Teaching Slavery in School--Sensitivity v. Erasing History

[SweetSue92]

In my field there's debate about the line between being appropriately sensitive and erasing so much of our American history when it comes to teaching slave songs, African-American Spirituals, etc. I will weigh in fwiw and then I would value your thoughts.

A few schools have gotten dinged for having students sing the old slave song, "Pick a Bale of Cotton". I can understand this because the original lyrics were derogatory and the origins are uncertain--if it originated with slaves or slave owner. At any rate the original lyrics included the offensive "N" word at several points.

However.

I am a STRONG proponent of teaching kids African-American Spirituals for so many reasons. The primary one is: you cannot teach the history of popular American music without it. As I tell my students: if it weren't for the Spiritual, I don't know what you would be hearing on the radio right now, but it wouldn't be whatever you're listening to--unless you listen to bluegrass or classical music. The Spiritual was that pivotal in the development of everything that came after.

I think it's important that our students understand that, of all races and cultures. And the songs are exquisite. This clip shows how prominently the river Jordan features in Spirituals, how Spirituals popularized the backbeat into American music, and how tightly many slaves clung to music--how much it meant to them--when their lives were deeply difficult.



To wrap it up, my students leave elementary school (hopefully) understanding that Spirituals--not derogatory songs written ABOUT slaves but the songs of the slaves themselves--were songs of trial, tribulation, but also, great hope and clever coded messages. They know they built the foundation of American popular music.

I admit to being flummoxed as to why we'd want to bury this history for any of our students, even though the history is admittedly difficult, even tragic.

 

[miketx]

Liberals are destroying everything about this country.

 

[SweetSue92]

Liberals are destroying everything about this country.

If the consensus now is that a white teacher cannot teach the import and beauty of the African-American Spiritual because she is white and that is cultural appropriation.....

I will be beyond words.

But I'm really hoping not even USMB will be that crazy

 

[Marion Morrison]

In my field there's debate about the line between being appropriately sensitive and erasing so much of our American history when it comes to teaching slave songs, African-American Spirituals, etc. I will weigh in fwiw and then I would value your thoughts.

A few schools have gotten dinged for having students sing the old slave song, "Pick a Bale of Cotton". I can understand this because the original lyrics were derogatory and the origins are uncertain--if it originated with slaves or slave owner. At any rate the original lyrics included the offensive "N" word at several points.

However.

I am a STRONG proponent of teaching kids African-American Spirituals for so many reasons. The primary one is: you cannot teach the history of popular American music without it. As I tell my students: if it weren't for the Spiritual, I don't know what you would be hearing on the radio right now, but it wouldn't be whatever you're listening to--unless you listen to bluegrass or classical music. The Spiritual was that pivotal in the development of everything that came after.

I think it's important that our students understand that, of all races and cultures. And the songs are exquisite. This clip shows how prominently the river Jordan features in Spirituals, how Spirituals popularized the backbeat into American music, and how tightly many slaves clung to music--how much it meant to them--when their lives were deeply difficult.



To wrap it up, my students leave elementary school (hopefully) understanding that Spirituals--not derogatory songs written ABOUT slaves but the songs of the slaves themselves--were songs of trial, tribulation, but also, great hope and clever coded messages. They know they built the foundation of American popular music.

I admit to being flummoxed as to why we'd want to bury this history for any of our students, even though the history is admittedly difficult, even tragic.

The bad thing about the Negro Spirituals, is that the people that know them are all dying off and the youngers don't care to learn them. It's a damn shame. Meanwhile, we get "Songland".

 

[SweetSue92]

In my field there's debate about the line between being appropriately sensitive and erasing so much of our American history when it comes to teaching slave songs, African-American Spirituals, etc. I will weigh in fwiw and then I would value your thoughts.

A few schools have gotten dinged for having students sing the old slave song, "Pick a Bale of Cotton". I can understand this because the original lyrics were derogatory and the origins are uncertain--if it originated with slaves or slave owner. At any rate the original lyrics included the offensive "N" word at several points.

However.

I am a STRONG proponent of teaching kids African-American Spirituals for so many reasons. The primary one is: you cannot teach the history of popular American music without it. As I tell my students: if it weren't for the Spiritual, I don't know what you would be hearing on the radio right now, but it wouldn't be whatever you're listening to--unless you listen to bluegrass or classical music. The Spiritual was that pivotal in the development of everything that came after.

I think it's important that our students understand that, of all races and cultures. And the songs are exquisite. This clip shows how prominently the river Jordan features in Spirituals, how Spirituals popularized the backbeat into American music, and how tightly many slaves clung to music--how much it meant to them--when their lives were deeply difficult.



To wrap it up, my students leave elementary school (hopefully) understanding that Spirituals--not derogatory songs written ABOUT slaves but the songs of the slaves themselves--were songs of trial, tribulation, but also, great hope and clever coded messages. They know they built the foundation of American popular music.

I admit to being flummoxed as to why we'd want to bury this history for any of our students, even though the history is admittedly difficult, even tragic.

The bad thing about the Negro Spirituals, is that the people that know them are all dying off and the youngers don't care to learn them. It's a damn shame.

Um. I'm old school, MM. I try my darnedest to get my students to enjoy everything I teach. But sometimes, you just have to "take your vitamins". So, my students learn Spirituals. Too bad, so sad

 

[Marion Morrison]

In my field there's debate about the line between being appropriately sensitive and erasing so much of our American history when it comes to teaching slave songs, African-American Spirituals, etc. I will weigh in fwiw and then I would value your thoughts.

A few schools have gotten dinged for having students sing the old slave song, "Pick a Bale of Cotton". I can understand this because the original lyrics were derogatory and the origins are uncertain--if it originated with slaves or slave owner. At any rate the original lyrics included the offensive "N" word at several points.

However.

I am a STRONG proponent of teaching kids African-American Spirituals for so many reasons. The primary one is: you cannot teach the history of popular American music without it. As I tell my students: if it weren't for the Spiritual, I don't know what you would be hearing on the radio right now, but it wouldn't be whatever you're listening to--unless you listen to bluegrass or classical music. The Spiritual was that pivotal in the development of everything that came after.

I think it's important that our students understand that, of all races and cultures. And the songs are exquisite. This clip shows how prominently the river Jordan features in Spirituals, how Spirituals popularized the backbeat into American music, and how tightly many slaves clung to music--how much it meant to them--when their lives were deeply difficult.



To wrap it up, my students leave elementary school (hopefully) understanding that Spirituals--not derogatory songs written ABOUT slaves but the songs of the slaves themselves--were songs of trial, tribulation, but also, great hope and clever coded messages. They know they built the foundation of American popular music.

I admit to being flummoxed as to why we'd want to bury this history for any of our students, even though the history is admittedly difficult, even tragic.

The bad thing about the Negro Spirituals, is that the people that know them are all dying off and the youngers don't care to learn them. It's a damn shame.

Um. I'm old school, MM. I try my darnedest to get my students to enjoy everything I teach. But sometimes, you just have to "take your vitamins". So, my students learn Spirituals. Too bad, so sad

At my friend's funeral, his brothers did this train song that went into the 23rd psalm, it was awesome! You can't really find the good stuff on the internet, you have to know somebody.

 

[Mike Dwight]

I had never heard Roll Jordan Roll. Education is going to do Fred Roger's Swing Low Sweet Chariot. But ya, I mean, for the Civil War to be about Christianity deciding when slaves are freed, well its a group lie even over in Jamaica, well, there was no Conversion to Christianity during slavery and that way they're all Liberation Theology Baptists there too.

 

[SweetSue92]

I had never heard Roll Jordan Roll. Education is going to do Fred Roger's Swing Low Sweet Chariot. But ya, I mean, for the Civil War to be about Christianity deciding when slaves are freed, well its a group lie even over in Jamaica, well, there was no Conversion to Christianity during slavery and that way they're all Liberation Theology Baptists there too.

The songs are what the songs are. They are recorded. We know the history of them. So I don't know what to tell you.

 

[Mike Dwight]

What? I don't know what to tell YOU man, what are you saying? I don't know what to tell YOU, that Roll Jordan Roll is never on any top 10 spirituals list and Sweet Chariot is number 1 always. Google's got Nobody Knows Trouble I Seen and there's various. Well I'm amazed Roll Jordan Roll is even a Real one, turns out its a Real one in a complete alphabetical list of spirituals, and that Stupid, Stupid movie, is only meant, I hope people are aware, very thoroughly, to make a nightmare horror show of every little Disney feel-good you got about the south. Or why else did they make a point of that long scene on Huckleberry's Steamboat rape scene, rape rape rape, death death death. A population with no recorded rapes or deaths, of an always increasing and faster than normal, and never impoverished population, rape rape rape, death death death, I wouldn't trust their song choices in anything like this possibly fictitious "run ****** run".

 

[rightwinger]

In my field there's debate about the line between being appropriately sensitive and erasing so much of our American history when it comes to teaching slave songs, African-American Spirituals, etc. I will weigh in fwiw and then I would value your thoughts.

A few schools have gotten dinged for having students sing the old slave song, "Pick a Bale of Cotton". I can understand this because the original lyrics were derogatory and the origins are uncertain--if it originated with slaves or slave owner. At any rate the original lyrics included the offensive "N" word at several points.

However.

I am a STRONG proponent of teaching kids African-American Spirituals for so many reasons. The primary one is: you cannot teach the history of popular American music without it. As I tell my students: if it weren't for the Spiritual, I don't know what you would be hearing on the radio right now, but it wouldn't be whatever you're listening to--unless you listen to bluegrass or classical music. The Spiritual was that pivotal in the development of everything that came after.

I think it's important that our students understand that, of all races and cultures. And the songs are exquisite. This clip shows how prominently the river Jordan features in Spirituals, how Spirituals popularized the backbeat into American music, and how tightly many slaves clung to music--how much it meant to them--when their lives were deeply difficult.



To wrap it up, my students leave elementary school (hopefully) understanding that Spirituals--not derogatory songs written ABOUT slaves but the songs of the slaves themselves--were songs of trial, tribulation, but also, great hope and clever coded messages. They know they built the foundation of American popular music.

I admit to being flummoxed as to why we'd want to bury this history for any of our students, even though the history is admittedly difficult, even tragic.

I have no issues with students learning about Spirituals as an essential element of music

 

[rightwinger]

Liberals are destroying everything about this country.

If the consensus now is that a white teacher cannot teach the import and beauty of the African-American Spiritual because she is white and that is cultural appropriation.....

I will be beyond words.

But I'm really hoping not even USMB will be that crazy

You sound like a good teacher

 

[SweetSue92]

Liberals are destroying everything about this country.

If the consensus now is that a white teacher cannot teach the import and beauty of the African-American Spiritual because she is white and that is cultural appropriation.....

I will be beyond words.

But I'm really hoping not even USMB will be that crazy

You sound like a good teacher

Thank you--I certainly love my job.

 

[Marion Morrison]

I had never heard Roll Jordan Roll. Education is going to do Fred Roger's Swing Low Sweet Chariot. But ya, I mean, for the Civil War to be about Christianity deciding when slaves are freed, well its a group lie even over in Jamaica, well, there was no Conversion to Christianity during slavery and that way they're all Liberation Theology Baptists there too.

The songs are what the songs are. They are recorded. We know the history of them. So I don't know what to tell you.

Many are not recorded and public, I'm telling you. Yet they are known by the older folk. Less and less these days.

 

[SweetSue92]

I had never heard Roll Jordan Roll. Education is going to do Fred Roger's Swing Low Sweet Chariot. But ya, I mean, for the Civil War to be about Christianity deciding when slaves are freed, well its a group lie even over in Jamaica, well, there was no Conversion to Christianity during slavery and that way they're all Liberation Theology Baptists there too.

The songs are what the songs are. They are recorded. We know the history of them. So I don't know what to tell you.

Many are not recorded and public, I'm telling you. Yet they are known by the older folk. Less and less these days.

Oh, I see what you mean. That might very well be. How sad. VERY sad.

If people like me don't make it a point to teach those we do know, at least, even the known songs will become footnotes of history eventually. That's part of the reason I get frustrated when some in my profession are so hesitant to teach them for reasons I don't consider valid. (To be fair though, SO FAR, they don't seem to be carrying the day)

 

[Marion Morrison]

I had never heard Roll Jordan Roll. Education is going to do Fred Roger's Swing Low Sweet Chariot. But ya, I mean, for the Civil War to be about Christianity deciding when slaves are freed, well its a group lie even over in Jamaica, well, there was no Conversion to Christianity during slavery and that way they're all Liberation Theology Baptists there too.

The songs are what the songs are. They are recorded. We know the history of them. So I don't know what to tell you.

Many are not recorded and public, I'm telling you. Yet they are known by the older folk. Less and less these days.

Oh, I see what you mean. That might very well be. How sad. VERY sad.

If people like me don't make it a point to teach those we do know, at least, even the known songs will become footnotes of history eventually. That's part of the reason I get frustrated when some in my profession are so hesitant to teach them for reasons I don't consider valid. (To be fair though, SO FAR, they don't seem to be carrying the day)

I wish 30-50 years ago, somebody went around and recorded all these different songs. Only the really old people know them now, maybe some of their offspring might know a song or two. I knew 1 guy from the younger gen that knew all the songs, but he's probably dead by now.

 

[SweetSue92]

I had never heard Roll Jordan Roll. Education is going to do Fred Roger's Swing Low Sweet Chariot. But ya, I mean, for the Civil War to be about Christianity deciding when slaves are freed, well its a group lie even over in Jamaica, well, there was no Conversion to Christianity during slavery and that way they're all Liberation Theology Baptists there too.

The songs are what the songs are. They are recorded. We know the history of them. So I don't know what to tell you.

Many are not recorded and public, I'm telling you. Yet they are known by the older folk. Less and less these days.

Oh, I see what you mean. That might very well be. How sad. VERY sad.

If people like me don't make it a point to teach those we do know, at least, even the known songs will become footnotes of history eventually. That's part of the reason I get frustrated when some in my profession are so hesitant to teach them for reasons I don't consider valid. (To be fair though, SO FAR, they don't seem to be carrying the day)

I wish 30-50 years ago, somebody went around and recorded all these different songs. Only the really old people know them now, maybe some of their offspring might know a song or two. I knew 1 guy from the younger gen that knew all the songs, but he's probably dead by now.

Do you sing them in church, mostly? Or where? Everyone has recording devices on their phones! Get someone to record them on their phones, at least just the audio!! Please!

 

[Marion Morrison]

I had never heard Roll Jordan Roll. Education is going to do Fred Roger's Swing Low Sweet Chariot. But ya, I mean, for the Civil War to be about Christianity deciding when slaves are freed, well its a group lie even over in Jamaica, well, there was no Conversion to Christianity during slavery and that way they're all Liberation Theology Baptists there too.

The songs are what the songs are. They are recorded. We know the history of them. So I don't know what to tell you.

Many are not recorded and public, I'm telling you. Yet they are known by the older folk. Less and less these days.

Oh, I see what you mean. That might very well be. How sad. VERY sad.

If people like me don't make it a point to teach those we do know, at least, even the known songs will become footnotes of history eventually. That's part of the reason I get frustrated when some in my profession are so hesitant to teach them for reasons I don't consider valid. (To be fair though, SO FAR, they don't seem to be carrying the day)

I wish 30-50 years ago, somebody went around and recorded all these different songs. Only the really old people know them now, maybe some of their offspring might know a song or two. I knew 1 guy from the younger gen that knew all the songs, but he's probably dead by now.

Do you sing them in church, mostly? Or where? Everyone has recording devices on their phones! Get someone to record them on their phones, at least just the audio!! Please!

There weren't any of them damn phones then.

Many songs are meant to be sung by more than 1 person.

When my friend's brothers sang, there were 4 and they all sang a different part except when they came together.

 

[irosie91]

In my field there's debate about the line between being appropriately sensitive and erasing so much of our American history when it comes to teaching slave songs, African-American Spirituals, etc. I will weigh in fwiw and then I would value your thoughts.

A few schools have gotten dinged for having students sing the old slave song, "Pick a Bale of Cotton". I can understand this because the original lyrics were derogatory and the origins are uncertain--if it originated with slaves or slave owner. At any rate the original lyrics included the offensive "N" word at several points.

However.

I am a STRONG proponent of teaching kids African-American Spirituals for so many reasons. The primary one is: you cannot teach the history of popular American music without it. As I tell my students: if it weren't for the Spiritual, I don't know what you would be hearing on the radio right now, but it wouldn't be whatever you're listening to--unless you listen to bluegrass or classical music. The Spiritual was that pivotal in the development of everything that came after.

I think it's important that our students understand that, of all races and cultures. And the songs are exquisite. This clip shows how prominently the river Jordan features in Spirituals, how Spirituals popularized the backbeat into American music, and how tightly many slaves clung to music--how much it meant to them--when their lives were deeply difficult.



To wrap it up, my students leave elementary school (hopefully) understanding that Spirituals--not derogatory songs written ABOUT slaves but the songs of the slaves themselves--were songs of trial, tribulation, but also, great hope and clever coded messages. They know they built the foundation of American popular music.

I admit to being flummoxed as to why we'd want to bury this history for any of our students, even though the history is admittedly difficult, even tragic.

all songs ------with reasonable context DISCUSSED -----so long as they
ain't too perverse

 

[SweetSue92]

The songs are what the songs are. They are recorded. We know the history of them. So I don't know what to tell you.

Many are not recorded and public, I'm telling you. Yet they are known by the older folk. Less and less these days.

Oh, I see what you mean. That might very well be. How sad. VERY sad.

If people like me don't make it a point to teach those we do know, at least, even the known songs will become footnotes of history eventually. That's part of the reason I get frustrated when some in my profession are so hesitant to teach them for reasons I don't consider valid. (To be fair though, SO FAR, they don't seem to be carrying the day)

I wish 30-50 years ago, somebody went around and recorded all these different songs. Only the really old people know them now, maybe some of their offspring might know a song or two. I knew 1 guy from the younger gen that knew all the songs, but he's probably dead by now.

Do you sing them in church, mostly? Or where? Everyone has recording devices on their phones! Get someone to record them on their phones, at least just the audio!! Please!

There weren't any of them damn phones then.

Many songs are meant to be sung by more than 1 person.

When my friend's brothers sang, there were 4 and they all sang a different part except when they came together.

Ah dang it. Somebody ought to put music historians to work in your area, round up those older folks and get those songs down!

 

[Marion Morrison]

I had never heard Roll Jordan Roll. Education is going to do Fred Roger's Swing Low Sweet Chariot. But ya, I mean, for the Civil War to be about Christianity deciding when slaves are freed, well its a group lie even over in Jamaica, well, there was no Conversion to Christianity during slavery and that way they're all Liberation Theology Baptists there too.

The songs are what the songs are. They are recorded. We know the history of them. So I don't know what to tell you.

Many are not recorded and public, I'm telling you. Yet they are known by the older folk. Less and less these days.

Oh, I see what you mean. That might very well be. How sad. VERY sad.

If people like me don't make it a point to teach those we do know, at least, even the known songs will become footnotes of history eventually. That's part of the reason I get frustrated when some in my profession are so hesitant to teach them for reasons I don't consider valid. (To be fair though, SO FAR, they don't seem to be carrying the day)

I wish 30-50 years ago, somebody went around and recorded all these different songs. Only the really old people know them now, maybe some of their offspring might know a song or two. I knew 1 guy from the younger gen that knew all the songs, but he's probably dead by now.

Do you sing them in church, mostly? Or where? Everyone has recording devices on their phones! Get someone to record them on their phones, at least just the audio!! Please!

There's church songs, work songs, and funtime songs.

All spirituals are Church songs, though.

"Pick a bale of cotton" is obviously a work song.