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TechnoratiObama Can Redeem the White House
Alice Walker is the first African-American woman to win the Pulitzer Prize for fiction. But Monday, I called her to talk about a true story.
The Obamas had just visited the White House. The first African-American elected president of the United States had visited his soon-to-be residence, a house built by slaves. Walker told me: "Even when they were building it, you know, in chains or in desperation and in sadness, they were building it for him. Ancestors take a very long view of life, and they see what is coming." The author of "The Color Purple," who writes about slavery and redemption, went on, "This is a great victory of the spirit and for people who have had to live basically by faith."
Many decades ago, Alice Walker had broken anti-miscegenation laws in Mississippi by marrying a white man. She is a descendent of slaves.
While Barack Obama is not -- he is the son of a Kenyan man and a white Kansan woman -- his wife, Michelle, is, and so, too, are their daughters, Sasha and Malia. Michelle Obama's ancestors come from South Carolina; her grandfather was part of the great migration north to Chicago.
Melissa Harris-Lacewell, associate professor of politics and African-American studies at Princeton University, reflected on the Obamas' forthcoming move: "There are two African-American girls, little girl children, who are going to grow up with 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue as their home address. That's an astonishing difference for our country. It does not mean the end of racial inequality. It does not mean that most little black girls growing up with their residence on the south side of Chicago or in Harlem, or Latino boys and girls growing up at their addresses, that the world is all better for them. But it does mean that there is something possible here."
Construction of the White House started in 1792, with sandstone quarried by slaves in Aquia, Va., then transported up the Potomac River and hauled into place by slaves. The White House Historical Association lists several of the slaves on that historic construction crew: "Tom, Peter, Ben, Harry and Daniel, three of whom were slaves owned by White House architect James Hoban." Stonecutters, or sawyers, "on government payrolls, such as 'Jerry,' 'Jess,' 'Charles,' 'Len,' 'Dick,' 'Bill' and 'Jim' undoubtedly were slaves leased from their masters." Randall Robinson, in his book "The Debt," wrote of slave labor in the construction of the U.S. Capitol: "The worn and pitted stones on which the tourists stood had doubtless been hauled into position by slaves, for whom the most arduous of tasks were reserved. They had fired and stacked the bricks. They had mixed the mortar. They had sawn the long timbers in hellishly dangerous pits with one slave out of the pit and another in, often nearly buried alive in sawdust."
Looking forward, Barack Obama can make history in another way. The executive orders he issues will set the tone of his presidency and could usher in a new era. Human rights groups are calling for the closing of the Guantanamo prison camp and CIA "black sites," where torture has been commonplace.
Which brings us back to slavery. When Frederick Douglass, the renowned abolitionist, was young, he was enslaved on a plantation on Maryland's eastern shore, called Mount Misery, owned by Edward Covey, a notorious "slave breaker." There, physical and psychological torture were standard. That property, today, is owned by Donald Rumsfeld, the former secretary of defense who was one of the key architects of the U.S. military's program of torture and detention.
With the stroke of a pen on Inauguration Day, President Obama could outlaw torture. It would be a tribute to those slaves who built his new home, the White House, a tribute to those slaves who built the U.S. Capitol, a tribute to those who were tortured at Mount Misery.
Denis Moynihan contributed research to this column.
21 Comments so far
Show AllA stroke of the pen will not redeem the White House----or the Nation it symbolizes. If taken as a "damn good start" ----it would be just that---a start.
But Mr. Obama has already begun to show that he is representative of only one change in the White House----the "Melanin Content of the skin of the occupant", and that is all.
He has begun to surround himself with the same old same old; a Zionist Chief of Staff from the start*, and other cronies not yet listed----rather reminds me of the old Hollywood Studio System-----10-15 movies per year---with the same old stars as players..........
The world has gotten into the play bill now----they see a "dark face " in the Presidency as a change of heart for the Americans----and they hang their hopes on that being a meaningful change----. In reality it is just another "Dog and Pony Show"----that P.T. Barnum would have been proud of.
What the average American should be concerned with is when the world realizes that the "change " is only "skin deep"------they may give up hope, and move to settle the matter the old fashioned way------
Invade those "sons of bitches", the USA, and take them out of the game........
You may have some time left America----but precious little of it----and the world will not be kind to the losers------- the USA could never hope to stand up to the world---so guess who the looser will be?
On a positive note: Most Community Colleges offer "foreign" language classes at very reasonable prices---the main problem will be "guessing which language to become familiar with" since there will be multi-national occupation forces in the USA----French, German, Dutch,? Hey maybe Mandarin, Vietnamese, or even "Spanglish"-----------------
*The current "Nation of Israel" is not only an international illegal move from post WWII, but a violation of human rights since the Israelis have shown themselves to be a ruthless, cowardly people who make war upon the civilian population and practice a form of genocide that is ever more popular with other criminal nations----like the USA, it's biggest supporter. Israel does not have the right to existence at the expense of the Palestinian people---they are criminal and a violation of world peace.
The Jews lost their "nation" to the Romans, after violating several treaties with Rome, who could not afford to allow such behavior to go unanswered since they (the Romans) were the dominate force. This means the "people of God" who could not keep THEIR word were illegally reinstated at the insistence of "another illegal nation" the USA----and how much longer will the world tolerate these crimes? Well the safest thing to consider would be---don't learn Hebrew or Yiddish at that Community College, it will most likely be a forgotten language(s)----- soon.
Good luck America you really need it.
Obama has to get us out of Iraq and Afghanistan and he has to do this rather quickly. The invasion and occupation of Iraq is one of the most monstrous crimes in the history of the United States. The Republicans will scream and shout "traitor", "coward" "impeachment"; they will foam at the mouth and have nearly lethal fits. The professional military, the graduates of the academies who aspire to be generals, will want to stay because soldiers make their bones in war, not peace. Obama must diplomatically thumb his nose at them all and get out. If he doesn't do this, we will all know he is nothing more than another cowardly, lying Democratic politician/opportunist more interested in a second term than saving the United States.
Yes, amy.
Obama CAN redeem the White House, but he's going to have to act quickly.
Much ground has been lost during the retrograde Bush years.
regards,
Jonas the Prophet
Mt Shasta, CALIFORNIA USA
http://jonastheprophet.tk
Obama WILL redeem the White House, the country, and the world!
Are you a plumber or a pumber? Just curious. Oops.
Funny.
Prejudice is a complex series of overlapping venn diagramms and sometimes it's hard to see where we fit in.And we all fit in there somewhere, wether we like it or not.It's cold comfort to think that avarice in the modern world could be colour-blind.Even if that is sometimes true there is a profound racism in the way we think and act towards countries like Iraq,Afganistan and Pakistan even setting aside all the greed and striving for hegemony.Until we all wake up to this I suppose we'll just carry on bombing brown people, like before. i_andick@yahoo.co.uk
And who lives at the Mount Misery estate today? The house where rebellious slaves (like Frederick Douglass) were sent to be "broken"? Donald Rumsfeld.
So, Obama will end torture and at the same time violate Pakistan's sovereignty by bombing its citizens. Sounds like an Obama-style compromise to me!
Obama is trying to protect the US from the threat posed by extremists. Why wouldn't you want him to do that?
He has said, "I never called for an invasion of Pakistan". Are you saying he is lying?
He understands that diplomacy must be matched with a substantial military component for it to be effective. If he has actionable intelligence about high-value terrorist targets and Pakistan won't act, what should he do? Nothing?
What's wrong with a little compromise?
At least, as you pointed out, he will completely ban the US from facilitating or participating in any use of torture.
Give hope a chance.
A very nice article, but a little off on her history. The White House was indeed constructed in part by slaves and free African-American laborers, as well as Europeans. Much of the other work on the house was performed by immigrants, many not yet with citizenship.
The stone walls were erected mostly by Scots, not slaves. Much of the brick and plaster work was produced by Irish (family story goes we had an ancestor working there) and Italian immigrants.
Not the point of the article, but I thought it gave the impression that the White House was built mostly or all by slaves, which is not true.
Yeah, my ancestors came over on the Mayflower as "indentured servants" Neat word for slave. But since I'm white and they were white I can't be considered to be the offspring of slaves. Whites were slaves or servants and had it just as bad as blacks, buuuut, that doesn't count. You have to have dark skin to count, or to have been captured and forced to America. If things were so terrible that your white ancestors were just as poverty stricken and suppressed by their homeland as any slave ever was and in absolute despair they risked their life for a dream, I guess that just will never count.
For that matter women were slaves for centuries upon centuries, but again that doesn't count. Nope in states in this country women were still "property" into the seventies, but heck, who cares?
Hey Whitey, you are a RASCIST and need help.
The 'Mayflower' only held a few hundred, but you've traced your blue blood back there, huh?
You are f.o.s.
Don't try to compare what Black slaves went through to the difficulties 'indentured' Europeans faced-get real; quit the kkk.
Signed, A slave to Reality.
Hi Leea,
I too have ancestors that came over on the Mayflower. I don't know much except there were 3 brothers. I am a direct descendant of one of the 3 brothers. I don't know how they paid their passage, but my understanding is that some people who were low on funds were able to have their passage paid by others of means by working as indentured servants for a period of time. I believe it was more like a contractor or sub-contractor than an actual slave.
I don't know where the 3 brothers fit into the hierarchy of things then, but since they were Irish, I imagine they had to work their way across the Atlantic. I should find out what I can about this. I'd be currious to know. Glad I read your post. Got me to thinkin'.
I think in many ways, borrowing money is a form of indentured servitude (slavery). Best to stay debt-free me thinks. Good to live simply and within our means. But that's just me. Simplicity equals freedom.
Cheers, Moondoggy
"I think in many ways, borrowing money is a form of indentured servitude (slavery). Best to stay debt-free me thinks. Good to live simply and within our means. But that's just me. Simplicity equals freedom."
What a great analogy!
Sorry, there weren't any indentured servants on the Mayflower. Do you have some kind of problem with White people?
Leea....my apologies, my bad. You are entirely correct and I am entirely wrong about this. After I posted I was thinking about it and thought...hhmmm, I think there may have been, so I checked the passenger list, sure enough there they were, listed plain as day. So I came back and edited this in. At least I have spared myself the embarrassment of having you come back and say "you stupid dolt there certainly were". Again my apologies.
Indentured servants were not slaves since they indentured themselves by choice, and indentured servants were of many races, but mostly White. But it was fior a specified amout of time while slavery was for life.
How do you feel about the people that are still slaves? How about the Whites held in slavery by Blacks today?
Could you explain the "women were property into the seventies" comment? Where and whose? Are you speaking about the women illegals that are brought in as property? Thats still going on.
I learned a lesson from your comment: to check my facts first, and wow, a man said he was wrong. Bravo. I am part WASP (one grandmother was l/2 WASP), and that half went back to the Mayflower. I tend to think of myself as Jewish.
Thats very kind of you to say. But wrong is wrong, truth is truth, so I never have a problem saying I'm wrong.
She was right and I was wrong, no problem saying so.
Having read the autobiography of Alice Walker's daughter, Rebecca, I think of Alice Walker's former husband, referred to by Amy Goodman as "white", as Jewish. Why do I make the distinction? In part, because I am Jewish and Jews voted 78% for Obama last week. (Is it only last week?) Whites did not vote for Obama in that proportion. I am about the same age as Alice Walker. Alice Walker has a wonderful record as activist as well as author. The interview was online on the DemocracyNow website and I watched it after I listened to the show on WBAI. I think Alice Walker and Amy Goodman put it well. We voted.
I voted for Obama. I voted for LBJ, I think but I am sure that I protested, frequently, and I was outside a church in Greenwich Village with overflow crowd when LBJ announced he wasn't going to run for re-election. I expect to protest via letters and art, as can, to Obama and Dems. My marching days are over. But there's plenty who can.
Authority is to be challenged, as another favorite of mine, Frances Fox Piven says. And she likes CD, which she said in an interview on WBAI ("City Watch" free online www.wbai.org, archived) yesterday.
I'm afraid Obama defeated McCain primarily because the Republican brand name is horsesh*t and every part of the country is in the dumper.
A martian with a "D" in front of his/her/its name could've won this time around.
The fact that McCain, a horrible old candidate, running an even more horrible campaign still mustered 48% of the vote tells an even clearer story...and that is that a very large portion of the country would rather continue the Bush/neo-con policies and drive the country into mulch than elect a half-black man.
Let's also not forget that this half-black man was allowed to get this far because the military/media complex knows that he'll continue to support their agenda.
Right on, Amy. This is the ticket, right here.
http://www.jeanmariesimpson.com