The Baltimore Sun had this article recently. A protest against the holding a Confederate event near Martin Luther King's birthday.
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/bs-md-confederates-quakers-20150117-story.html
Of course I don't think a ceremony honoring the Confederacy or Confederate leaders is good whether it is near Martin Luther King's birthday or not.
This is another report on the protest.
http://therealnews.com/t2/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=31&Itemid=74&jumival=13020
I hope to help them out.
Thursday, January 22, 2015
Speaking to two more groups
I am scheduled to give a presentation on neo-Confederates at a local university in March some time and there is a group in Baltimore which is interested in having me speak and so I am going to meet with the leadership and give them the presentation and show them some neo-Confederate publications. Some issues of Confederate Veteran and Southern Mercury should be real eye openers for them.
One speaking engagement will likely to lead to another.
One speaking engagement will likely to lead to another.
Monday, January 19, 2015
AUTHOR OF LOATHING LINCOLN ON C-SPAN
AUTHOR OF LOATHING LINCOLN ON C-SPAN
John McKee Barr, author of "Loathing Lincoln" was on C-SPAN talking about those who hate Lincoln. This includes neo-Confederates. People have found this to be very interesting.
http://www.c-span.org/video/?322129-1/book-discussion-loathing-lincoln
The good thing about this is a lot of people are now learning about the nature of the neo-Confederates and also learning to recognize a neo-Confederate discussion of Lincoln when they hear it.
John McKee Barr, author of "Loathing Lincoln" was on C-SPAN talking about those who hate Lincoln. This includes neo-Confederates. People have found this to be very interesting.
http://www.c-span.org/video/?322129-1/book-discussion-loathing-lincoln
The good thing about this is a lot of people are now learning about the nature of the neo-Confederates and also learning to recognize a neo-Confederate discussion of Lincoln when they hear it.
Saturday, January 17, 2015
#BlackLivesMatter in history and historians who don't get this.
#BlackLivesMatter is a hash tag used in regards to public policy and practice involving policing and the justice system where obviously Black lives don't seem to matter much. The choking death of an African American man in a arrest involving the sale of a few loose cigarettes in New York City is an example where it seems that Black lives were disposable.
In the last few days I began to realize that #BlackLivesMatter could also be a call to change the practice of historians, to study and write history understanding that #BlackLivesMatter.
For example biographers and historians who minimize the racist policies of Woodrow Wilson are those for whom Black lives don't matter.
More specifically among those involved in Civil War history for whom Black lives don't seem to matter it would be those avoid recognizing the racial agenda of some of those involved in Civil War history. It would be those who make excuses for the Museum of the Confederacy and its historical practice. It would be calling neo-Confederate groups "Southern heritage" groups. It would be being involved in commemorations at Confederate monuments. It would be those Civil War historians that seek to minimize slavery as the cause of the Civil War.
It would also apply to some of our public school textbooks.
It would certainly apply to those use minimizing language over conflicts over Confederate symbols, like journalists who use terms like "flag flap." Would they every use the term "history hissyfit" over holocaust denial, absolutely not.
It would apply to churches that host neo-Confederate groups.
It would be for those who don't have necessarily a hostility towards African Americans, but for whom African Americans don't count for anything, for whom they are a nullity.
It would be those for whom African Americans are "them" and not a part of "us."
I think one reason that for some Black lives don't matter is that in the teaching of history all too often Black lives don't matter and people internalize this message.
I call upon all historians to take the stand that #BlackLivesMatter in the writing of history. To not be silent when other historians' practice of history shows that for them Black lives don't matter. The hashtag would be #BlackLivesMatterInHistory.
For related reading www.templeofdemocracy.com/breaking.htm.
In the last few days I began to realize that #BlackLivesMatter could also be a call to change the practice of historians, to study and write history understanding that #BlackLivesMatter.
For example biographers and historians who minimize the racist policies of Woodrow Wilson are those for whom Black lives don't matter.
More specifically among those involved in Civil War history for whom Black lives don't seem to matter it would be those avoid recognizing the racial agenda of some of those involved in Civil War history. It would be those who make excuses for the Museum of the Confederacy and its historical practice. It would be calling neo-Confederate groups "Southern heritage" groups. It would be being involved in commemorations at Confederate monuments. It would be those Civil War historians that seek to minimize slavery as the cause of the Civil War.
It would also apply to some of our public school textbooks.
It would certainly apply to those use minimizing language over conflicts over Confederate symbols, like journalists who use terms like "flag flap." Would they every use the term "history hissyfit" over holocaust denial, absolutely not.
It would apply to churches that host neo-Confederate groups.
It would be for those who don't have necessarily a hostility towards African Americans, but for whom African Americans don't count for anything, for whom they are a nullity.
It would be those for whom African Americans are "them" and not a part of "us."
I think one reason that for some Black lives don't matter is that in the teaching of history all too often Black lives don't matter and people internalize this message.
I call upon all historians to take the stand that #BlackLivesMatter in the writing of history. To not be silent when other historians' practice of history shows that for them Black lives don't matter. The hashtag would be #BlackLivesMatterInHistory.
For related reading www.templeofdemocracy.com/breaking.htm.
Friday, January 09, 2015
The 2012 Presidential Questionnaire on issues related to neo-Confederacy
The following was the 2012 questionnaire. I am going to review it and send out a 2016 Presidential Candidate questionnaire. The 2016 presidential campaigns are beginning to get underway.
2012
PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE NEO-CONFEDERACY QUESTIONNAIRE
INTRODUCTION:
The
questions are divided into two sections. The first section pertains how
neo-Confederacy impacts policy; the second are cultural questions in which the
issue is who we are.
POLICY:
- As President for the following positions would
you nominate or appoint a person who is a member of the neo-Confederate
organizations such as the Sons of Confederate Veterans, League of the
South, United Daughters of the Confederacy, and the Council of
Conservative Citizens?
A. Justice
Department Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division.
Yes, No, Undecided,
Other.
B. Commissioner
for the United States Civil Rights Commission.
Yes, No, Undecided,
Other.
C. Justice
Department Attorney General
Yes, No, Undecided,
Other.
D. Justice
Department Deputy Attorney General, Associate Attorney General, or Solicitor
General.
Yes, No, Undecided,
Other.
E. Federal
judgeship.
Yes, No, Undecided,
Other.
F. Cabinet
Yes, No, Undecided,
Other.
G. Member
of the National Council on the Humanities.
Yes, No, Undecided,
Other.
H. National
Endowment for the Humanities.
Yes, No, Undecided,
Other.
- As President would you oppose the involvement of
neo-Confederate organizations such as the Sons of Confederate Veterans,
League of the South, United Daughters of the Confederacy, and the Council
of Conservative Citizen in the Reserve Officer Training Corps or the
Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps?
Yes, No, Undecided,
Other.
- As President would you oppose the U.S. military
working with neo-Confederate organizations such as the Sons of Confederate
Veterans, League of the South, United Daughters of the Confederacy, and
the Council of Conservative Citizen in the awarding of medals and the
granting other awards to U.S. military personnel?
Yes, No, Undecided,
Other.
- Do you think a state has a right to secede?
Yes, No, Undecided, Other
- Do you think that a nullification is a legitimate
action?
Yes, No, Undecided, Other
- Do you support the 14th Amendment to the Constitution?
Yes, No, Undecided, Other
CULTURAL
- Are you a member, regular, associate, honorary,
or otherwise of a neo-Confederate organization such as the Sons of
Confederate Veterans, League of the South, United Daughters of the
Confederacy, and the Council of Conservative Citizens?
Yes, No, Undecided,
Other.
- As President would you send a wreath to the
Arlington Confederate monument?
Yes, No, Undecided,
Other.
- As President would you fly or display the
Confederate flag at the White House or any other place of presidential
residence?
Yes,
No, Undecided, Other.
- As President would you allow a Confederate
monument to be erected on Federal property?
Yes, No, Undecided,
Other.
- As President would you declare a day, week, month
of Confederate memorialization?
Yes, No, Undecided,
Other.
- As President would you support the naming of a
Federal bridge, building, park, ship, vehicle, or some other Federal
public structure or place for purpose of honoring a member of the
Confederacy as a hero?
Yes, No, Undecided,
Other.
- As President would you participate in a
celebration, observance, or ceremony to honor, memorialize, or celebrate
the Confederacy or a member of the Confederacy or send a representative to
do so?
Yes, No, Undecided,
Other.
- As President would you support having Civil War
battlefield parks explain the role of slavery in the Civil War?
Yes, No, Undecided,
Other.
- As President would you place in the White House
or some other place of presidential residency pictures or memorials of
Confederate leaders?
Yes, No, Undecided,
Other.
Thursday, January 08, 2015
Books about Newton Knight and The Free State of Jones.
My particular favorite about the Free State of Jones is:
"The Free State of Jones" by Victoria Bynum. I read it and it is really good. She points out how the pro- and anti-Confederate factions in the country where Knight led his resistance to the Confederacy split along class lines where upscale and slave vested interests supported the Confederacy and ordinary people didn't.
http://www.amazon.com/Free-State-Jones-Mississippis-Longest/dp/0807854670/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1420770405&sr=8-1&keywords=Free+State+of+jones
There are also books about other Southerners who didn't support the Confederacy.
There is "Secret Yankees: The Union Circle in Confederate Atlanta" by Thomas G. Dyer.
http://www.amazon.com/Secret-Yankees-Confederate-Atlanta-Society/dp/B008SLEOMI/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1420770691&sr=1-1
A major work on the topic was:
"Lincoln's Loyalists: Union Soldiers from the Confederacy" by Richard Nelson Current.
"The Free State of Jones" by Victoria Bynum. I read it and it is really good. She points out how the pro- and anti-Confederate factions in the country where Knight led his resistance to the Confederacy split along class lines where upscale and slave vested interests supported the Confederacy and ordinary people didn't.
http://www.amazon.com/Free-State-Jones-Mississippis-Longest/dp/0807854670/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1420770405&sr=8-1&keywords=Free+State+of+jones
There are also books about other Southerners who didn't support the Confederacy.
There is "Secret Yankees: The Union Circle in Confederate Atlanta" by Thomas G. Dyer.
http://www.amazon.com/Secret-Yankees-Confederate-Atlanta-Society/dp/B008SLEOMI/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1420770691&sr=1-1
A major work on the topic was:
"Lincoln's Loyalists: Union Soldiers from the Confederacy" by Richard Nelson Current.
"Entertainment Weekly" reports that Gugu Mbatha-Raw has been cast for the movie "Free State of Jones"
Gugu Mbatha-Raw has been cast as Newton Knight's love in the the movie project "The Free State of Jones."
http://insidemovies.ew.com/2015/01/06/casting-net-gugu-mbatha-raw-joins-matthew-mcconaughey-in-free-state-of-jones/
http://insidemovies.ew.com/2015/01/06/casting-net-gugu-mbatha-raw-joins-matthew-mcconaughey-in-free-state-of-jones/
Movie about Newton Knight about to begin production
The movie is going to be titled "The Free State of Jones."
The producers are now lining up talent for the movie. The following is an article in the Clarion-Ledger in Jackson, Mississippi.
http://www.clarionledger.com/story/entertainment/2015/01/07/matthew-mcconaughey-actors-models-mississippi/21395657/
The story of southerners who opposed the Confederacy is largely not known to the public. This movie will results in a significant change in popular historical memory. The movie will first be released and show in theaters, then it will be available as a DVD, then it will be shown on television both broadcast and cable. Then it will be on Netflix and Hulu. It will be one of the movies shown on cable to fill channels.
Film critics will review it. There will be articles about southerners who were against the Confederacy. The public will be aware that areas in the South that were not supportive of the Confederacy were areas where there wasn't a lot of slavery. The connection between slavery and support for secession and the Confederacy will become manifest. Some people will purchase books on southern resistance to the Confederacy.
Some people will be interested in looking up ancestors who resisted the Confederacy.
The neo-Confederate idea that South = Confederacy will lose a lot of credibility with the general public. The Lost Cause interpretation of the Civil War will also lose credibility with the general public.
Additionally, the neo-Confederates will be in a bind. If they publicly condemn the movie they will draw attention to it. If they don't oppose it the movie will still grind down the Lost Cause.
Previous blog about the movie.
http://newtknight.blogspot.com/2015/01/movie-planned-to-portray-life-of-newt.html#.VK85nyvF_UU
The producers are now lining up talent for the movie. The following is an article in the Clarion-Ledger in Jackson, Mississippi.
http://www.clarionledger.com/story/entertainment/2015/01/07/matthew-mcconaughey-actors-models-mississippi/21395657/
The story of southerners who opposed the Confederacy is largely not known to the public. This movie will results in a significant change in popular historical memory. The movie will first be released and show in theaters, then it will be available as a DVD, then it will be shown on television both broadcast and cable. Then it will be on Netflix and Hulu. It will be one of the movies shown on cable to fill channels.
Film critics will review it. There will be articles about southerners who were against the Confederacy. The public will be aware that areas in the South that were not supportive of the Confederacy were areas where there wasn't a lot of slavery. The connection between slavery and support for secession and the Confederacy will become manifest. Some people will purchase books on southern resistance to the Confederacy.
Some people will be interested in looking up ancestors who resisted the Confederacy.
The neo-Confederate idea that South = Confederacy will lose a lot of credibility with the general public. The Lost Cause interpretation of the Civil War will also lose credibility with the general public.
Additionally, the neo-Confederates will be in a bind. If they publicly condemn the movie they will draw attention to it. If they don't oppose it the movie will still grind down the Lost Cause.
Previous blog about the movie.
http://newtknight.blogspot.com/2015/01/movie-planned-to-portray-life-of-newt.html#.VK85nyvF_UU
Friday, January 02, 2015
Jack Hunter fooling around at "American Conservative" website. UPDATE
American Conservative has this article by Jack Hunter at their website.
http://www.theamericanconservative.com/articles/the-rights-race-deafness/?mc_cid=6c9d76b70d&mc_eid=3e97b81a9f
He is concerned that the conservative movement is coming across as anti-African American. The following is the subtitle for the article.
http://www.theamericanconservative.com/articles/the-rights-race-deafness/?mc_cid=6c9d76b70d&mc_eid=3e97b81a9f
He is concerned that the conservative movement is coming across as anti-African American. The following is the subtitle for the article.
"Too many conservatives give the impression that refusing to listen to black perspectives is a point of pride."
The article itself is good. It points out what is obvious to most people outside the conservative movement. The conservative movement is becoming reflexively anti-African American.
Hunter also admits that he was the Southern Avenger who was a character of inflammatory rhetoric.
I should as part of disclosure mention that he also denounced me. I had claimed that the Charleston alternatively weekly ran his material for entertainment, that is as a sort of freak show, to which he took great umbrage and denounced me as an elitist. It turns out later the editor of the paper admitted that they ran Jack Hunter's material for that purpose to provide entertainment. Hunter hasn't apologized to me. I am not sure I want him to do so or care if he did.
An earlier blog of mine reviews this history.
What I think is happening is that Jack Hunter is trying to live down his role as Southern Avenger and his prior career pandering to neo-Confederate sentiment.
Also, for this article to appear in the American Conservative is somewhat humorous.
This is the magazine that published Samuel Francis, a rabid racist. This is the magazine that publishes Patrick Buchanan, former Senior Advisor of Southern Partisan magazine and contributor to Southern Partisan magazine, contributor to Chronicles magazine and member of the Sons of Confederate Veterans. I could mention others. Note to American Conservative, I have every single issue, so don't say I know nothing of the magazine. I collected every issue because I recognized so many names from my researches into the neo-Confederate movement.
UPDATE: One of the three founders of American Conservative is Taki Theodoracopulos. In my reading of his columns I see an outspoken and gleeful bigotry.
UPDATE: One of the three founders of American Conservative is Taki Theodoracopulos. In my reading of his columns I see an outspoken and gleeful bigotry.
If one was against racism you wouldn't appear in American Conservative in the first place. Additionally all he is doing is providing cover for American Conservative magazine. For the American Conservative to be concerned that the conservative movement is pandering to racism is somewhat ludicrous. Who knows, perhaps Satan will denounce sin.
I wonder who Jack Hunter will be tomorrow?
I wonder who Jack Hunter will be tomorrow?
The Campaign for 2015, getting churches and other mainstream institutions to give up the Confederacy and stop enabling neo-Confederated groups
The major focus for 2015 will be to get churches and other mainstream organizations to stop enabling neo-Confederate groups.
The campaign with the churches is documented at www.templeofdemocracy.com. You can look at the over view of the campaign, or the campaign by denominations and cities. The letters written and responses will be reported on those pages.
The Sons of Confederate Veterans (SCV) will be having their national convention in Richmond, Virginia and the United Daughters of the Confederacy (UDC) is having their national convention in Raleigh, North Carolina.
The Edenton United Methodist Church pastor has written me and told me that they are not hosting the UDC and that he doesn't know why his church showed up on the North Carolina Division UDC website as being a hosting church. I don't know whether to believe him. I am not saying that he isn't to be believed, but I don't think the North Carolina Division UDC would have the Edenton United Methodist Church as its location for its service if it didn't have some idea that it was going to meet there.
Last year I had a lot of time devoted to developing a presentation I could take on the road and present and getting together a working set of equipment for the presentation. This year a lot more time will be devoted to this campaign.
The campaign with the churches is documented at www.templeofdemocracy.com. You can look at the over view of the campaign, or the campaign by denominations and cities. The letters written and responses will be reported on those pages.
The Sons of Confederate Veterans (SCV) will be having their national convention in Richmond, Virginia and the United Daughters of the Confederacy (UDC) is having their national convention in Raleigh, North Carolina.
The Edenton United Methodist Church pastor has written me and told me that they are not hosting the UDC and that he doesn't know why his church showed up on the North Carolina Division UDC website as being a hosting church. I don't know whether to believe him. I am not saying that he isn't to be believed, but I don't think the North Carolina Division UDC would have the Edenton United Methodist Church as its location for its service if it didn't have some idea that it was going to meet there.
Last year I had a lot of time devoted to developing a presentation I could take on the road and present and getting together a working set of equipment for the presentation. This year a lot more time will be devoted to this campaign.
Thursday, January 01, 2015
Movie planned to portray life of Newt Night, rebel against the Confederacy in Mississippi
The URL for this blog is newtknight.blogspot.com.
The movie is to star the popular article Matthew McConaughey as Newton Knight.
The following are some articles about the movie project.
Here is a good source for historical information about Newton Knight.
I am looking forward to this movie.
Victoria Bynum has written a good book on Newton Knight. http://www.free-state-of-jones.com/