Quick Update

Hello, All. I am back in Memphis and back to work after a long trip to Knoxville. It was freezing cold, but we had an enjoyable time nonetheless. I hope this message finds you all warm and well.

A few reminders that the African American Read In is tomorrow at noon, all campuses, so if you are at Macon or any of the satellite campuses, you may need to contact Dr. Wade to find out precisely where the event is held. If you are at Union campus, the Read In will be held in Parrish 101.

I have completed grading your "Reading Memphis" essays and uploaded my comments back to you on PAWS, so when you have a moment be sure to look those over. I enjoyed reading them immensely, and I am very happy that many of you found sites of interest to you. As with many college classes, you will encounter challenges that demand you to hone specific skills, and one of those skills is writing. As I am a writing teacher, some of you may see a bit more "red ink" on your essays. I want to remind you that this is intended to help you perfect your already advanced skills. I notice that there are still some areas of grammar, word choice, tone, and punctuation that need improvement, so I encourage you to work on these things as you go. Always be open to critique, willing to proofread, and edit where necessary.

I want all of you to keep in mind that I am your principle supporter and cheerleader through all of your endeavors in this course, and I am willing to do whatever I can to ensure your success. If you are having difficulty in any areas, please do not hesitate to come to me.

Remember that we are meeting at the Starbuck's on Sycamore View Tuesday evening at six p.m. in lieu of the Honors Suite. I admit I do grow weary of waiting for someone to come unlock my classroom when I'm ready to sit down and begin. If Starbuck's works as a makeshift venue this time, we might try it again later on.

Thanks to all of you for being patient with me these last two weeks as I planned and attended the TYCA-SE conference in Knoxville. My hope is that this week I will be able to catch up on a lot of things I have let slip past.

Also, if you would kindly do me the favor of texting me your telephone numbers with some indicator of who you are, I would so appreciate it! I thought I had your contact information, but I doubt that it is current--or easily accessed--at this point. I thank you!

Trek Two: The Pink Palace Museum

Hello, all. I hope that you are enjoying the remainder of a rather dismal, overcast weekend. I know I enjoyed being with all of you--and meeting some of your family--this Saturday! I'm sorry we got separated: I had gone to look for everyone by three and I assume you had gone into the theater or planetarium. I only regret that I had to leave early without telling everyone good bye.

The Pink Palace is, of course, a wonderful place to start if you are doing any sort of research about the city of Memphis and its environs--from early dinosaur bones uncovered at the site of the former Mall of Memphis, to stories of flappers, the Beale Street business district, or how life was lived in the 19th century. I know I enjoyed reading about the household ephemera--bottles and medicines, chatelains and sewing kits. Such things fascinate me.

Our next trek will of course be Elmwood! I am very excited about this tour, as you know it is a place near and dear to my heart. I was asked to be Elmwood's photographer-in-residence for the year 2013, and during that time, I was welcome to tour the grounds on my own, visit during off-hours, and invited to some of the wonderful parties they have during the month of October, such as the Twilight Costume Tour. It is truly a beautiful place to visit, meditate, commune with the spirits, and learn volumes about Memphis history. Below are some of the photos I took during my time as Elmwood's photographer, and a link to Elmwood's site if you would like to read a bit more. I also have a book to share with you before our visit--the only book published about Elmwood, its history, and its inhabitants--Elmwood: In the Shadows of the Elms by Perre Magness, which is a wonderful, comprehensive guide to this beautiful, historic cemetery. And finally, you can read about Elmwood and explore some of the upcoming events on their schedule here.

 

As a reminder, I will be out of town this week, beginning Wednesday, February 24th. In light of the conference I am attending and the workload I have to face before I leave, we will not meet Tuesday night as scheduled. Instead, we can substitute an asynchronous panel here on our blog, to talk about the progress of each of your projects. In a paragraph or so, describe where you are in the process. Have you had successes you'd like to share? Any difficulties? What have you learned so far? Do you find your enthusiasm growing for this project, or is it beginning to drag a little? It's fine to be honest: not everything goes perfectly all the time! So, if you are hitting a snag, perhaps we can help one another over the rough spots. 

So, why don't we do this: since we would not see each other again until our Elmwood tour, let's plan to meet briefly on March 1st at six pm.--except I'm putting a twist on our meeting: let's meet at the Starbuck's on Sycamore View--just down the street from Macon Campus. No one has to unlock the door and we can get a shot of caffeine while we talk. Not a coffee drinker? Tea or juice is offered as well. Then if Saturdays work better for all, we can plan to make our Elmwood tour March 5th at two p.m. If you like, we can grab a bite somewhere nearby afterward. 

I won't have a computer while I'm away, but I have my cell if you need to reach me. 

PLEASE DON'T FORGET THE AFRICAN-AMERICAN READ IN, FEBRUARY 29th!! Noon, all campuses!

So, to recap: 

African American Read-In, February 29th

"In class" meeting at Starbuck's on Sycamore View, 6:00 March 1

Tour of Elmwood Cemetery the following Saturday, March 5

Give a summary of your progress on your semester-long projects below

Have a lovely week, and I will look forward to seeing you soon!

Trekking Memphis: The Mallory-Neely House

Placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1972, The Mallory Neely House was built ca. 1852 in the Italianate Style. The villa-style home was built by Isaac Kirtland, and later became the residence of Memphians, Benjamin Babb, James C. Neely, Daniel Grant, and Barton Lee Mallory. The home was renovated in the last decades of the 19th century: James C. Neely and his wife, Frances added the tower room and the third floor was expanded to extend the space to 15, 903 square feet (1). Unlike most museum homes of its kind, the Mallory-Neely House retains most of its original furnishings. The Neely family contributed the parquet flooring, hand-painted ceilings, and stenciling. Upon entering the home, one observes the massive and beautiful stained-glass window at the first-floor landing, which was purchased at the Chicago World's Fair in 1893 (1). The house was given to the Daughters of the American Revolution by the Mallory family, but became property of the city of Memphis in 1987 and is now run by the Pink Palace family of museums (2)

The Victorian era (roughly 1836-1901) was very much a stratified society. Women and men occupied their own respective social "spheres" in which men were relegated to the world of industry, politics, business, economics, law, and medicine; women were relegated to the world of the home and the hearth. A Victorian adage explains that "man was the head of the household; women were the heart."

In keeping with this stratification, the architecture and furnishings of the Victorian home reflected the social mores of the time. Social spaces were segregated: the ladies of the house held their sewing circles and watched over the children in their own parlor, while men smoked cigars, discussed the business of the day, and talked politics in the men's parlor.

Manners were held in high regard, and rigid social codes were held in place and reinforced by middle- and upper-middle class families. When a visitor came to call, he would be greeted by the butler of the house, who of course was well-informed of the family's inner circle. The visitor would place his calling card in a dish for the butler to take it to the lady of the house--but not before seating the visitor in either a rigid, stiff-backed chair (if he was disliked) or a soft, comfortable one on the opposite wall (if he was well-liked).

Social events were particularly important to the wealthy middle class families of the period. The Mallory-Neely home, like many others, featured a large ballroom where parties were held. However, not all in attendance were held in equal esteem: musicians, considered members of the lower class, where hidden behind a curtain, so that their music could be heard, but they would remain unseen.

    Photo: memphismagazine.com

As the Mallory-Neely House sits amid other homes owned by wealthy cotton merchants of the day, this gallery of Victorian-era homes became known as "Millionaire's Row." The interiors reflect the conspicuous wealth of the family, boasting imported carpets and furniture, and decor that borders on the eclectic: it was a frequent pastime of wealthy families to visit the Chicago World's Fair, and to collect items from far-flung parts of the world. A single room may boast a chest with oriental inlay from China, an end table from France, art pieces from Spain, and so on--such was the taste of the Victorian merchant class.

As we tour the mansion, think about the ways in which its interiors reflect the social codes of the day. What features stand out to you? Can you imagine life as it might have been inside such a home? In your posts (app. 300 words), recall some aspect of the tour that affected you the most. What did you learn about the people who lived there--the families, their structure, their social lives?

Read more about the Mallory-Neely House, the Fontaine House, and the James Lee House:

Here and here.

Proposals: Memphis, City as Text

Hello, Class. As we discussed, for this second post I'm asking you to discuss your plans for your "Memphis: City as Text" semester-long projects. In roughly 200 words or so (a healthy paragraph) give us a general overview of what you have decided on, what you hope to learn from the project, what you think others will appreciate from your project, and how you will go about conducting your research. If you are still working out the finer points, that is acceptable, but I do hope you have come to some semi-finite decision on what your project will be all about. This will give us a chance to discuss these topics further Tuesday night. I'm looking forward to hearing from everyone!

Say Hello!

Hello, again class. I thought I'd take this spare moment to prepare a post well in advance for you respond with a brief introduction. This reference would help me acquaint myself with everyone. I so enjoyed our chat tonight, and am looking forward to more!

JL

The Civil Rights Movement in the South

"What and When Was the Civil Rights Movement?"

"To most Movement veterans, the post-WWII U.S. Freedom Movement was but one episode in the long struggle of Black Americans for Human rights in this country. A struggle that began 400 years ago when the first slaves were brought to these shores and tried to escape, and when Native Americans first fought to defend their homelands. A movement that continues to this day in on-going struggles to win justice, dignity, and equality for all regardless of race, religion, gender, sexual orientation or economic level; struggles for fair pay and decent working conditions; and struggles to have every vote counted, every child  educated, every senior cared for every ill person treated, and every human soul accorded a fair share of the Tree of Life" (1).

The African American Civil Rights Movement refers to the series of social movements, acts of resistance, and demonstrations of hundreds of thousands of individuals who strove for equal recognition under the law and an end to Jim Crow segregation--the legal mandate that called for 'separate but equal' facilities for blacks and whites in the South. The decade-long struggle triggered the real ugliness of racism in the South, as it challenged the closed societies of Mississippi, Georgia, and Alabama, who resisted integration; the deaths of Civil Rights martyrs like Vernon Dahmer, Medgar Evers, Martin Luther King, Jr. and countless others. Yet, it did achieve ground-breaking historical change in the legislation of the United States. Significantly, the Movement brought about the inclusion of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 "which banned discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex or national origin in employment practices and ended unequal application of voter registration requirements and racial segregation in schools, at the workplace, and by public accommodations". Other Acts that follows included the Voting Rights Act of 1965, the Immigration and Naturalization Services Act of 1965, and the Fair Housing Act of 1968 (2).

Some key events led to the gathering steam that become the Civil Rights Movement in the South. In 1954, the U.S. Supreme Court passed the Brown vs. The Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas that ruled segregation of public schools unconstitutional. In Bolling v. Sharpe, the Supreme Court ruled the segregation laws of Plessy v. Ferguson (Jim Crow) unconstitutional. That same year, the young teenage boy, Emmett Till is kidnapped, pistol whipped and murdered by two klansman for having whistled at a shop owner's wife in Money, Mississippi.

In 1955, Rosa Parks refuses to give up her seat on a bus in Montgomery, Alabama, initiating the Montgomery bus boycott. This event leads to other bus boycotts throughout the South, including one in Tallahassee, Florida in 1956. FBI director J. Edgar Hoover, out of paranoia concerning communist infiltration in the U.S., initiates COINTELPRO to "investigate and disrupt" and suspicious groups operating in the U.S.

1956-65, Movement to integrate southern universities begins. 

In 1957, the SCLC (Southern Christian Leadership Conference) names Martin Luther King as its chairman; Governer Orval Faubus of Arkansas attempts to prevent the integration of Little Rock High School by calling out the National Guard. The next year, the NAACP Youth Council state sit-ins at lunch counters in Wichita, Kansas. In less than a month, Dockum stores--the Wichita chain that segregated its clientele had become integrated. This event preceded the famous sit-ins at the Woolworth's lunch counter in Greensboro, NC, which sparked a series of like events. In 1960, SNCC (Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee) is formed in North Carolina. 

1961, Freedom Riders a group of protestors organized by CORE (Congress on Racial Equality) to ride interstate buses across the South to protest against segregation); they are assaulted at a Greyhound Bus Station in Montgomery.

1962, James Meredith is prohibited by Mississippi Governor Ross Barnett from becoming the first black student at the University of Mississippi (Ole Miss); Fannie Lou Hamer attempts to register to vote; later the next year, Hamer is badly beaten by segregationists in Winona, Mississippi. 

1963, Dr. King completes his Letter from a Birmingham Jail; Medgar Evers is murdered by Byron de la Beckwith in Jackson, MS. Four young girls are killed at the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham. Birmingham Riot of 1963.

1964, Freedom Summer: Three civil rights workers--James Cheney (MS), Michael Schwherner and Andrew Goodman (NY) are murdered by sheriffs in Neshoba County, MS. Civil Rights Act of 1964 is passed.

1965, Voting Act of 1965; Raylawni Branch and Gwendolyn Elaine Armstrong, both African Americans, attend the University of Southern Mississippi.

1966, James Meredith begins the March Against Fear from Memphis to Jackson, MS. He is injured by birdshot; Stokely Carmichael uses the term "Black Power."

1967, Trial of accused murderers of Civil Rights workers Cheney, Schwerner, and Goodman. Seven of the eighteen suspects are convicted. Edgar Ray Killen is later convicted as conspirator of the murder in 2005.

1968, Memphis sanitation workers are killed in the line of duty; Memphis sanitation Worker Strike begins. King delivers the Mountaintop speech; He is killed in Memphis on April 4, 1968.

(Events listed here.)

A Timeline of the African-American Civil Rights Movement (1954-68)

The "I-Narrative" and Southern Folk Characters

"The I-Narrative," or simply the first-person narrative, can be thought of as a story that is written primarily from the first-person perspective. The author refers to him- or herself as "I" throughout. However, it may not be as simple to define as that.

Zora Hurston, whose autobiography Dust Tracks on a Road, was written under pressure by her publishers. As her popularity began to wane, Hurston was urged to create an autobiography to stimulate interest in her life and work. The author and folklorist was a very private person (despite her larger-than-life persona and impulse to perform), the details of her private life were her own. Therefore, most scholars of her work believe that much of the content of Dust Tracks is fictionalized. 

from: zoranealehurston.com

Hurston's strategy in her own autobiography can be understood in some ways as part of the author's natural impulse to "adorn" or to "embellish" her life's story. In this way, Hurston's life story becomes absorbed as another item the author's many fictive works, leaving the "true Zora" a mystery and her persona just another fictional character. However, the impulse to reconstruct the self through the I-Narrative may be more of a means to discover the true self, after all. Don Nix defines the dual purpose of the "I Narrative" in this way:

In your own I-narratives, what might be your purpose? To create a persona endowed with all the positive traits that you find honorable or admirable--or would it be more of a soul-seeking project?

The I-Narrative that Hurston offers us belongs strictly to the genre of literature. However, other southern characters are presented and maintained through folklore. In order to fully appreciate how these characters come to life, there are some terms you should be familiar with:

Eye Dialect: Often storytellers (whether oral or textual), use eye dialect to mimic the sounds of their characters' dialects. Dialect--the versionof a spoken language a person uses--can index their cultural, socio-economic, educational, and regional backgrounds. Dialect tells us a lot about a person, and that person's use of dialect tells us a lot about the region he or she comes from. 

Authors Joel Chandler Harris and Thomas Nelson Page are two southern writers from the 19th century. Page was an attorney who wrote short stories of the Old South, while Harris transcribed tales he heard from African American slaves while he served as an apprentice on a plantation in Georgia. As you read the works of these two authors, think about how they use eye dialect. How does it contribute to the construction of the characters in the narrative?