Night
July 25th, 2006 | by Scott |Earlier this year I read Taylor Branch’s masterful trilogy on the civil rights movement during the time of Martin Luther King.
For over 2500 pages I was engrossed in the tale of how America began to shed a large part of its dark history of racial hatred. I found myself rooting for an alternative outcome for the fate of Dr. King, as if by reading these works somehow the ending would come out differently.
As if hatred would somehow be eradicated. As if James Earl Ray’s bullet would have somehow missed the target and an aged Dr. King would still be inspiring us in person, today.
But, it was not to be.
Yesterday, I read Elie Wiesel’s equally poignant and moving account of his experience in the Nazi death camps (see sidebar). I was immediately struck by how Wiesel was able to capture in just 115 pages the same level of pathos, heartbreak and longing that Branch had done in his much weightier tomes.
Both of these works shine the spotlight on dark chapters in the history of man. One thing that amazed me in my reading was how little of this I was taught growing up in school.
The civil rights movement was giving passing nods as we talked about the greater issues of how this country was founded and other issues of import.
The holocaust was given short-shrift while we discussed where to find the best Arkansas Indian arrowheads.
To this day, I wonder why. Why did we not discuss the civil rights movement more in depth at my school?
Was it too fresh? Were my school books not current enough to provide more than a footnote.
Was it shame?
Why?
I know a good deal of American History. Much of it I learned in school. But the darker days of the civil rights movement I had to learn for myself.
I know a good deal about the World Wars. (Don’t we love to talk about World War II?) But what I learned about genocide and the abject hatred of the Nazi’s was more fully grasped on my own. I learned more about the holocaust by watching Schindler’s List than I ever did in school.
This is not, in any way, an attempt to disparage my education. I went to an outstanding school growing up, and feel somewhat educated.
I just wonder if we sometimes try to minimize our hatreds.
An ugly practice that continues to this day. Hate the sin, love the sinner, right?
I’ve hated too much in my life. I lived through my own night of intolerance.
I don’t want to do it anymore.
17 Responses to “Night”
By Doug Freeman on Jul 25, 2006 | Reply
Scott, in the earlier days of CAC, we use text books that were given to us from school systems in Michigan. There were books that had been in use there but were being replaced. Its s good chance that these books were even before the civil rights movement. Anyway you received a good education. I feel strongly now more than ever that CAC is among the very best in the state educational wise.
By John on Jul 25, 2006 | Reply
In part it was most likely shame, in part it was being too close to the events. In larger part I think it was schools trying to avoid anything that would cause controversy. As soon as you try and teach something of this nature all the militants from both sides will come out and claim that you are not presenting the truth as they see it.
By Travis on Jul 25, 2006 | Reply
I was thinking the same thing over the last few days as I slowly read part one of Branch’s history. I have been to Christian schools my entire life, and I can’t for the life of me remember one time where I discussed civil rights history until I got to Graduate School. I might have very well had such discussions in school, but they were not significant and frequent enough to have made it to my memory.
I do remember, though, that Henry the 8th had a lot of wives, Pocahontas and John Smith had a thing, and the colonial idea of “Manifest Destiny” was not that bad of an idea.
By R-Liz on Jul 25, 2006 | Reply
Maybe it depends on where you were raised. I remember our high school commemorating “Holocaust Awareness Week” every year. We’d have a series of photos in the hall, and a different, pertainable movie would be played every day during lunch period for that week (like “Diary of Anne Frank”).
Each February would be different in how we recognized African America History Month. We’d have speakers, storytellers, singing. Lots of times these were initiated by the students– and I think that’s key. We lived in a very integrated part of the Denver-metro area. So these events were near and dear to many of the students at the school. I’m pretty sure the school districts where I live now (that are almost 100% caucasian) don’t do anything to recognize either of these.
By Scott on Jul 25, 2006 | Reply
Travis, I’m the same way. I do wonder if part of it was that King was assassinated the year I was born and if it was all to fresh for my southern state to process.
where Liz is from shows that it was fully incorporated in the mid-90s there. But, not in the south. Interesting.
As we gained time and distance from those days, i wonder if the silence had a much less benign origin.
Up in the hippy north
By Hero on Jul 25, 2006 | Reply
I’m from the even-farther-up-north and have said often that I learned and relearned American history from the beginning but that they never got beyond Industrialization no matter how many times we restarted.
I wonder how long it will be before schools incorporate the events of 9/11 into the curriculum….
By John on Jul 25, 2006 | Reply
I think the point of where you learned your history would play a large role in everything. I had plenty of classes on the founding of the country and a number of trips to the Liberty Bell/Independence Hall.
Now as for the Holocaust we covered it some in junior high which was about the time there was a big tv mini-series. So that made it an easier way into the whole conversation. Plus we had at least 3 synagogues within a mile of the school and had the Jewish high holy days off from school. Which I’m sure also would play a role in the course.
By Jason Bybee on Jul 25, 2006 | Reply
Great thoughts, Scott. I’m just echoing what others have already said, but my experience was similar. The Holocaust was given cursory treatment in our world history courses; the civil rights movement received nary a mention. I remember as a child asking an adult who Martin Luther King Jr. was. The answer: “He was a troublemaker.” I’m still undoing the damage caused by that reckless, ignorant comment.
By Lachen on Jul 26, 2006 | Reply
Good for you, Scott! All of it… it is such a compelling and humble and truthful place, where your heart is on this.
I can’t believe, (really, really can’t believe) that most of the commenters on this thread were taught or NOT taught about MLK and other notable heroes of the civil rights and anti-discrimination/hatred movements in school. Goodness, that is exactly backwards from my experience.
I am delighted to offer a glimpse from the flipside (well, the Californian side, anyway), if I may?
The first time I formally learned about the Nazi’s and the annihilation of the Jews during and preceeding WWII was in the 5th grade. My Dad and Momma had shared with us the story long before it was introduced in any classroom.
In 8th grade, we had unit studies on Equality, including studies Martin Luther King, Corretta Scott King, the underground railroad, Rosa Parks, and all those historical figures who stood on the principle that God loves people of all shades of pigment just the same.
Night was required reading in TWO of my sophomore classes in high school. One of our elective courses as a Junior under the general heading of “Social Studies” was called “The Ethics of the American Immigrant” (or something like that), which focused heavily on the plight of the American Indian, immigrant Asians (esp in WWII internment camps), and on the Civil Rights Movement and the entire evolution of the American South.
I’ve never felt untaught in the area of tolerance and love. Hating someone based on their ethnicity (or based on any attribute of who they are created to be, really) is entirely foreign to me. We are taught here in our schools from an EARLY age to value diversity. In any given public school classroom, people who have white skin are eclipsed by people whose skin is all kinds of other shades.
I was taught about Martin Luther King and Elie Wiesel, Corrie Ten Boom, and others in church, my home, or my school, throughout my life. Here, the message of tolerance is pounded into you WELL in the public education stream. Whether you choose to heed it, well… as evidenced from our state’s lovely crime rate, especially with gang violence - education is not the solution. It is a great stride, but it alone does not solve hate.
Grace by love solves hate.
By scott on Jul 26, 2006 | Reply
I think the closest we truly got to talking about these issues was our seemingly endless discussions on the Civil War. It’s been over for 150 years, time to let that one go.
I would imagine that California would be on the cutting edge of adding the civil rights movement into their curricula. However, I have a hard time believing it aced the tolerance and love test.
Much of our history is based upon who we can hate next: blacks, Japanese, gays, Muslims, illegal immigrants. We still have far to go.
Hero asked a great question: my gut is that 9/11 will be incorporated relatively soon.
By larry on Jul 26, 2006 | Reply
The treatment of the American Indian in the 1800’s is another chapter in America’s history that is often glossed over in our schools. Very little is mentioned of the greed that destroyed most Indian tribes, and eventually landed them on reservations to live out their lives hidden from our view, and seldom remembered.
Unless you study outside the classroom, one would only think Indians were savages that were in the way of greatness.
By justin on Jul 26, 2006 | Reply
My senior year of high school, our text books actually had something about 9/11 in them all ready. Albeit brief, there was definitely a mention on the last page or so.
Living in Memphis, you either learn to be racist or you learn to get along with others that don’t look like you. White people are a minority in the city (and maybe the county now too) so even the very white eastern part of shelby county is still more salt and pepper than many cities.
Luckily, I never saw black kids as any different from me. I do, however, remember being scared when a black politician (who’s son is running for senate) said that if Memphis elected another white mayor, that the black community would riot and burn down Memphis just like Watts in South Central.
Its strange here. People tend to love each other as individuals, but dislike each other in groups. Seems to be the opposite in Nashville. Racism is everywhere and in everyone I guess.
By greg on Jul 26, 2006 | Reply
justin, I’m assuming that was Ford who made that comment?
I don’t know if it was the same time, but I remember the election in which Herenton was first elected (I lived there from 90-92). I recall a black girl in the same building where I worked saying that if the other guy (the white guy) that “we’ll burn this city down.”
I also remember hearing rumors at work during the days of the 92 L.A. riots that there was “rioting” going on around Memphis as well, although I don’t recall there really being much to the rumors.
Memphis always seemed pretty polarized, as you have indicated.
By Bobby Valentine on Jul 26, 2006 | Reply
There is no better word to describe it than “Night.” Full of pathos.
I can see the filthy smoke. I can see the little “angel” hanging on the gallows. I can hear the voice “where is God.”
What a cathartic piece of literature. In some ways it reminds me of a very long version of Psalm 88 . . . which I have titled “The DARK NIGHT of the Soul.” As kingdom people we need to learn how to lament the evil in God’s good creation.
Shalom,
Bobby Valentine
http://stoned-campbelldisciple.blogspot.com/
By justin on Jul 26, 2006 | Reply
Good call… it was King Willie Herenton and Harold Ford Sr. Greg wins 10,000 Justin points for his knowledge of West Tennessee politics *ovation from crowd*
It is quite a polarized place. What is weird about it though, is like I said, each group tends to have a distrust towards the other, but on an individual basis, people treat each other well. In nashville, people say that they aren’t racist, but they do well to keep away from any areas where non caucasians live because they are “shady”. Racism comes in many different forms.
By Scott on Jul 26, 2006 | Reply
Great thoughts, Bobby. I have preached on the topic of lament in my last two sermons. It’s a vital part of true worship.
In the early 90’s I was president of the Wilson County Young Republicans (I have come a long way, baby). I remember Harold Ford, Sr. being on our list of those we desired to see out of office. I vaguely remember the comments you speak of, Justin. His son seems to be a good guy.
And, you are right, Racism comes in many different forms. Hatred, no matter how veiled it may be, is still hatred.
By justin on Jul 26, 2006 | Reply
His son is a pretty good guy. I don’t agree with his policies most of the time, but at least he doesn’t seem to have the wreckless tendencies that the rest of his family has.
However, I always wonder about career politicians. He took his Dad’s seat in the house when he was 25 I believe.