"Selma" does not accurately portray the events leading to the Voting Rights Act. Though King undoubtedly played a major role, Johnson was in favor of its passage, and without Johnson, the President of the United States, the Voting Rights Act would never have passed.
3
50 years has passed, nothing changes. Segregation continues. Afro-Americans were killed and oppressed, they are oppressed now. Southern states is generally a separate topic of conversation. Texas, Where the number of executions is committed more than all other states combined can hardly be called progressive.
Ferguson has also shown striking contradictions In our society. Eric Holder seems to be unready for serious police and legislative reforms.
Ferguson has also shown striking contradictions In our society. Eric Holder seems to be unready for serious police and legislative reforms.
2
As history has shown and continues to show, Black people’s humanity, perseverance, creativity, and faith illuminates brightly against white bigotry and racism.
The world knows about Gee’s Bend, not through its racist and bigots, but through the creative and artistic genius of descendants of enslave people, revealed through the creation of beautiful quilts that weave stories of their existence in hostile land.
The world knows about Gee’s Bend, not through its racist and bigots, but through the creative and artistic genius of descendants of enslave people, revealed through the creation of beautiful quilts that weave stories of their existence in hostile land.
4
The essence of American Jim Crow was ostensibly separate but unequal infrastructure in every phase of civil secular life. No matter how poorly educated nor financed nor unmarried whites are still deemed to be created and treated more equal than Blacks. The role of Black agency and action in their liberation is diminished while the role of whites is magnified. While the reverse is the mythical memory of their respective roles in Black oppression.
The lingering legacy of slavery that denied Black humanity as persons and their equality as Americans during Jim Crow maintains a chasm between American rhetoric and practice with regard to civil and human rights for physically colored human beings.
The lingering legacy of slavery that denied Black humanity as persons and their equality as Americans during Jim Crow maintains a chasm between American rhetoric and practice with regard to civil and human rights for physically colored human beings.
3
Having seen the Gee's Bend quilt exhibit several times, it is a shame that it took Martin Luther King, Jr. to tell the people of Gee's Bend (especially the women who quilted) that they were "as good as any white person."
I'm a white person - those quilts, Gee Benders, are among the finest and most interesting I've ever seen or come close to. To have anything close to them would be an honor.
I'm a white person - those quilts, Gee Benders, are among the finest and most interesting I've ever seen or come close to. To have anything close to them would be an honor.
4
As a previous commenter noted, it wasn't the "white leadership" that shut down the ferry. A combination of factors including: very low profit from operation, the death of the owner, and the flooding of the cable used to operate the ferry led to its shutdown. The Millers Ferry Lock and Dam began construction in 1963, which led to water levels rising greatly in the entire reservior. The cable used to pull the ferry across ended up several feet under the water so that's what led to the ferry shutdown. Now the segregationalists wouldn't subsidize a new cable to be run, so that's a cause of concern. It wasn't the ferry's closure, but its non-restoration that was caused by racism.
2
Stories like this make it clear that the Civil War didn't end. It was just reimagined, and fought more subtly.
11
The old ferry went to a town of 900 people and few cars.
The new ferry goes to a community of 275 people who have cars and a decent road.
Will there be another news story when the ferry closes in 5 years for lack of ridership?
The new ferry goes to a community of 275 people who have cars and a decent road.
Will there be another news story when the ferry closes in 5 years for lack of ridership?
1
Ferries are very expensive to operate - same thing even in rather more populated NYC in terms of all the proposed and existing smaller commuter ferries. No doubt it takes $10 of subsidies for each passenger trip.
It might be more cost efficient to just hand each of the 275 people a check every year.
It might be more cost efficient to just hand each of the 275 people a check every year.
1
"Nearly half of all personal income in the county comes from various government payments". Looks like the checks are already coming.
A better question to ask - "Jo Celeste Pettway, an Alabama District Court judge from a Gee’s Bend family" - if she could go from Gee's Bend to become a judge, what about others? And is THAT why the population has gone from 900 to 275 - they went to where there were better advantages. Would be very interesting to see the AGE demographics of those left in the town.
A better question to ask - "Jo Celeste Pettway, an Alabama District Court judge from a Gee’s Bend family" - if she could go from Gee's Bend to become a judge, what about others? And is THAT why the population has gone from 900 to 275 - they went to where there were better advantages. Would be very interesting to see the AGE demographics of those left in the town.
1
The most hideous form of bigotry is to deliberately discrimate against a group by keeping them uneducated and dependent. That, combined with 'the Big Lie' are techniques and tools of mind control that never fail. If you want more for your children demand quality schools and carefully and repeatedly remind your children that they must learn everything they can if they want a better life in a better world. No one gets paid for what they don't know.
3
I think this was a great piece.
My only comment is regarding the warnings the judge gave her son regarding how to behave during a traffic stop. I received almost the exact same warnings from my parents and my drivers ed instructor; and, plan to give the same to my sons when they start driving. In fact my warnings went one step further and I was told to tell the officer where my documentation was and to ask permission to retrieve it. Do officers have inherent bias that makes them nervous when the driver is black? Yes and even FBI director Comey says so, but traffic stops are inherently dangerous in general for all parties and the judges advice is important regardless of the color of your skin.
My only comment is regarding the warnings the judge gave her son regarding how to behave during a traffic stop. I received almost the exact same warnings from my parents and my drivers ed instructor; and, plan to give the same to my sons when they start driving. In fact my warnings went one step further and I was told to tell the officer where my documentation was and to ask permission to retrieve it. Do officers have inherent bias that makes them nervous when the driver is black? Yes and even FBI director Comey says so, but traffic stops are inherently dangerous in general for all parties and the judges advice is important regardless of the color of your skin.
2
What color is the skipper and crew on that ferry? And where do they live?
3
I grew up on a farm in the Gee's Bend area, my father owned the cotton gin where most Bend farmers ginned their cotton. Not to rain on anyone's parade but the history of why the ferry stopped operating is mired in fact and fiction. The ferry ceased operation in 1962 because the operator died. He was the same person in the Emily Post Wolcott FSA photos from the 1930's. No doubt he was not replaced due to no one was able to take his place and the increased activities of Lonnie Brown, Monroe and Roman Pettway who helped bring Bernard Lafayette to Wilcox County to helped organize voting rights?
6
Great coverage. Thanks for doing this piece.
1
What a beautiful video. Thank you for sharing this important story.
1
There will never be another MLK. His loss can never truly be calculated. He was a wise man, a peaceful man, and a man who had a magical vision and hope for the future of America, not just Black America. No one since MLK has come even close to his persona. Others aspire, others try to imitate, but MLK saw life through the eyes of the Lord not through the eyes of the media or the almighty dollar. I wish he were around today.
6
MLK was the right man at the right time. As Tavis Smiley shows in Death of A King, his influence had already greatly diminished by 1967 as the civil rights struggle moved into a different phase. If he were around today he might (sadly) irrelevant.
1
Dr. King was in the tradition of the Hebrew Prophets. Clearly, he was anointed by God to speak to America about its inhumanity to man.
Dr. Kings don't come along everyday. That is why it is so important, just as it was during biblical times, to listen and respond to the call of the prophet.
We ignore the prophet's call at our own peril.
Dr. Kings don't come along everyday. That is why it is so important, just as it was during biblical times, to listen and respond to the call of the prophet.
We ignore the prophet's call at our own peril.
We have a lot of pathos, but very few alternatives being generated by the press to extinguish the ongoing racism in our country. No one has any ideas? It's all about yesterday? In other words, the movement towards equality is over for the black person? That's the way it sounds, and that's the way it is being reported. Just another sad story with a victim.
3
It strikes me that it took fifty years to even talk about all this. There was a march, people were killed, legislation; all the things that were to cure the ills. but, in the interim, no one talked about all this or wrote about it. Where was a the movie about Selma in 1970 or 1980? Now it's safe and now some people are making millions with movies that are perfectly revisionist, yet the same power people did nothing for 50 years. What's up with that? Do we have to wait 50 years for them to make the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan into moneymaking movies that tell of futile, stupid foreign policy?
7
It's been said that "hindsight is 20/20."
Of course it was talked about; it wasn't listened to, would be a more accurate assessment. The same way police brutality against poorer or disadvantaged or non-white citizens. This issues are talked about consistently. But most either don't care to listen or mis-characterize the victims of such treatment as exaggerating or complaining or, worse, being dishonest. Typically, such "histories" come to light a horrific or fatal incident is exposed--or some curious journalist decides to excavate the "topsoil of the story."
For example, the American holocaust of slavery. Most contemporary whites want nothing to do with the issue. They didn't "do it" or "weren't there" and so "Why blame me?" seems to be a common attitude. ...And all the privileges that have been accrued to whites socially, financially, culturally, etc. because of slavery...legalized segregation...violence (against those who attempted to participate in the American franchise), etc., are fallen on "deaf ears" and dissociated from acts of history.
"Do we have to wait?" you've asked. I'd say "Yes, but only because we've chosen to wait." Most Americans do not have (nor want) the courage it requires to face the crimes and injustices committed against its more vulnerable and despised citizens.
Of course it was talked about; it wasn't listened to, would be a more accurate assessment. The same way police brutality against poorer or disadvantaged or non-white citizens. This issues are talked about consistently. But most either don't care to listen or mis-characterize the victims of such treatment as exaggerating or complaining or, worse, being dishonest. Typically, such "histories" come to light a horrific or fatal incident is exposed--or some curious journalist decides to excavate the "topsoil of the story."
For example, the American holocaust of slavery. Most contemporary whites want nothing to do with the issue. They didn't "do it" or "weren't there" and so "Why blame me?" seems to be a common attitude. ...And all the privileges that have been accrued to whites socially, financially, culturally, etc. because of slavery...legalized segregation...violence (against those who attempted to participate in the American franchise), etc., are fallen on "deaf ears" and dissociated from acts of history.
"Do we have to wait?" you've asked. I'd say "Yes, but only because we've chosen to wait." Most Americans do not have (nor want) the courage it requires to face the crimes and injustices committed against its more vulnerable and despised citizens.
4
I'd like to note, as a quilter, that it remains unclear to me if all (or any) of the women quilters of Gee's Bend received fair compensation for their original quilts and use of their designs. Many products reproducing their work -- magnets, books, note-cards, calendars -- have been sold. Who got the royalties?
28
March 1, 1965 Dr King also led a march in Camden in which many of my friends and co-workers participated. This coincided with his visit to Gees Bend - in fact, every time he went to Gees Bend, he also stopped in Camden to visit his college friend and colleague: Rev TL Threadgill, a leader of the Camden Voting Rights Movement. The photo in this video of the students being smoke bombed in Camden is on the cover of my book: "This Bright Light of Ours: Stories from the Voting Rights Fight" (University of Alabama Press) and is by Bill Hudson/AP.
10
I have just ordered your book ... thank you.
5
It's excellent news that this widely admired series has returned. Perspective will always enhance understanding, especially when the past is told with such depth and precision by an outstanding team with committed resources. It's not an easy investment to make when relatively few contemporary readers have a genuine interest in history, but it is a very worthwhile one.
13
Wait! It took until 2006, and even then with private money, before government provided transportation access for the African-American community of Gee's Bend??
17
I might be a supporter of the ferry if I lived around there and understood the situation better. But the government - taxpayers - does not have an obligation to subsidize urban level services for every little group of people who happen to live somewhere. Was the state subsidizing ferries for communities of 275 white people? Maybe it was. This is a very incomplete report.
Many people in far flung areas of the US are far from city services. In this case, for medical emergencies I assume there's a helicopter service to some big hospital. But living in an inconvenient place is, well, inconvenient. If the ferry paid for itself it would have already been there. Maybe eventually there will be enough through traffic to build a bridge, although the river is pretty wide.
I would suggest that the judge organize her office, or hire someone to do it. The little bit shown is a mess.
Many people in far flung areas of the US are far from city services. In this case, for medical emergencies I assume there's a helicopter service to some big hospital. But living in an inconvenient place is, well, inconvenient. If the ferry paid for itself it would have already been there. Maybe eventually there will be enough through traffic to build a bridge, although the river is pretty wide.
I would suggest that the judge organize her office, or hire someone to do it. The little bit shown is a mess.
1
Ever heard of the "Bridge to Nowhere" in Alaska?
http://www.adn.com/article/20130623/alaskas-bridge-nowhere-back-smaller-...
http://www.adn.com/article/20130623/alaskas-bridge-nowhere-back-smaller-...
3