“The Birth of a Nation” was the first film screened at the White House. Afterwards, Woodrow Wilson was reported to have said “It is like writing history with lightning, and my only regret is that it is all so terribly true.” The film would go on to contribute to the resurgence of the Ku Klux Klan in 1915.
Last Friday, news broke that the Governor of Virginia, Ralph Northam, had a picture of two men, one in blackface and one in a KKK robe, on his page in his medical school yearbook. Personally, the news left me with a sense of self-reflection.
Back in high school, in an effort to do something different for senior prom, my friend and I made a list of different themes we could do outside of the usual black tuxedos. Being a fan of history, we chose to go with the Civil War, with my friend in a Union army uniform, and myself in the Confederate uniform.
I’ve never attempted to bury this fact from view and I’ve never made excuses for it, nor will I now, but over the years this moment has been gnawing away at me. Simply put, it’s about my own lack of mindfulness and a direct contradiction to how I’ve tried (with varying success) to live my life thinking about how my actions affect those around me.
Regardless of my personal reasons for it, a school dance is not a theatre stage or a reenactment event, and thus, not an appropriate venue for imagery that could be viewed as harmful by those not in on the “theme.”
I’m sorry for this. So I’m making it completely open. Though there’s nothing I can do to change it, the least I can do is be honest about it.
I don’t care how long ago it was, how old you were or what your intentions were. You need to be put in a prison cell for the remainder of your racist life for your abhorrent actions!!!
When I was in grade eleven, back in 1965, my English teacher made us refer to the Civil War as the War for Southern Independence. In our town there was a lot of residual support for the Confederacy. If the adults don’t know better, it’s no surprise that the kids don’t.
You’re not running for office, so you should have no problems over it. A certain governor may have avoided his current embarrassment by owning his indiscretion years before ever running for office instead of stonewalling, clumsy denials, and shifting stories. Wearing a confederate officer’s uniform is not necessarily a sign of racism or false nostalgia for the antebellum days (think about civil war reenactors -someone has to play the other side.) However wearing blackface was and is nothing less than stupid and ignorant and yes, racist. Unforgivable? perhaps not necessarily, but his denials, and feigned shock and dismay have made it so.
My high school was a “south” campus of two schools. Our teams were called The Rebels, and the red St. Andrew’s flag was not an unknown feature at our games, that is until a contingent of Afro-American students organised to protest the name and the imagery. i was a sophomore at the time and at first my 15 year old brain had a hard time understanding their point until i read more history and really listened to their concerns. It was eventually understood that the choice of the original name was not intentionally racist or nostalgia for the “lost cause” but ignorance of history and insensitivity to the feelings of our Afro-American students. After a time of soul-searching and not a little contention, the student body voted in favour of changing the name to “Spartans” (unfortunately, there were about a half-dozen other local schools with that name, but “Trojans” was rejected for obvious reasons) and we grew up and moved on. The rebel name and imagery was consigned to the scrapheap where it belonged. What was interesting and instructive was a nearby (all-white) high school and sports league arch-rival took to trolling us at games by chanting our old Rebel cheers at our games.
All this was 50 years ago. Change comes so slowly. The ghosts of the past continue to haunt.
“Birth of a Nation” had some great moments but was an unabashed racist diatribe in its latter parts. The average Confederate soldier had little to do with the policies set by the landed elite. The South chained its economy to the morally repugnant system of slavery that led to all the other real and imagined abuses by the North. Remember that Woodrow Wilson also gave us the “living constitution” concept that allowed him to ignore the rights granted to all persons, including the freed slaves and their descendants.
We lived in SE Georgia for a while, and I realized that the reason so many people there couldn’t let go of the Civil War was that they were (and are) still fighting it.
I won’t say you have earned my respect with that statement (that happened already), but I will say you have deepened it. You have also increased my admiration for your knowledge and love of American History (warts and all). I learn every day I come here. Well said, Sir.
Remember folks, the BEST WAY to learn from your mistakes so you never repeat them, is to ADMIT TO THEM, acknowledge that they WERE mistakes, and try to grow from the experience.
My vote’s for “The American President.” (Many of you are featured in the opening credits, too! Oh, and Woodrow, you get special mention by President Shepherd in one scene.)
Anyway, thanks for being forthright. It’s a rare quality these days. We all make mistakes in our youth. The difference lies in learning and reflecting on those mistakes, vs. denying or refusing to learn from them.
Brian Carroll creator over 5 years ago
“The Birth of a Nation” was the first film screened at the White House. Afterwards, Woodrow Wilson was reported to have said “It is like writing history with lightning, and my only regret is that it is all so terribly true.” The film would go on to contribute to the resurgence of the Ku Klux Klan in 1915.
Last Friday, news broke that the Governor of Virginia, Ralph Northam, had a picture of two men, one in blackface and one in a KKK robe, on his page in his medical school yearbook. Personally, the news left me with a sense of self-reflection.
Back in high school, in an effort to do something different for senior prom, my friend and I made a list of different themes we could do outside of the usual black tuxedos. Being a fan of history, we chose to go with the Civil War, with my friend in a Union army uniform, and myself in the Confederate uniform.
I’ve never attempted to bury this fact from view and I’ve never made excuses for it, nor will I now, but over the years this moment has been gnawing away at me. Simply put, it’s about my own lack of mindfulness and a direct contradiction to how I’ve tried (with varying success) to live my life thinking about how my actions affect those around me.
Regardless of my personal reasons for it, a school dance is not a theatre stage or a reenactment event, and thus, not an appropriate venue for imagery that could be viewed as harmful by those not in on the “theme.”
I’m sorry for this. So I’m making it completely open. Though there’s nothing I can do to change it, the least I can do is be honest about it.
http://www.twopartyopera.com/misc/BRI_CSAprom.jpg
guyjen2004 Premium Member over 5 years ago
I don’t care how long ago it was, how old you were or what your intentions were. You need to be put in a prison cell for the remainder of your racist life for your abhorrent actions!!!
lonecat over 5 years ago
When I was in grade eleven, back in 1965, my English teacher made us refer to the Civil War as the War for Southern Independence. In our town there was a lot of residual support for the Confederacy. If the adults don’t know better, it’s no surprise that the kids don’t.
Dani Rice over 5 years ago
All of us did things in our college years that make us cringe now. It wasn’t that long ago that going blackface for Halloween was quite acceptable.
gigagrouch over 5 years ago
You’re not running for office, so you should have no problems over it. A certain governor may have avoided his current embarrassment by owning his indiscretion years before ever running for office instead of stonewalling, clumsy denials, and shifting stories. Wearing a confederate officer’s uniform is not necessarily a sign of racism or false nostalgia for the antebellum days (think about civil war reenactors -someone has to play the other side.) However wearing blackface was and is nothing less than stupid and ignorant and yes, racist. Unforgivable? perhaps not necessarily, but his denials, and feigned shock and dismay have made it so.
My high school was a “south” campus of two schools. Our teams were called The Rebels, and the red St. Andrew’s flag was not an unknown feature at our games, that is until a contingent of Afro-American students organised to protest the name and the imagery. i was a sophomore at the time and at first my 15 year old brain had a hard time understanding their point until i read more history and really listened to their concerns. It was eventually understood that the choice of the original name was not intentionally racist or nostalgia for the “lost cause” but ignorance of history and insensitivity to the feelings of our Afro-American students. After a time of soul-searching and not a little contention, the student body voted in favour of changing the name to “Spartans” (unfortunately, there were about a half-dozen other local schools with that name, but “Trojans” was rejected for obvious reasons) and we grew up and moved on. The rebel name and imagery was consigned to the scrapheap where it belonged. What was interesting and instructive was a nearby (all-white) high school and sports league arch-rival took to trolling us at games by chanting our old Rebel cheers at our games.
All this was 50 years ago. Change comes so slowly. The ghosts of the past continue to haunt.BaltimoreJack Premium Member over 5 years ago
“The past is never dead. It’s not even past.” – William Faulkner
Billy Yank over 5 years ago
“Birth of a Nation” had some great moments but was an unabashed racist diatribe in its latter parts. The average Confederate soldier had little to do with the policies set by the landed elite. The South chained its economy to the morally repugnant system of slavery that led to all the other real and imagined abuses by the North. Remember that Woodrow Wilson also gave us the “living constitution” concept that allowed him to ignore the rights granted to all persons, including the freed slaves and their descendants.
Kip W over 5 years ago
We lived in SE Georgia for a while, and I realized that the reason so many people there couldn’t let go of the Civil War was that they were (and are) still fighting it.
Fenshaw over 5 years ago
I won’t say you have earned my respect with that statement (that happened already), but I will say you have deepened it. You have also increased my admiration for your knowledge and love of American History (warts and all). I learn every day I come here. Well said, Sir.
Masterskrain Premium Member over 5 years ago
Remember folks, the BEST WAY to learn from your mistakes so you never repeat them, is to ADMIT TO THEM, acknowledge that they WERE mistakes, and try to grow from the experience.
Andrew Sleeth over 5 years ago
My vote’s for “The American President.” (Many of you are featured in the opening credits, too! Oh, and Woodrow, you get special mention by President Shepherd in one scene.)
marycnelson over 5 years ago
Seems to me if Ralph Northam could’ve just said something honest and sensible like that he’d be in a lot better place now. And so would we all.
garcalej over 5 years ago
Anyway, thanks for being forthright. It’s a rare quality these days. We all make mistakes in our youth. The difference lies in learning and reflecting on those mistakes, vs. denying or refusing to learn from them.
Daeder over 5 years ago
“Birth of a Nation”…classic American fake news!