More African American History

UPDATE: In my area of the country, this isn't on the schedule to be shown again. However, the website for this documentary is just as compelling. Click here. Also, there is a mini clip video of the introduction giving the historical background. Again, quite amazing and makes me want to learn more. Hence, my future post about my community.....



I am sicker than a dog! I just took some more Mucinex, let's hope that unclogs this drain....

After everyone went to bed last night, I watched the third and final installment of "Pride and Prejudice". After that, on PBS, was an independent documentary called "Banished". It talks about three different communities, although there are many more, that right around the turn of the century, post Civil War, banished whole populations of African Americans (AA) from their community. In the three communities highlighted, it was by force, intimidation and at gunpoint. Two of them happened right after lynchings. To this day, those communities have zero populations of African American citizens. People left their homes and property with the clothes on their backs, and their properties were confiscated.

I strongly encourage you to watch this if you get the chance. It is not for young viewers, mainly because there are black and white photos of the lynchings.

I was so angry when it was over. Why? Because those communities are still all white to this day, and they see nothing wrong with that. One community promotes itself as a great way to retire. The filmmaker who made this is African American, and he is sitting down with a retired man. Filmmaker asks, what made you decide to live here to retire. Man answers two benign answers, One, the cost of living is low, two, blah blah blah and three, and definitely the most important, there are no "coloreds here". He then looked right at the filmmaker with a look on his face of, and what are you going to say to that?

They also interviewed a KKK (yes, the KKK!) leader in one of these communities who was trying to explain how cross burnings were really cross lightings in celebration of the Celtic tradition where crosses are illuminated. The filmmaker called that pile of garbage for what it was. A really disingenuous attempt at denying that cross burnings were a source of terror to Southern AA for decades, and even to this day. KKK dude hadn't much to say to that.

One white retired lady was asked about the banishment events she remembers as a girl, and she took three tries to find a word for an AA person, she literally stumbled three times. Why? Three times she almost said the "n" word, and finally came up with "colored". It's amazing how sticking a camera in someone's face makes them think twice about saying a word that one probably says on a regular basis.

I am not a silly person, I know that racism still exists. I was absolutely flabbergasted watching these whole communities still acting like it's 1955, and Jim Crow laws were still in effect. Plus, these communities see absolutely nothing wrong at all with it. The racist remarks that came out of their mouths were absolutely appalling.

The third community they focused on had a silver lining. A white pastor made it very clear, that is not what he or his congregation believes, and has made some great headway in repairing race relations. Keep in mind, it's an uphill battle--there are still no minorities living in his community to this day.

Next post will be about a similar kind of situation that happened in the city I live in. Those of you who live in my city, you know our street addresses have NE, SE, SW, and NW. We also have the area where the addresses begin with N. No, it isn't a reference to the "n" word. However, have you ever wondered why that area of town is predominantly African American? Even today? I'll tell you all about it once I am better. Plus, long posts can be boring.

If you have tivo, check your PBS listing for this absolutely fascinating documentary. It was made in 2005, so I wouldn't at all be surprised if it were on Netflix already. It's only an hour and a half, and really opened my eyes.

I wish it opened my nasal passages as well.

Side note here, JM, our oldest, was born in Texas. When we were sitting in the adoption agency in Texas talking to the adoption worker, we got an eyeful. She said most of her AA babies available for adoption are placed with families in the Pacific Northwest. We asked why. I will never forget what she said, "We still live in the south here. Cross burnings still happen here."