Great article. I wrote about the new National Freedom Riders monument in Anniston, Alabama “could you get on the bus” on my personal website. I started my own Substack publication a month ago which is about my family history. Today’s publication was finding my paternal grandmother’s grandfather on a Louisiana plantation slave roll.
Yes it was and that was the era I came of age. I grew up in San Diego. In my family we had five different skin colors because my father was African-American and my stepmother was German.
Peter, these photos are truly horrendous. I'm from Texas, and I've seen these before. I've also heard things before that still stick with me. As always, thanks to you and your efforts to provide all of us with these images. I'll just end with: ,la
Two questions. Were they blue suits with red ties by chance? And if God made four races - white, black, yellow, and red, how does He feel about orange?
The title says it all. One of the continuing sustainers of Southern white supremacy is the country club. Has anyone written a history of the country club movement? (It neatly culminates with Donald Trump, I think.)
The private golf course is a money-laundering empire, often as not. There are several ways to move money around via private clubs. So that should be a portion of the discussion.
But I think that's old news. The modern tool of supremacy is the private & charter school, wherein your and my tax money is used to promote racism, authoritarianism, anti-intellectualism, Christian nationalism, etc. Assigning public tax collections to essentially non-regulated private schools with anti-democratic agendas is national suicide.
These tracts are pretty horrifying. Sadly this racist propaganda still exists in the Christian Nationalist movement and amongst the various militia movements around the country. Here in Washington state, I've run into far too many racist cracker mofos who believe this garbage.
Peter, your access to forgotten images is invaluable. I'm writing today to ask if you have any photos from the NY Triangle Shirtwaist Fire. This incident prompted my memory because of an essay that Heather Cox Richardson posted a few days ago, 8/14/24. (There's also one in her archives dated a few years earlier.) At any rate, this latest one is tied to her connection to this tragedy with FDR's support for working reform legislation. A pertinent topic today because of the Dems interest in corporate responsibility. I, for one, would be delighted to see what you have in Library of Congress archives.
My parents, grandparents and all those of the generation lived through this. All while paying their taxes. That is the most infuriating aspects of segregation: My ancestors paid for public services that they were physically and violently prevented from using. Multiply this by years and by millions of Black people and one can see a straightforward case for reparations. It’s infuriating.
I just heard Ben Folds, guest on The Daily Beans podcast recently, talk about how Superman (via a radio show series) basically outed the KKK back in the late ‘40s, causing a huge decline in its membership. The white citizens’ councils were their way to continue that insidious agenda.
It would be interesting to see the lexile level for that manual. It reads like a primer—very basic.
Unlike the Klan, the White Citizens’ Councils use respectability and economic power to enforce segregation. Different means - same end. Three cheers for Superman!
There was a Superman cartoon cel image on FakeBook yesterday. If there was someway to share it, I would have as I made a screenshot of it to post later.
History tends to rhyme, doesn't it?
Some things haven’t changed much.
Exactly
Great article. I wrote about the new National Freedom Riders monument in Anniston, Alabama “could you get on the bus” on my personal website. I started my own Substack publication a month ago which is about my family history. Today’s publication was finding my paternal grandmother’s grandfather on a Louisiana plantation slave roll.
https://alyeskeea.com/could-you-get-on-the-bus/
Daniel, thanks for sharing this piece with me. Interesting, but it reminds me of what a hateful era that was.
Yes it was and that was the era I came of age. I grew up in San Diego. In my family we had five different skin colors because my father was African-American and my stepmother was German.
Peter, these photos are truly horrendous. I'm from Texas, and I've seen these before. I've also heard things before that still stick with me. As always, thanks to you and your efforts to provide all of us with these images. I'll just end with: ,la
Thanks. The Forgotten Files serves history as it was, not how we wish it had been. If something seems out of line, it’s because it probably was.
Agreed, much at that time was "out of line." I saw many such photos in Life magazine in the 1950's -- my generation's 'television'. ,la
Two questions. Were they blue suits with red ties by chance? And if God made four races - white, black, yellow, and red, how does He feel about orange?
I know I’m tired of tangarine.
The title says it all. One of the continuing sustainers of Southern white supremacy is the country club. Has anyone written a history of the country club movement? (It neatly culminates with Donald Trump, I think.)
Could be an idea for a future post? I'll tuck that one in the files. Thanks
The private golf course is a money-laundering empire, often as not. There are several ways to move money around via private clubs. So that should be a portion of the discussion.
But I think that's old news. The modern tool of supremacy is the private & charter school, wherein your and my tax money is used to promote racism, authoritarianism, anti-intellectualism, Christian nationalism, etc. Assigning public tax collections to essentially non-regulated private schools with anti-democratic agendas is national suicide.
These tracts are pretty horrifying. Sadly this racist propaganda still exists in the Christian Nationalist movement and amongst the various militia movements around the country. Here in Washington state, I've run into far too many racist cracker mofos who believe this garbage.
Racism is America’s original sin.
And people have to know that it’s not just the South where these racist attitudes hold sway. It’s ubiquitous.
I was born and raised in Rochester NY. A very segregated city.
Peter, your access to forgotten images is invaluable. I'm writing today to ask if you have any photos from the NY Triangle Shirtwaist Fire. This incident prompted my memory because of an essay that Heather Cox Richardson posted a few days ago, 8/14/24. (There's also one in her archives dated a few years earlier.) At any rate, this latest one is tied to her connection to this tragedy with FDR's support for working reform legislation. A pertinent topic today because of the Dems interest in corporate responsibility. I, for one, would be delighted to see what you have in Library of Congress archives.
What a tragedy that event was, and so emblematic of the exploitation of immigrant labor. I do have a couple of resources for you. I'll attach a couple of links. The first is a collection of photos from the Library of Congress. The second link is to Chronicling America, which has digitized newspapers. This will get you started with about 10 different articles, many of which have illustrations. I hope you find them informative. https://www.loc.gov/search/?fa=subject:triangle+shirtwaist+company https://guides.loc.gov/chronicling-america-triangle-shirtwaist-factory-fire/selected-articles
My parents, grandparents and all those of the generation lived through this. All while paying their taxes. That is the most infuriating aspects of segregation: My ancestors paid for public services that they were physically and violently prevented from using. Multiply this by years and by millions of Black people and one can see a straightforward case for reparations. It’s infuriating.
Laura, I'm sorry to hear that's part of your family heritage. It truly is a crime. In a related matter, I've worked with my students on making a personal connection with historical redlining maps. You might find this interesting. I believe redlining goes hand-in-hand with the justification for reparations. https://peterpappas.com/2020/11/mapping-inequality-exploring-personal-history-in-redline-maps-and-the-1940-census.html
Agreed. I’ll look at your resource.
I just heard Ben Folds, guest on The Daily Beans podcast recently, talk about how Superman (via a radio show series) basically outed the KKK back in the late ‘40s, causing a huge decline in its membership. The white citizens’ councils were their way to continue that insidious agenda.
It would be interesting to see the lexile level for that manual. It reads like a primer—very basic.
Unlike the Klan, the White Citizens’ Councils use respectability and economic power to enforce segregation. Different means - same end. Three cheers for Superman!
There was a Superman cartoon cel image on FakeBook yesterday. If there was someway to share it, I would have as I made a screenshot of it to post later.
Also see Bama Confidential, Substack, series on U of Ala. sorority culture
The more things change the more they stay the same. The names change but fears never do.
Sadly, we are creatures of habit.