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June 2, 1939
The Honorable
Walter Chandler
House of Representatives
My dear Mr. Chandler:
Supplementing my letter to you dated April 26, 1939, the
following facts have been brought tot he attention of this
office by Mr. Henry G. Alsberg, from whom we requested a report
so that you might be in a position to reply to your constituent
who took exception to a statement contained in Washington: City
and Capital, a Federal Writers' publication.
The source of the statement that gave rise to comment was
"William Syphax, a Pioneer in Negro Education in the
District of Columbia," which appeared in The Journal of
Negro History, Vol. XX, No. 4, October, 1935. The author of
the article was E. Delorus Preston, whose standing as an
historian has been vouched for by Wilbur H. Siebert, while
Acting Dean of Ohio State University. Mr. Preston graduated from
Howard University about twenty years ago, is the author of
well-received historical essays, and is now Dean of Edward
Waters College, Jacksonville, Florida. The Journal of Negro
History is a periodical of high standing among historical
scholars.
The specific reference is page 450 of The Journal of Negro
History for October, 1935. The newspaper clipping cited
there has been secured and photostated. A report of the debate
on the Syphax Bill to confirm the title to the tract of land
granted to Maria Syphax by George Washington Parke Custis is
available in the Congressional Globe for May 4, 1866; May 16,
1866; May 18, 1866; May 19, 1866; May 21, 1866; June 8, 1866.
The statement was not made in a "debunking" spirit.
It was a single phrase in a book of 1141 pages, and was given no
prominence. We refer you to such books on the South as The
Changing South by William J. Robertson (pp.65-66). America's
Greatest Problem by R. W. Shufeldt (p. 92), An American
Epoch by Howard W. Odun (p. 490, Social History of the
American Family by Arthur W. Calhoun (pp. 281-310).
Washington: City and Capital was published by the
Government Printing Office approximately two and one-half years
ago. Since that time Senators, Representatives and cabinet
Officers have commented upon the excellence of the book. An item
in the Washington Daily News late last winter stated that
one Southern Congressman was so pleased with the book that he
presented a copy tot he public library of his home county.
Sincerely yours,
Florence Kerr
Assistant Administrator
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Sister Citizen: Shame, Stereotypes, and Black Women in
America
By Melissa V.
Harris-Perry
According to the
author, this society has historically exerted
considerable pressure on black females to fit into one
of a handful of stereotypes, primarily, the Mammy, the
Matriarch or the Jezebel. The selfless
Mammy’s behavior is marked by a slavish devotion to
white folks’ domestic concerns, often at the expense of
those of her own family’s needs. By contrast, the
relatively-hedonistic Jezebel is a sexually-insatiable
temptress. And the Matriarch is generally thought of as
an emasculating figure who denigrates black men, ala the
characters Sapphire and Aunt Esther on the television
shows Amos and Andy and Sanford and Son, respectively.
Professor Perry
points out how the propagation of these harmful myths
have served the mainstream culture well. For instance,
the Mammy suggests that it is almost second nature for
black females to feel a maternal instinct towards
Caucasian babies.
As for the source
of the Jezebel, black women had no control over their
own bodies during slavery given that they were being
auctioned off and bred to maximize profits. Nonetheless,
it was in the interest of plantation owners to propagate
the lie that sisters were sluts inclined to mate
indiscriminately.
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Sex at the Margins
Migration, Labour Markets and the Rescue Industry
By Laura María Agustín
This book explodes several myths: that selling sex is completely different from any other kind of work, that migrants who sell sex are passive victims and that the multitude of people out to save them are without self-interest. Laura Agustín makes a passionate case against these stereotypes, arguing that the label 'trafficked' does not accurately describe migrants' lives and that the 'rescue industry' serves to disempower them. Based on extensive research amongst both migrants who sell sex and social helpers, Sex at the Margins provides a radically different analysis. Frequently, says Agustin, migrants make rational choices to travel and work in the sex industry, and although they are treated like a marginalised group they form part of the dynamic global economy. Both powerful and controversial, this book is essential reading for all those who want to understand the increasingly important relationship between sex markets, migration and the desire for social justice. "Sex at the Margins rips apart distinctions between migrants, service work and sexual labour and reveals the utter complexity of the contemporary sex industry. This book is set to be a trailblazer in the study of sexuality."—Lisa Adkins, University of London |
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The White Masters of the
World
From
The World and Africa, 1965
By W. E. B. Du Bois
W. E. B. Du Bois’
Arraignment and Indictment of White Civilization
(Fletcher)
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Ancient African Nations
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If you like this page consider making a donation
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Negro Digest /
Black World
Browse all issues
1950
1960
1965
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____ 2005
Enjoy!
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The Death of Emmett Till by Bob Dylan
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The Lonesome Death of Hattie Carroll
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Only a Pawn in Their Game
Rev. Jesse Lee Peterson Thanks America for
Slavery /
George Jackson /
Hurricane Carter
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The Journal of Negro History issues at Project Gutenberg
The
Haitian Declaration of Independence 1804
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January 1, 1804 -- The Founding of
Haiti
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posted 29 June 2008
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