On Saturday, a group will gather in Alabama to mark the 150th anniversary of the inauguration of the first president of the Confederacy, 11 Southern slave states that left the U.S. in 1860 and 1861. They say they are honouring their ancestors and their heritage but, as the BBC's Daniel Nasaw reports, critics view the group as celebrating slavery. •
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I think it most unfortunate that history has little truth shared amongst people. As a middle-aged African American with ancestry in the river city of the Confederacy--Natchez, Mississippi--my learning of black and white relations was anything but fair and equal.
ReplyDeleteMy first lesson was dismal, though humorous to me now. I bought (or received) a die-cast scale model [Hot Wheels] of an orange Challenger, bka the "General Lee" from the tv series "Dukes of Hazzard." Upon seeing me playing with this car my mother ordered me to remove the roof top decor. I was maybe 4 years of age, but I remember the anguish that resonated from my loving mother.
In future years as I came of age I would learn of the separate societies, strained race relations, and most importantly the harassment of her families' community by the KKK.
It is an unnecessary confusion that the symbol of the Confederacy has taken on a great representation of those who have no good intentions towards non-whites.
As a man, I have come to understand the significance of celebrating the sacrifices of ancestors. For that reason my opinions on civil war reenactments are few.
The subject is still very unclear to me of whether the war was based on the preservation of slavery. Although the majority of Confederate volunteers did not fight for this intent, we have come to know in this current generation that the motives of government are not always what they appear. The financing of the war, though heavily subsidized by the meek charity of the men and women of the south, most certainly included--percentages I don't know--heavy contributions from slave holding individuals.
I only have speculation, as truth is still yet to be seen by all.