one is white is by its nature fundamentally unattainable, which is after all, the point of the challenge.
because nobody WHITE would admit to what you saw. Because, Jim Crow was all a figment of the ‘Negro’ imagination.
Remember, Former Governor Foghorn Leghorn of Mississippi told us that The White Citizens Council was just a simple group of businessmen.
There are still too many folks alive who remember, so that whitewash wasn’t gonna happen.
“The White Citizens Council was just a simple group of businessmen” …who just wanted to ensure segregation today, segregation tomorrow, segregation forever. Simple.
And I kept the cover letter and the pamphlet they sent to every (white) college student in South Carolina in 1965 for historical reasons. The letterhead very plainly displays the Stars ‘n Bars. The pamphlet is by a Columbia University psychology professor, who testified in the Brown v. Board of Education decision, that argues that segregation is required because Negroes are biologically inferior (heavy-hande Murray-Herrenstein Bell Curve arguments). I guess that the perfesser was both Ivy League and from New York City was supposed to add to his authority with South Carolina college students and provide some intellectual heft on campus.
Not only doe many folks remember but they have artifacts that they can pass down to their heirs to keep that memory alive. Mine is easy.
But there are some folks who have tucked away those newspaper clippings about when some unnamed locals burned a cross or fired a bullet through the window of grandma’s or grandpa’s home because of ….whatever it was. Or someone’s mom has an oral history recording from when she was in the Civil Rights Movement. Those artifacts will remain.
I’ve got a slug from Lester Dorm at the u of Mississippi from when Medgar was there. I got in ’69 when I was put on the 3rd floor with the hippies. Had to hang out a window dead drunk to get it.
With the hippies, eh. Harvey Gantt at Clemson was on the “foreign student hall”.
Was the hanging out the window dead drunk and recovering this artifact voluntary or part of some arcane Old Miss ritual?
Voluntary. I was 18 … ’nuff said. It was (of course) Rebel Yell Bourbon.
When youthful indiscretions meet major events of history. Well done.
I remember upbraiding a fellow employer about talking about someone “jewing” him and was immediately suspected of being Jewish.
It happens all the time.
In 1969 this was one of our anthems. As it turned out, David Crosby’s “long time comin'” is a lot longer than any of us expected.
Indianadem, I might be going out on a limb here, but I think if the planets ever properly aligned that I could really enjoy having a beer (or other beverage) with you. 😉
Same here, Mike. If you ever plan to visit near Bloomington, IN, post in the cafe and we’ll try to meet up. There are a couple of other BTers here too. BTW, my kids are career bartenders, so multiple choices available.
Keeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeerist!
I’m 57 years-old, and I’m sick and tired of having to deal with the issue of race – which should have ended in the mid-60’s.
Except, the racists and bigots never, ever, give up!
The fight over women’s, minorities, and gay rights, will last until I’m long past worm-chow.
I hope others are ready to pick-up the fight when I’m long, long, gone!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Damn, Steve, you don’t look THAT old … maybe that decrepit but NOT that old!
LOL
I was going to delete the spam comment but now I’m laughing to hard.
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Now, I suppose I should explain the title to this post and the above mug shot. Since my diary was shared by a number of people, I’ve begun receiving email responses about the segregation and discrimination I witnessed as a young child born in Raleigh, North Carolina. Most express appreciation or thank me, but not all. A few are oddly off topic, and one went to some length to advise me of the story of C.J. Pearson. (Long story short: 12 year old African American kid claimed he was banned from Facebook after he posted a YouTube video questioning President Obama’s love of America, which led to a major conniption fit by the right wing media thanks to Fox News. The usual suspects claimed a conspiracy to censor conservative criticism by the administration in league with Facebook. In fact, Facebook requires account holders to be 13 years of age, and when advised of his age, they deactivated his account. Facebook has now given Mr. Pearson a public figure page to get around its own terms of service restrictions.)
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