Happy Anniversary Baileyblog and a New York City Book Talk

UPCOMING BOOK READING AND TALK IN NEW YORK CITY

Wed., January 31, 2018 at 12:30pm

The Weeping Time:Memory and the Largest Slave Auction in American History,
Anne C. Bailey  (Cambridge University Press, 2017)

Departments of History and Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies
New York University
53 Washington Square South, 4th Flr

ANNIVERSARY GREETINGS and YEAR IN REVIEW

Well, it's been one year of blogging at Baileyblog and I am happy to mark this milestone with you, the readers.  Thank you for reading the blog, sharing it with others also and also sharing your comments. A big thank you to our guest contributors, Dr. Bernice J. deGannes Scott and Douglas Law Jr.

I thought I would share a few highlights from the year and invite you to come to a reading of The Weeping Time this week Wednesday, if you happen to be in New York City.

Jan. 21   The America That Raised Me

I still believed that the America that raised me was at its core compassionate, welcoming and loving….yet now I hear of another America that boldly says, “America first! “  and “Make America great again” with clenched fists instead of outstretched hands.  Now I hear of another America that is turned inward not outward. Now I hear of another America less proud of its welcoming past and more concerned with its own problems, its own plight. Now I hear of another America which suddenly has no more to give.  And I weep because the America that raised me stood head and shoulders above the world precisely because it dared to link its fate to the fate of Lady Liberty’s tired, poor, and huddled masses.  It dared to join its soul to those dejected souls.  It dared to share and it dared to reach out and it was in those moments that it was first and it was great.

More at  http://annecbailey.blogspot.com/2017/01/the-america-that-raised-me.html

May 5, 2017 

 Turning Point: Harriet Tubman and the Suit She bought for her  husband

The records don’t say but in my mind’s eye I imagine her picking out just the right suit, just the right color and fit and pinning her hopes and dreams on the suit and the man that would wear it.   She then voluntarily leaves relative safety in the North to come back for that man only to hear that he has moved on! Moved on?
More at http://annecbailey.blogspot.com/2017/05/turning-point-harriet-tubman-and-suit.html

May 27,  2017            The Life of Jordan Edwards

I know and you know that blogposts and facebook posts don’t save lives. I know they can’t change much that is wrong with the world but when a life is lost for an apparently unjust reason, they do say one thing: that life matters.

More at http://annecbailey.blogspot.com/2017/05/the-life-of-jordan-edwards-2002-17.html

June, 2017    Introducing My New Book: The Weeping Time

My new book, The Weeping Time: Memory and the Largest Slave Auction in American History, is now available for advance purchase on Amazon.  After 10 long years, it will see the light of day this fall. A big thank you to all who made this possible. From time to time, I will share excerpts on this blog with particular attention as to why memory of this period matters.

 More at http://annecbailey.blogspot.com/2017/06/introducing-my-new-book-weeping-time.html

 

July 8, 2018   

The Journey to Economic Freedom Begins with a Few Basic Steps

People who grew up in the tradition of the “sou-sou” will attest to its utility, having witnessed first-hand how it has impacted lives.   Perhaps, the family used the lump-sum payments to accumulate funds for the down payment on the purchase of a house or to pay for a wedding; for college tuition or to establish a rainy day account.  A successful “sou-sou” thrives on honesty, trust, community, and the desire to save money.  Try it.  I do believe that Ms. McCarty and Ms. Winfrey, the ancestors, and you will be pleased with the result.

Dr. Bernice J. deGannes Scott
More at http://annecbailey.blogspot.com/2017/07/the-journey-to-economic-freedom-begins.html


July 30   Standing on the Shoulders of Miss Lou and our Elders

As a child, I remember being transfixed by a Jamaican TV show called “Ring Ding” hosted by a Dr. Louise Bennett who was affectionately called Miss Lou.  Ring Ding was a kind of Jamaican Sesame Street with one major character: Miss Lou.  She presided over groups of students in a school setting and sang heritage songs, told stories and recited poems representing hundreds of years of culture.  She elevated the Jamaican language, patois, to an art form and exposed its multicultural roots at a time when others were ashamed of it.
More at http://annecbailey.blogspot.com/2017/07/standing-on-shoulders-of-miss-lou-and.html

August 19, 2017   Heather Heyer and the Power of One Voice

I want them to know that their voice can change and enhance the conversation, and that all voices are needed at the table.

Heather Heyer, a 32 year old woman, if we listen to her equally stalwart mother, seemed to have understood this early. Her voice mattered and she would not be silent in the face of injustice.

Heather Heyer, RIP and thank you,
More at http://annecbailey.blogspot.com/2017/08/heather-heyer-and-power-of-one-voice.html

November  6, 2017             Why Memory of Slavery Matters

Memory matters because, as Civil War historian James McPherson says: “the war is still with us.”  It is not only the great academic works which have looked at the war from every angle that demonstrate this continuing interest, but it is the Lincoln associations, the Civil War Round Tables, and the hundreds of reenactors who meet regularly throughout the year to reenact battle scenes of days gone by.[i]  In short, memory matters because the past is hardly past, as William Faulkner would say.   It lingers around the contours of our minds and hearts as any unresolved issue tends to do...

            Though there has been much progress, the dream of a post racial society is just that…a dream.  Ironically, it may in fact be the deepest desire of most of American society, but we still have a long way to go.  Yes, memory matters because without it, we are left with a shadowy lens of the past and such cloudiness is an obstacle to racial reconciliation.  As the Gullah proverb reminds us: "Mustekcyear a de root fa heal de tree."  (You need to take care of the root in order to heal the tree.) Ultimately, memory matters because racial reconciliation matters.
More at http://annecbailey.blogspot.com/2017/11/why-memory-of-slavery-matters.html

****If you find any of these articles of interest, PLEASE ADD YOUR EMAIL to the right of the blog and you will receive a new post every weekend.
 Also, PLEASE SHARE on facebook, twitter, instagram etc on icons above.

Anne Bailey on Travel Channel, Mysteries of the Museum

Thursday, Feb. 8 at 7pm

I am honored to return to the show, Mysteries of the Museum on the Travel Channel with the story of the Osage investigation- a remarkable story of what happened to a Native American group who enjoyed great wealth in the 1920’s due to discovery of oil wells on their land.  

http://www.travelchannel.com/shows/mysteries-at-the-museum/episodes/sergeant-bill-goat-hero-gilded-grudge-and-osage-investigation

See also a great book on this story:

Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI, David Grann.

***PLEASE ADD YOUR EMAIL IF YOU HAVEN'T ALREADY (to the right corner of blog and below) at http:// www.annecbailey.blogspot.com and looking forward to another good year!

The National Museum of African American History in Washington D.C.

Two weekends ago, one of the curators of the Smithsonian National Museum of  African American History and Culture graciously sent me a ticket to see the museum.  I was in Washington DC for a conference and assumed that it would be impossible to get tickets on short notice. Ever since the opening of the museum in  September of 2016, it has been a sold out affair.  In fact, for months, it was reported that it was impossible to get tickets and that the lines were very always very long.

I considered it particularly good fortune that this was the weekend of the record cold temperatures along the North and South Coast and one of the museum’s curators, Mary Elliott, was attending the same conference.

And so it was that I toured at least one full floor of the museum which has five    floors.  I toured the floor on Slavery and Freedom.  In a word, it was excellent.

The exhibits told multiple stories starting first with the Atlantic Slave trade and then the development of slavery in North America.  Much care was taken to showcase incredible artifacts from all over the country like an auction block and notices regarding the sale of slaves.

Next to the block there was  THE WEEPING TIME in bold letters and a caption describing the domestic slave trade—where the enslaved were sold from one plantation to another with little regard to family ties. In the end, that was what was so significant about this exhibit: the perspective of the enslaved was captured.   “Ashley’s Sack”was displayed with the explanation that it was items like these that enslaved family members shared with each other upon parting.   They took with them a lock of hair, a swath of clothing… mementos that they undoubtedly held dear.

Images courtesy of  David Gutierrez (wikimedia commons)

Equally moving were the descriptions of African American culture including expressions of music and faith.   Original items like fiddles and banjos (an instrument originating from Africa) were on display as was an actual slave cabin that had been transplanted to the museum.  

But this was not just a story about slavery but also a story of the pursuit of freedom.  Every effort was made to capture the stories of slaves who escaped from slavery,  fought for their freedom in the Civil War and  who attempted to piece their lives back together during Reconstruction.

Ironically, the National African American Museum has an almost ideal location – almost exactly opposite from the White House and stands as a reminder that that very house was built by slaves; that the nation itself benefitted greatly from their contributions and the contributions of their descendants.

Hats off to the curators like Mary Elliott and others who did a masterful job in telling this complex and ongoing story.   Hats off to the sponsors – corporate and governmental- who made this dream a reality. May the crowds keep pouring in as they are from far and near.  May they leave this place with new understanding and a commitment and interest in freedom for all.

Anne C. Bailey

Author of The Weeping Time: Memory and the Largest Slave Auction in American History, (Cambridge University Press, 2017)

****If you find this article of interest, PLEASE ADD YOUR EMAIL to the right of the blog and you will receive a new post every weekend.
 Also, PLEASE SHARE on facebook, twitter, instagram etc on icons above.

Travel CHANNEL NEWS

Sunday, January 21 at 11am

Thursday, Feb. 8 at 7pm

Anne Bailey returns to  Mysteries of the Museum on the Travel Channel with the story of the Osage investigation- a remarkable story of what happened to a Native American group who enjoyed great wealth in the 1920’s due to discovery of oil wells on their land.  

http://www.travelchannel.com/shows/mysteries-at-the-museum/episodes/sergeant-bill-goat-hero-gilded-grudge-and-osage-investigation

See also a  great book on this story:

Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI, David Grann.

Movie Review: NEWTON’S GRACE: The True Story of Amazing Grace

Guest contributor:  Douglas Law Jr.

Queens, NY

NEWTON’S GRACE: The True Story of Amazing Grace (Inspirata Films, 2017)

Can you remember when you first heard or sang the hymn Amazing Grace?  I have difficulty recalling my initial encounter with the famous tune and lyrics, but it seems to be a part of my earliest memories as this song is so embedded in both the religious and cultural fabric of American society. The verses of this hymn that we have come to know and love here in the United States, however, originated “across the pond” in England from the pen of seaman turned poet, John Newton (1725 – 1807).  According to the PBS television series, Africans in America, “…John Newton was born-again…at least several times during his life”.[i]

Newton’s Grace is an 84-minute historical drama written and directed by Moravian pastor, John Jackman.  This feature-length movie (now on DVD) includes a mostly professional cast and a wonderful musical score.  With a very low budget of an estimated $115,000, the film’s quality is still decent.  The special effects, however, are mediocre compared to films with higher production budgets. [ii]  Overall, the movie is well done and has garnered several outstanding awards including an award for excellence in concept and execution. “The story is very compelling,” Jackman says.  “It is a story of a man whose life was completely transformed.  He went from misspent youth to pretty much changing the world.  This is a story I have been wanting to tell for a long time”. [iii]

Here you will find a fascinating retelling of the life of an obscure sailor whose hymn, Amazing Grace, as well as his subsequent involvement as an abolitionist  has made him a historical figure.  Even though film director Jackman allows for minor dramatic license with some facts of Newton’s written account in several scenes, much of the movie’s narration comes directly from Newton’s autobiography, Out of the Depths: The Autobiography of John Newton, published in 1861.

In the opening scene, we see an older John Newton as a parish minister in England receiving a visit from a rebellious boy in the community after he is chased by a neighbor who accused the young lad of stealing.  Rev. Newton then rebukes the man, sparing the child from well-deserved wrath and a lashing.  In return, the young boy agrees to listen to Newton’s personal “prodigal son” story in which he shares about his own delinquency as a youth, to which the boy responds with shock upon hearing of the minister’s past struggles and misadventures. [iv]

Within the remaining story, we learn of Newton’s involvement with slave ships, first on the Pegasus, where he had been transferred due to poor behavior.  He would soon end up in West Africa in 1745  where the captain of his slave ship purposely abandoned him in Sierra Leone with European slave dealer Amos Clowe for not getting along with the crew.  In 1748, Newton would be rescued at the request of his sea captain father in England.  Boarding the ship, the Greyhound, he returned home on the final leg of that Triangle Trade voyage.  Upon returning to the port at Liverpool, Newton collaborated with his father’s friend Joseph Manesty, becoming first mate on the Brownlow and sailing for the West Indies by way of the coast of Guinea. 

Eventually, Newton began to return to his Christian roots.  He discovered the book, Imitation of Christ, by Thomas a Kempis and began reading the Bible. He marked March 10, 1748 as the anniversary of his return to faith. [v] Still, he did not renounce the life of slave trading and would go on to make three more voyages as captain of the slave ships Duke of Argyle (1750) and African (1752–53 and 1753–54); he continued to work in the slave trade, but gained sympathy for the slaves during his time in Africa. He later said: ‘I cannot consider myself to have been a believer in the full sense of the word, until a considerable time afterwards.’"[vi] 

Additionally, mentoring by merchant ship captain Alexander Clunie was pivotal in Newton’s continued spiritual growth.  After some time, while appointed a tide surveyor (i.e., customs inspector), he had the time to prepare for ordination in the Church of England as an Anglican priest.

Inspired by the leadership of such luminaries of his time, like George Whitfield, the great evangelist and theologian, Newton in turn would go on to influence many others - especially within the Abolitionist movement.   One such individual was William Wilberforce, a Member of the British Parliament.  Eventually, Newton would become an abolitionist himself.  In giving evidence to both the Privy Council and the Parliamentary Committee (the only former slave captain to do so), he became a true lobbyist in England against the slave trade of Great Britain and elsewhere. [vii]

“In 1788, 34 years after he had retired from the slave trade, Newton broke a long silence on the subject with the publication of a forceful pamphlet, Thoughts Upon the Slave Trade, in which he described the horrific conditions of the slave ships during the Middle Passage. He apologized for ‘a confession, which ... comes too late ... it will always be a subject of humiliating reflection to me, that I was once an active instrument in a business at which my heart now shudders.’” [viii] He had copies sent to every member of the British Parliament, and the pamphlet sold so well that it quickly required an additional reprinting.  John Newton would live to see passage of the Slave Trade Act 1807, the year of his death.

Moved by the Scripture, 1 Chronicles 17:16-17, Newton and William Cowper (authors of the original hymn book, Olney Hymns) wrote the famous verses of the hymn Amazing Grace.  They wrote the original poem quickly within an afternoon.  The music was added separately and much later.  Though not his only hymn, Amazing Grace (which was barely popular in England) was reprinted in the United States and became a gospel music success, particularly in the Southern states.  The current music of the hymn was adapted from an old plantation tune and soon became merged with the lyrics.  It gradually became one of America’s “spiritual national anthems,” and by the 1960s, had eventually become the “most performed and most recorded song” in music history. [ix] 

 In 2015, President Obama on his visit to Emmanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church sang “Amazing Grace” in his attempt to heal a hurting nation after the Charleston church massacre in which white supremacist Dylann Roof murdered nine parishioners: Cynthia Hurd, 54; Susie Jackson, 87; Ethel Lance, 70; Rev. DePayne Middleton-Doctor, 49; Hon. Rev. Clementa Pinckney, 41; Tywanza Sanders, 26; Rev. Daniel Simmons Sr., 74; Rev. Sharonda Singleton, 45; Myra Thompson, 59.

 Then as now, this song resonates strongly.

 “Newton’s Grace is the true story of a real “prodigal son”, the story of miraculous forgiveness and change that lies behind the powerful words of one of the world’s most beloved hymns.” [x]

1.     Amazing grace! (how sweet the sound)
   That saved a wretch like me!
I once was lost, but now am found,

Was blind, but now I see.

3. Thro' many dangers, toils, and snares,
   I have already come;
'Tis grace hath brought me safe thus far,
   And grace will lead me home.

6. The earth shall soon dissolve like snow,
   The sun forbear to shine;
But God, who called me here below,
   Will be forever mine.

[stanza 6 is excluded from the American version]

John Newton, Olney Hymns, 1779

References

[i] Africans in America (Resource Bank) http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aia/part1/1p275.html

[ii]http://newtonsgracethemovie.com/pages/

[iii] "A tale of grace: Local filmmaker bringing story of John Newton to life,” Wesley Young/Winston-Salem Journal Aug 1, 2013 - http://www.journalnow.com/news/local/article_705f44c2-fb12-11e2-9027-001a4bcf6878.html?mode=jqm

[iv]http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2791334/

[v] Morgan, Robert J, Then Sings My Soul, Thomas Nelson Publishing

[vi] Newton, John (2003), Hillman, Dennis, ed., Out of the Depths: The Autobiography of John Newton, Grand Rapids: Kregel

[vii]https://www.visionvideo.com/dvd/501402D/john-newton

[viii] Hochschild, Adam (2005), Bury the Chains, The British Struggle to Abolish Slavery, Basingstoke: Pan Macmillan

[ix]https://www.visionvideo.com/dvd/501402D/john-newton

[x]http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2791334/

For more information

Newton's Grace Movie website: http://www.newtonsgracethemovie.com

The John Newton Project: http://www.johnnewton.org/

The Abolition Project: http://abolition.e2bn.org/people_35.html

Olney Newton Link -  http://olneynewtonlink.org.uk/

Sierra Leone Heritage -  http://www.sierraleoneheritage.org/sites/monuments/ruinsjohnnewton/

The Charleston Syllabus eds. Chad Williams, Kidada Williams, Keisha Blain.

 https://www.amazon.com/Charleston-Syllabus-Readings-Racism-Violence/dp/0820349577

                                                         

On the Road with The Weeping Time…

Interview with on Sirius XM, Insight Channel 21 with host, John Fugelsang,

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TErwZ_KTtGs&feature=youtu.be

http://www.johnfugelsang.com/  

Thank you John Fugelsang for a great conversation.

Upcoming Book reading/talk:

The Weeping Time:Memory and the Largest Slave Auction in American History,
Anne C. Bailey  (Cambridge University Press, 2017)

Wed., January 31, 2018 at 12:30pm

Departments of History and Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies
New York University
53 Washington Square South, 4th Flr
New York, NY 10012-1098

The Meaning of Freedom on New Year’s Day

                                                                                                               January 1, 2018
Happy New Year from Baileyblog!  We have been in operation now almost a year and are happy to be adding our voice to historical and contemporary debates. For those new to Baileyblog, we publish every weekend on issues regarding race, slavery,  refugees, diasporas, African, African American and Caribbean Studies, human rights, history and memory.

Thank you for a great year! We hope you will keep reading and sharing the blog with others.   Each month, we are reaching more and more readers and your support has made all the difference.

As it is New Year’s Day, I have been thinking about what that day meant for over four million slaves one hundred and fifty four years ago.  In a word, it meant freedom—long fought for, long prayed for freedom.  See below an excerpt from The Weeping Time  in the last chapter, “History and the Democratization of Memory,” which tries to capture the spirit of that momentous day:

The United States of America was built on some of the highest ideals that man had ever espoused at any time in history.  The Declaration of Independence’s “All men are created equal” was a clarion call for freedom—but as it turns out, only freedom for some.  The Republic was established with the aid of slave labor and with a blind eye to slavery.

The Emancipation Proclamation in so many ways reaches back to Jefferson’s hallowed document and fills in the missing pieces.  It at once represents an advance but also a corrective: a 250-year-old wrong is corrected with one stroke of a pen.   What that meant to African Americans, we have already discussed: freedom was the long and elusive goal, always at the center of hopes and prayers.  Its delay made the reality of it all the more sweet, so it is no wonder that some African Americans, particularly those in the South still celebrate  a service called Watchnight on New Year’s eve.  Watchnight is a church service in which they celebrate God’s deliverance of them from slavery on that fateful night.  In this way, it is similar to Jewish Passover seder celebrations.

     But this event not only changed their lives, it changed the entire country. It would set America on the road towards equality and civil rights that it is still on today. It was not to be a straight line to full and total equality, for there would be setbacks and backlash, but a door had been opened that could not be easily shut.  Inasmuch as that was the case, this Emancipation Act was a monumental victory for all Americans.   It has been said before that slavery was not unique to North America and the West.  There are many historical examples, but surely what is unique in this case was the height of those tremendous ideals about freedom and equality – ALL men are created equal—and the fight to make those ideals a reality.    They truly become a reality when the Emancipation Proclamation comes into effect.  The Emancipation Proclamation gave those words true power and thus is worth commemorating not just on the 150^th anniversary, but every year, as a reminder of great progress and even leadership in this area around the world.

Anne C. Bailey

The Weeping Time: Memory and the Largest Slave Auction in American History

(Cambridge University Press, 2017)

                                                       

Image courtesy of cleanpublicdomain.com

On the Road with The Weeping Time...

New Reviews:

From USA TODAY
https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/books/2017/12/20/weeping-time/960904001/

New Video: 
Youtube interview with author
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ABUZcObLc_8&list=PLC5C19446D4A9D994