Two important points from what you wrote: (1) we in CT (and in the political North) need a deeper and more ingrained understanding that slavery was NOT JUST in the south. The Witness Stones project (somewhat controversial - but what isn't?) has been used to varying degrees in CT towns to uncover that hidden history; and (2) "however you celebrate" is also something to think about - party and parade, and/or deep dive into our shared history, and/or reflection on what lies beneath the surface of our continued racial divide.
I highly recommend "Complicity: How the North Promoted, Prolonged, and Profited from Slavery," written by my former colleagues Anne Farrow, Joel Lang, and Jenifer Frank. It was groundbreaking in 2006 and remains groundbreaking now.
“Imagine freedom being so close you could taste it”. I’m in no way comparing slaves to criminals but to prisoners. This phrase made me think of being on a tour of Alcatraz Island many years ago. The audio tour included a quote from a prisoner talking about how on calm nights the city sounds of San Francisco could be heard on the island and how he thought it drove some of the inmates mad. At that point in the audio tour, while the listener is standing in a cell, the narrator instructs them to close their eyes for a minute while the recording played the sounds of distant voices, laughter, car horns and the clang of street car bells. It was chilling. It’s easy to see how “flying away” legends became common among enslaved Africans
Juneteenth was over two years after the Emancipation Proclamation, but was 2 1/2 months after Lee’s surrender, and about 6 weeks after the last battle.
Thanks for sharing. I was unaware of CT’s gradual abolition of slavery. Gradual desegregation of schools was occurring in TX in the 1960’s. The Supreme Court ruled segregation illegal in Brown v Board of Education in 1954, but many TX school boards ignored the law for years afterward because it was rarely enforced. Some districts by 1962 were half-heartedly integrating their schools gradually, one grade per year. Thus it would take 13 years to fully integrate the schools K-12. The rationale was that exposing the youngest students first to a different race would “normalize” whites and students of color being in the same classroom as they advanced to higher grades. I suppose that meant fragile whites would be protected from going into shock at the sight of a black face suddenly sitting next to them.
The mother of a black high school student sued the Carrollton-Farmers Branch district for refusing to allow her to attend the town’s high school. Instead she was being bussed to a black high school 16 miles away in Dallas. Federal judge Sarah Hughes- who swore LBJ into office after JFK was assassinated, ruled against the district and made its gradual integration policy illegal. I am happy to say when the first black students began attending my alma mater R.L. Turner High, it was peaceful. Those students recalled a few classmates uttering racial epithets when no faculty member was in earshot, but say that was far outweighed by the friendliness or politeness of the majority of students. Texas was 2 years late freeing its slaves, but better late than never so Happy Juneteenth. One can only hope that the 1950’s era thinking currently prevalent in conservative TX Republicans will progress to the 21st century someday.
Just a footnote, in good ole WASPY Hartford the Irish were treated as slaves well into the 20th C....white supremacy is deeper that skin color and exists to this very day as we see with anti-Semitism that is everywhere.
Two important points from what you wrote: (1) we in CT (and in the political North) need a deeper and more ingrained understanding that slavery was NOT JUST in the south. The Witness Stones project (somewhat controversial - but what isn't?) has been used to varying degrees in CT towns to uncover that hidden history; and (2) "however you celebrate" is also something to think about - party and parade, and/or deep dive into our shared history, and/or reflection on what lies beneath the surface of our continued racial divide.
I highly recommend "Complicity: How the North Promoted, Prolonged, and Profited from Slavery," written by my former colleagues Anne Farrow, Joel Lang, and Jenifer Frank. It was groundbreaking in 2006 and remains groundbreaking now.
A suitable, deep reflection for the day. Thak you!
Thank you Susan and others here who have educated me today.
This is a truly excellent congregation we've assembled here, isn't it?
It certainly is! ❤️
“Imagine freedom being so close you could taste it”. I’m in no way comparing slaves to criminals but to prisoners. This phrase made me think of being on a tour of Alcatraz Island many years ago. The audio tour included a quote from a prisoner talking about how on calm nights the city sounds of San Francisco could be heard on the island and how he thought it drove some of the inmates mad. At that point in the audio tour, while the listener is standing in a cell, the narrator instructs them to close their eyes for a minute while the recording played the sounds of distant voices, laughter, car horns and the clang of street car bells. It was chilling. It’s easy to see how “flying away” legends became common among enslaved Africans
That's an excellent analogy. We cannot put ourselves in the place of people held in slavery but the human longing for freedom seems pretty universal.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=Q6fAD90KXFg
I would listen to Rhiannon Giddens hum into a microphone. Thank you for this.
Juneteenth was over two years after the Emancipation Proclamation, but was 2 1/2 months after Lee’s surrender, and about 6 weeks after the last battle.
As I was reading up, I was surprised that the fighting continued after Appomattox. I mean…
Preach!
Yes, like a clap of thunder!
Be freed… the idea of Juneteenth if not the reality. We remain in pursuit of that evasive butterfly called freedom.
Ooh, we shall not rest.
How Long? Not long…
Amen.
Thanks for sharing. I was unaware of CT’s gradual abolition of slavery. Gradual desegregation of schools was occurring in TX in the 1960’s. The Supreme Court ruled segregation illegal in Brown v Board of Education in 1954, but many TX school boards ignored the law for years afterward because it was rarely enforced. Some districts by 1962 were half-heartedly integrating their schools gradually, one grade per year. Thus it would take 13 years to fully integrate the schools K-12. The rationale was that exposing the youngest students first to a different race would “normalize” whites and students of color being in the same classroom as they advanced to higher grades. I suppose that meant fragile whites would be protected from going into shock at the sight of a black face suddenly sitting next to them.
The mother of a black high school student sued the Carrollton-Farmers Branch district for refusing to allow her to attend the town’s high school. Instead she was being bussed to a black high school 16 miles away in Dallas. Federal judge Sarah Hughes- who swore LBJ into office after JFK was assassinated, ruled against the district and made its gradual integration policy illegal. I am happy to say when the first black students began attending my alma mater R.L. Turner High, it was peaceful. Those students recalled a few classmates uttering racial epithets when no faculty member was in earshot, but say that was far outweighed by the friendliness or politeness of the majority of students. Texas was 2 years late freeing its slaves, but better late than never so Happy Juneteenth. One can only hope that the 1950’s era thinking currently prevalent in conservative TX Republicans will progress to the 21st century someday.
Just a footnote, in good ole WASPY Hartford the Irish were treated as slaves well into the 20th C....white supremacy is deeper that skin color and exists to this very day as we see with anti-Semitism that is everywhere.
Thank you for sharing that part of Connecticut history. I wasn't aware of it.