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Memories of Marcus B. Christian
New Orleans Poet, Historian,
Educator
By Deborah Parker Cains
Marcus B. Christian was a unique
individual in that he was both an intellectual and a gentleman from the
"old school of thought." Not only was he wise but also he was
articulate. Sometimes he appeared shy, but this was a part of his
demeanor.
He was very talkative, animated, and a captivating and
inspiring lecturer. Students enjoyed visiting his office in
the History Department, which was filled to the brim with papers, books,
old machines, various clothing items, and several comforts of
home.
I remember sitting in his office-- which I
did on numerous occasions-- just to talk or listen to him discuss history
and read his poetry. Sometimes as he read his poems, he would
exclaim, "I have a new poem that I want to read to you."
There were folders and
folders of papers in his office. He typed on an old manual
typewriter in his office and seemed to enjoy interacting with his
students as he typed.
Sometimes I would see
Mr.
Christian as he walked down Elysian Fields Avenue from the
bus. Some of my contemporaries said that he walked to the campus
from his home in the 9th Ward. Some even said that he often slept
in his office. He was always on campus very early and he usually
was there late in the evenings.
If I can remember correctly, I
also saw him driving an old luxury car sometimes. He had cups in
his office for tea and coffee, and he would offer me a drink. He
was comfortable in his office.
Many times during his
conversations, he put his hand on the side of his face, close to his
ear. He never got tired of sharing his countless stories,
and I must admit that whenever I had a break I would visit his
office to listen to these interesting stories. Sometimes he
would share copies of his poems with me.
He loved Louisiana
and told me stories about his upbringing in the state. He also loved
New Orleans and this is truly reflected in his poem, "I
Am New Orleans." He also had a keen interest in the unique
architectural design
of various buildings in the city, and sometimes his stories focused on
this interest as well.
Mr. Christian viewed poetry
as beautiful and expressive, and he enjoyed reading poetry out aloud,
and his love of poetry intrigued and influenced me a lot even to this
day. I too have a great appreciation for the arts, and I find myself reading poetry out aloud to my students just to hear
the beauty of it, just as he did.
I remember his swift walks in
the hallway of the second floor of the Liberal Arts Building, where
the History Department was located then. He often wore a
suit jacket, most times with unmatched pants. He was always on time
for class.
Mr. Christian's personality was meek, yet strong.
He was always busy, but never too busy for student visits. Sometimes we
students would make attempts to clear space in his office, but that
was somewhat of a difficult task. His office was
literally occupied with valuable piles of paper of his notes and other
projects, books, and memorabilia.
Many UNO students were inspired,
captivated, and impressed with him, and many visited his office just to hear
his stories and appreciate his hospitality. A great number of students,
including myself, admired Mr. Christian fondly, looked up to him for both his
intellect and his eccentricities. I am sure that if he were alive
today, he would be ecstatic about having such an outstanding journal as
a tribute to him! I can close my eyes and see his humble but
grateful smile.
During the 1970's, while Christian taught at the
University of New Orleans (UNO), Deborah P. Cains was an undergraduate
and student worker in the History Department.
Deborah P. Cains is a native New Orleanian.
She attended public schools in New Orleans. She received her B.A.
and M. Ed degrees from the University of New Orleans. She is presently
working on her doctorate degree in English. Presently, she is an
Assistant Professor of English and Administrative Assistant to the
English Chair at Southern University at New Orleans. She teaches
various writing and literature courses. She also teaches creative
writing. She is a published writer and poet. She has
been invited to read her poetry and lecture about a book she co-authored
about the life of a civil rights activist from Louisiana
throughout the city including the University of New Orleans among
others. She has been a guest poet on the SUNO's Library
Annual Poetry program for the last several years. She has
presented papers and served as secretary and chair of sessions at
several regional and national conferences in her field. She has
been a guest on radio and television programs as well. She is co-editor of The SUNO Review, a scholarly journal of the Arts and
Humanities. She is the mother of two wonderful daughters and also
has a poodle, named John Shaft.
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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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Salvage the Bones
A Novel by Jesmyn Ward
On one level, Salvage the Bones is a simple story about a poor black family that’s about to be trashed by one of the most deadly hurricanes in U.S. history. What makes the novel so powerful, though, is the way Ward winds private passions with that menace gathering force out in the Gulf of Mexico. Without a hint of pretension, in the simple lives of these poor people living among chickens and abandoned cars, she evokes the tenacious love and desperation of classical tragedy. The force that pushes back against Katrina’s inexorable winds is the voice of Ward’s narrator, a 14-year-old girl named Esch, the only daughter among four siblings. Precocious, passionate and sensitive, she speaks almost entirely in phrases soaked in her family’s raw land. Everything here is gritty, loamy and alive, as though the very soil were animated. Her brother’s “blood smells like wet hot earth after summer rain. . . . His scalp looks like fresh turned dirt.” Her father’s hands “are like gravel,” while her own hand “slides through his grip like a wet fish,” and a handsome boy’s “muscles jabbered like chickens.” Admittedly, Ward can push so hard on this simile-obsessed style that her paragraphs risk sounding like a compost heap, but this isn’t usually just metaphor for metaphor’s sake. She conveys something fundamental about Esch’s fluid state of mind: her figurative sense of the world in which all things correspond and connect. She and her brothers live in a ramshackle house steeped in grief since their mother died giving birth to her last child. . . . What remains, what’s salvaged, is something indomitable in these tough siblings, the strength of their love, the permanence of their devotion.— WashingtonPost
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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
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Enjoy!
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The
Death of Emmett Till by Bob Dylan
/
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
/
January 1, 1804 -- The Founding
of Haiti
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ChickenBones Store
(Books, DVDs, Music, and more)
update
18 January 2012
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