About On The Dig
2009
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So the latest crazy out of Charlotte, N.C., involves an African-American tour guide at the historic Latta Plantation. Brother Ian Campbell forced three black children to act like cotton-picking slaves during a hands-on Civil War history lesson. Oh, I'm forgetting the important part: in front of their white classmates. Campbell allegedly supplied the captive black children bags for the cotton, you know, to provide an authentic flair. Come on, how are you going to have an authentic reenactment of slavery without a bag of Old Man Cotton? Of course, parents, teachers and even Charlotte's NAACP president Kojo Nantambu, are outraged. However, Brother Campbell is sticking to his guns. He says:
"I was trying to be historically correct not politically correct."
What was Brother Campbell thinking? Everybody knows if you're going to force black children to dress up, act like or sound like an enslaved person from early American history then you must do the obvious. Supply them with guns, ammunition, a map to Canada, a sack of money (that they earned but were never paid), a fleet of horses, and the bloody heart of the inhumane slaveholder who owned them. Why? So they can get the hell out of there! Will somebody give Brother Ian Campbell my phone number so I can help? He's obviously living in a cloud of crazy down there at the Latta Plantation.
Comments
You can't be serious?!!??!!!??? This is a joke, someone please tell this is a joke and The Root will write a retraction soon.
Good one Root, you almost had me believing that anyone could be that ridiculous.
Tell me this is a joke.
This is an ineffective and most likely destructive exercise to make black children act out.
First, it's way too simplistic to give a good understanding of what African Slavery meant to black people and/or this nation. There wouldn't be a 'greatest nation' on earth (USA) without African Slavery; therefore, those slaves are to be honored not pitied.
Secondly, if he didn't have to gonads and heart and perspective to also act out a rape, family split up, whipping and terrible diet (fat back & cornmeal) then he didn't explain slavery.
If he didn't clearly explain the difference between indentured servitude and the system used to impose African slavery as 'birth to death' for blacks only (govt statutes) & fact that system stayed in place for appx 300 yrs and the effect that would naturally have on black people today - he didn't explain slavery to those kids.
He gave a whitewashed, simplistic view of the worst atrocity in the recorded history of man. This tour guide hasn't a clue what's he's guiding people through.
You clueless masochists just annoy me.
Not the least reason cause this male, black elementary school teacher (hmm) obviously doesn't have the courage to have these children act out a slave owner sneaking into the slave quarters at night and raping a female slave - happened every day didn't it?
I'm sure he didn't have the testosterone to have the children draw welts on each other's backs to show the kids. I bet he didn't have the perspective to show a family being split up and sold away. I bet he didn't have the HEART to discuss the 6 day a week sun up/sun down schedule or the food rations which consisted of fatback and some cornmeal.
I bet he didn't have the perspective or toughness to discuss how ONLY blacks, not Asians, hispanics, Irish, women or gays were targetted for birth to death slavery and I bet he didn't have the gonads to explain the difference between this system and INDENTURED SERVITUDE (7 yr jail term) which all cultures have practiced. I bet he never mentioned those laws stayed on the books for over 250 yrs and a tradition of oppressing black people was created and all the on-blacks complied with the sadistic, violent and barbaric tradition. I bet he didn't have the cajones to explain why the CAPITALIST nature of our system MEANS black people have to have REPARATIONS or they will never be on a par financially or educationally with the non-black population.
A totally ineffective and arguably destructive exercise for the black kids.
Too many of you clueless, feminized, happy MASOCHISTS out there for this black man.
I dont think those kids went to him to be apart of his "lesson" plan. He could have proved his point with out the theatrics.
once we start adding PC to history, its no longer true history. didn't the educational system already do that about Christopher Columbus? George Washington? We lie enough in this country about "our" national history. I guess we should sugar coat slaverly too. Make all them pick cotton for a day, bare foot and hungry, see how much any of them like it. Learn the truth so we don't repeat it, ever!
um...for starters...the man was black that made the black children act like they were slaves picking cotton. So, what in the hell are you talking about??? There are racists in NC...hell there are racists in NYC for that matter (you can find them everywhere and most times they aren't hiding). But that doesn't have anything to do with this case...other than a case of brother man being maybe racist against his own people...which I don't think is the case. Misguided and crazy yes...racist...no.
See?! I KNEW the Carolinas were crazier and more racist than Louisiana!! Mwahahaha...!!!
Oh wait -- we had the judge who refused to marry the interracial couple, huh.
Damn it.
...u've stumbled upon da VERY TOOLZ We Need 2 supply today'z youth with...
" Everybody knows if you're going to force black children to dress up, act like or sound like an enslaved person from early American history then you must do the obvious. Supply them with guns, ammunition, a map to Canada, a sack of money (that they earned but were never paid), a fleet of horses, and the bloody heart of the inhumane slaveholder who owned them. Why? So they can get the hell out of there!
...IF we all TRULY want them 2 be free a' the current system...same az the old system.
Jus' sayin'...
HTTP://theblackwhole.wordpress.com/2009/10/31/rebel-ghetto-messiah/
---TBW
Now you know I'd never hate on Charlotte, NC. Especially if you're there inspiring wit and intellect!