« Prey (album version) | Main | Prey (a capella mix) »
June 28, 2002
Prey (trance mix)
Alternate title: My Uncle Spells It Without the `H'
Over at Right Wing News, John Hawkins (who shares a name with one of the most notorious figures in African-American history) proves his non-racist cred by sniffing disdainfully:
To sum it up, I don't care for racists, whether they're white, black, or Muslims. Furthermore, whether we're talking about the KKK, the NAACP, Jim Crow laws, or Affirmative Action, I don't support organizations or laws that try to divide us by race. If there's anyone who was unclear about that, then I think that should clear it up for you.
(He'd initially spelled Jim Crow as `Jim Crowe' until someone kindly pointed out his mistake.)
Now I could go into the history of the NAACP (y'know, Hansberry vs. Lee, some irrelevant little case called Brown vs. Board of Education), but like I said yesterday, the special needs children are on their own from here on out. And mentioning the NAACP in the same breath as the KKK takes a very special child. Since, to the best of my knowledge, the NAACP has never, as a group, piled into pickups, driven to someone's house, dragged them out of their home, and killed them while their wife and children watched terrified from the front porch.
(Funny thing about that. Although they wore those fetching hoods, the Klansmen didn't used to bother taking the plates off the cars they used. So it ain't like nobody knew exactly who they were dealing with. Not much point going to the local constabulary with this info, though. They already knew, too. Usually from participating.)
Oh, what the hell. Let's kick a little NAACP history. I think everyone needs to read this kind of thing at least once in their lives anyway, just so they remember what we used to deal with.
Racial Restrictive Covenant of the Washington Park Subdivision in the City of Chicago
This Agreement entered into this 30th day of September, 1927, by and between the undersigned owners of land on the one or the other side of Evans, Langley, Champlain, St. Lawrence, Rhodes, Eberhart, Vernon and South Park Avenues, between 60th and 63rd Streets and on 60th, 61st and 62nd Streets between South Park and Cottage Grove Avenues, in the City of Chicago, witnesseth, that
And, Whereas, the parties hereto feel that the restrictions and covenants hereinafter imposed and created are for the best interests of all the parties hereto and of the property hereinafter described.
In Consideration of the premises and of the mutual covenants hereinafter made, and of the sum of Five Dollars ($5.00) in hand paid to each of the parties hereto by each of the other parties hereto, the receipt of which is hereby acknowledged each party as owner of the parcel of land above described immediately under his name, does hereby covenant and agree with each and every other of the parties hereto, that his said parcel is now and until January 1st, 1948, and thereafter until this agreement shall be abrogated as hereinafter provided, shall be subject to the restrictions and provisions hereinafter set forth, and that he will make no sale, contract of sale, conveyance, lease or agreement and give no license or permission in violation of such restriction or provisions, which are as follows:
1. The restriction that no part of said premises shall in any manner be used or occupied directly or indirectly by any negro or negroes, provided that this restriction shall not prevent the occupation, during the period of their employment as janitors' or Chauffeurs' quarters in the basement or in a barn or garage in the rear, or of servants' quarters by negro janitors, employed as such for service in and about the chauffeurs or house servants, respectively, actually employed as such for service in and about the premises by the rightful owner or occupant of said premises.
2. The restriction that no part of said premises shall be sold, given, conveyed or leased to any negro or negroes, and no permission or license to use or occupy any part thereof shall be given to any negro except house servants or janitors or chauffeurs employed thereon as aforesaid.
Since they had kids riding the short bus (or short horse-drawn carriage) back then too, definitions are helpfully included.
Pronouns herein employed in the masculine gender shall be construed to include the feminine and neuter genders, and the word "party" or "persons " to include natural and artificial parties or persons. The term 'negro' as used herein shall include every person having one-eighth part or more of negro blood, or having any appreciable mixture of negro blood, and every person who is what is commonly known as a 'Colored person'.
Note that this is Chicago. As in, the alleged North. As in, to quote Malcolm X, "If you're south of the Canadian border, you're in the South."
I think I have relatives living in that neighborhood now, though. Things do change.
That doesn't mean you should forget the past. Unless you're an adherent of Americanism, which means you only remember the convenient bits.
Posted by Aaron at June 28, 2002 09:11 AM