Apr
7
Somewhere over the Mason-Dixon Line…
April 7, 2010 | 7 Comments
You may or may not be aware that the recently elected governer of Virginia, Robert F. McDonnell, has declared April as Confederate History Month. This political move has civil rights activist enraged, especially because “McDonnell left out anti-slavery language that Allen’s successor, James S. Gilmore III (R), had included in his proclamation.” After spending over 5 years in Columbia, SC, I was only able to scratch the surface as to why this is something to be celebrated.
When I moved to SC, it was after I graduated HS in 2000. I figured a change would do me good (not to mention that my then boyfriend/now husband was attending USC). The first apartment we lived in was directly across from the Statehouse building where I got to see the Confederate flag proudly waving on top… that is until the NAACP pressured the politicians into taking it down. It doesn’t end there because they didn’t remove the flag completely. It’s new home was on the Capital lawn — right in front of the Statehouse. Needless to say this relocation did not satisfy the NAACP as they still continue to boycott SC to this day. I remember even more controversy when the SC state senator Arthur Ravenal referred to the NAACP as “the National Association of Retarded People” and then aplogized to “retarded people” for associating them with the NAACP. (Slaps forehead).
I met people in SC that could trace their heritage to Conferate soilders and would refer to the Civil War as “the yankee war of northern aggression”. These people would also say the war wasn’t over — that we were merely at a cease-fire. I met others in SC who, while they could trace their lineage to Confederate soldiers, didn’t understand why people would choose to celebrate the Conferate flag over the American flag. I would have to put myself in the latter catergory because, to me, flying the Confederate flag was simply un-American (not to mention racist). Of course, nothing is ever as simple as it appears.
When I enrolled in Midlands Technical College, one of my American history professors (who used to be a museum curator in SC) opened my eyes to another side of the “Confederacy” debate that I had not really given much thought. They say history is written by the winners and while learning about the Civil War in grade school (in upstate, NY), I remember how the North was glorified and the South was demonized. When I studied American History at Midlands Tech, I learned that there was much hypocracy by those who professed the war was about freeing slaves. While the abolition of slavery was an end result of the war (yay), there were many slave holding Northerns (boo). What stood out to me in this class was not the Civil War, but Reconstruction period after the Civil War. There was a definite feeling of marginalization and resentment among Southerners and I think that this still exists today (ie- Texas Governer Rick Perry trying to secede).
I had planned on making a documentary about the Confederate Flag debate while attending USC as a Media Arts major, but unfortunately I moved back to NY before I could get it off the ground. Something that still sticks out in my head is when I asked one of my fellow classmates why he felt compelled to hang a Confederate flag from his car and he said he didn’t know. He then proceded to take it off his car… that still puts a little smile on my face.
Comments
7 Comments so far
Considering the actions recent actions of this new right wing gov of McDonnell and company i have little trust in the “historic” angle that is being attempted. Mr McDonnell in one of his first decisions as a gov removed protection of LGBT from being fired due to their lifestyle. His equally right wing Attorney General also urged colleges who have this protection to remove it from their bylaws.
To me this is simple race bating throwing red meat to the hateful parts of his party. Unless i missed something, I find nothing folksy or cute about the confederate flag or the confederacy.
I agree that McDonnell is trying to energize a dangerous faction of the GOP. I wonder if you would perhaps have a different opinion about the flag if one of your family members fought in the war as a Confederate soldier.
For better or worse, it is embedded in our history.
I dont know, but I am sure people have family members who may have fought with British in Revolutionary war. Or had family member who fought in Japan or Vietnam against us. Even still what the Confederate flag has now grown to stand for, is not something to be overly proud of. Lets say ok that an argument can be made for confederacy “stood for” states rights. But again was that just a cover for you cant take our slaves?
The left has had some radical moments that have some embarrassing/violent/hateful history (weather underground,black panthers, ect) heck even Code Pink, who i thing is fairly harmless, and to be in support of them is vilified and not to be embraced as part of history in so much as it seems to be with “rebel” south, tea party, whatever you want to call it.
To me its just veiled racism. Not to say everyone that might deiced to have a rebel flag is of that opinion but i think its an important thing to think about as means that to many people.
I would agree that most of America does not think highly of the confederate flag and it’s not hard to jump to the veiled racism conclusion. There wasn’t much veiled racism from my experience in the South. Racism seemed out in the open. Especially when I heard, “Now you wouldn’t have to deal with this 50 years ago” (referring to an African-American family using the pool facility at my apartment complex) out of the mouth of a 17-year-old. I immediately schooled her in the ways of her narrow-minded bigotry. It’s hard to know to what extent racism exists in the North because being openly racist isn’t tolerated. I recall a comedy bit by Dave Chappelle that pretty much hits the nail on the head as far as Southern Racism where he said it’s “stewed to a perfection” (http://www.entertonement.com/clips/gyjnsxgfzj–Southern-RacismDave-Chappelle-HBO-Comedy-Half-Hour-Dave-Chappelle-) <– viewer discretion is advised.
I would agree that most of America does not think highly of the confederate flag and it’s not hard to jump to the veiled racism conclusion.
There wasn’t much veiled racism from my experience in the South. Racism seemed out in the open. Especially when I heard, “Now you wouldn’t have to deal with this 50 years ago” (referring to an African-American family using the pool facility at my apartment complex) out of the mouth of a 17-year-old. I immediately schooled her in the ways of her narrow-minded bigotry.
It’s hard to know to what extent racism exists in the North because being openly racist isn’t socially acceptable.
I recall a comedy bit by Dave Chappelle that pretty much hits the nail on the head regarding Southern Racism where he said it’s “stewed to a perfection”. *Viewer discretion is advised*
interesting take from Craig Crawford on this issue.
http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/trailmix/2010/04/confederacy-politics-get-over.html
Thanks for the link, very interesting (especially the comments)