IAN CAMPBELL
“RACIST” LATTA PLANTATION EVENT
DENOUNCED IN CHARLOTTE
By Cash Michaels
Contributing writer
An inexplicable “racist” event at the Historic Latta Plantation near Charlotte has been canceled for this Saturday, June 19th, “Juneteenth” because it commemorated defeated Confederate “white refugees” instead of the emancipation of black slaves of African descent across the country.
“Kingdom Coming” was supposed to be a $25.00 per person event this Saturday at 7 p.m., but was cancelled after strong backlash to it’s promoted purpose.
“Mecklenburg County has zero tolerance for programs that do not embrace equity and diversity,” stated the county in a statement last week about the Huntersville event. “Park and Recreation was not aware of the planned event at Latta Nature Preserve until it appeared on social media.We immediately reached out to the organizers and the event was canceled. As a result of this incident, Mecklenburg County is looking at its contract with the facility vendor regarding future programming.”
Even the Queen City’s black mayor, Vi Lyles, turns thumbs down on the event.
“We should not support any business or organization that does not respect equality, history, and the truth of the African-American people’s journey to freedom,” Mayor Lyles said on Twitter Friday. “Despite intent, words matter. And the Historic Latta Plantation should know better.” “Juneteenth,” Lyles continued, “should be celebrated and honored in the most humble way possible, with laser focus on the perspective of the inhumane treatment of an enslaved people.”
According to it’s website, the nonprofit Historic Latta Plantation “…is a circa 1800 living history museum and farm located near Charlotte, NC. Throughout the year, Historic Latta Plantation offers educational and school programs featuring animals, workshops, camps, and reenactments.”
“The plantation house along with a carriage barn, cabins, and outbuildings, give visitors a glimpse into 19th century life in the Carolina backcountry.”
Present day, the Historic Latta Planation serves as a site for weddings, corporate meetings, etc. A look through the page of it’s website show a predominance of storytelling through a white perspective regarding the Revolutionary and Civil Wars.
In the online promo for “Kingdom Coming,” it stated, You will hear stories from the massa himself who is now living in the woods. Federal troops (Yankees) have him on the run and his former bondsmen have occupied his home and are now living high on the hog. Hear how they feel about being freedmen. The overseer is now out of a job. What will he do now that he has no one to oversee from can see to can’t see? White refugees have been displaced and have a story to tell as well. Confederate soldiers who will be heading home express their feelings about the downfall of the Confederacy.
Critics have slammed the promo for referring to former slaves as “former bondsmen” and white slaveowners as “white refugees.”
And yet, on it’s Facebook page, some whites are the ones critical of the Latta Plantation’s programming.
“This place is disgusting and promotes hatred and racism. Pure evil!, posted a woman named “Valerie.”
“Horrific experience and horrific programming,” posted “Kaitlin,” while “Leo” wrote, “That Latta white washes history is an understatement. As Charlotte native this place has always had issues with interpretation but the recent unapologetic, overt racism is over the top.”
The “new” site manager for the Historic Latta Plantation, Ian Campbell, issued a statement about the now cancelled “Kingdom Coming” event on the plantation’s website.
Identifying himself as “…an American man of African descent …,”Campbell, writes, “ The program “Kingdom Coming” was created by myself, with the help of others. I, Ian Campbell, Site Manager of Historic Latta Plantation take full responsibility for its content entirely! To the masses on social media and politicians, no apology will be given for bringing a unique program to educate the public about former slaves becoming FREE!”
Campbell continued, “ The Confederacy will never be glorified, white supremacy will never be glorified, plantation owners, white refugees or overseers will never be glorified. What will be commemorated is the story of our people who overcame being snatched from their loved ones in Mother Africa and taken to a new and strange land. To work from can see to can’t see from birth to death. The fact that they survived and we are here and continue to thrive and prosper will be glorified.”
“To tell the story of these freedmen would be pointless if the stories of others were not included,” the site manage continued. ‘Many of you may not like this but, their lives were intertwined, the stories of massa, the Confederate soldiers, the overseer, the displaced white families. How would we know how the enslaved became free or what their lives were like before freedom came? It didn’t happen with the stroke of a pen. Federal troops came across many of these plantations to enforce federal laws and many of the owners fled.”
Campbell later lashed out at his critics.
“I by no means will let this deter me and the vision of lifting the veil of ignorance. The event was canceled due to security concerns for volunteers and staff. The media’s corps of yellow journalist had a perfect opportunity to educate, however, they chose to whip the public into a frenzy, it worked….
It was not until after the social media frenzy that Latta received numerous emails and phone calls about the event. I also received a phone call from Vi Lyles, the mayor of Charlotte. As long as I have been at Historic Latta Plantation as a volunteer, then as a part-time employee, then as the education coordinator, then as the interpretive farm manager, then as site manager, I have never seen Vi Lyles, the Mayor of the great city of Charlotte visit our site or any other influential and prominent government officials. The same applies to NPR, WBTV, the Charlotte observer et al.
In closing, my job will be to continue to educate. Historic Latta Plantation’s narrative will be to give a voice to our ancestors enslaved and as freedmen who were denied a voice. We will speak for them in a compassionate, accurate, and sensitive manner,” Ian Campbell concluded.
-30-
WHAT WILL HAPPEN NEXT IN THE
NIKOLE HANNAH-JONES VS.UNC
DENIED TENURE DRAMA?
By Cash Michaels
Contributing writer
It’s been two weeks now since the UNC at Chapel Hill Trustee Board was given the ultimatum by attorneys for award-winning New York Times journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones to either give her tenure with their offer of employment at the UNC Hussman School of Journalism and Media, or else face a massive discrimination lawsuit.
But thus far, nothing has happen. The board has not formally met to consider the ultimatum, and as of press time Monday, no lawsuit on Hannah-Jones’ behalf has been filed.
Is there an unforeseen stalemate underway, or are attorneys for Hannah-Jones just cooling their heels while they gather as much legal firepower by way of emails, statistics and research necessary to prove beyond doubt that the reason why Hannah-Jones, who was hired to be the new Knight Chair in Race and Investigative Journalism, did not receive tenure as part of her employment package was because of political pressure wielded by right-wing conservatives on the UNC-Chapel Trustee Board because of her prior controversial, yet much much-heralded work on the NY Times 1619 Project, the 2019 long-form expose that documented how the cruel institution of American slavery signaled the true birth of the United States.
Many Republicans and conservatives - including former Pres. Donald Trump and NC Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson - have denounced the 1619 Project, claiming that it unfairly and inaccurately portrays US history as being undergirded by racism, instead of unbridled patriotism and honor.
Laws here in North Carolina, and across the country, have been either introduced or ratified prohibiting the teaching of any American or state history employing the 1619 Project.
The controversy involving Hannah-Jones and UNC-Chapel Hill is seen as a major embarrassment for the UNC System’s flagship school. There are reports that of the many professors and associate professors teaching at the university, African-American professors hold the fewest number of tenured positions.
There are also reports that at least one heralded black chemistry professor from the University of Maryland in recent weeks turned down an offer to teach at UNC- Chapel because of the Hannah-Jones controversy. Meanwhile, there are other reports citing sources stating that black professors already at UNC-Chapel Hill are anxious to leave and teach elsewhere, feeling that the right-leaning board is too politicized to be trusted.
Hannah-Jones’ five-year term at UNC Hussman School is scheduled to officially begin on July 1st. The trustee board is expected to turnover with new members in July.
Whether attorneys for Hannah-Jones, who are reportedly speaking with UNC attorneys currently, are willing to wait until next month to either give the board the chance to resolve the issue, or go forward with their lawsuit, remains to be seen.
-30-
STATE NEWS BRIEFS FOR 06-17-21
NC ABOUT TO GET POST-PANDEMIC REVENUE WINDFALL
[RALEIGH] Hard to believe, but North Carolina will be far from broke after the COVID-19 pandemic continues to subside. In fact, economists say, expect an additional $6.5 billion revenue windfall over the next two years for state government from revenue collections. That means Gov. Cooper and Republican legislative leaders will have important decisions to make about state employee raises, tax custard other spending and saving priorities.
WHITE HOUSE SENDS AIDES TO RALEIGH TO BOOST VACCINATION RATE
[RALEIGH] In an effort to help boost COVID-19 vaccination numbers by the Fourth of July, the White House sent top aides to Raleigh this week to push for a 70% percent goal. Pres. Biden is aiming for t least 70% of adults to have received at least one shot by that time. At present pace, North Carolina will have 57 percent of it’s adult population inoculated by the. Experts say it will take five more months for NC to reach Biden’s goal.
CARY MAKES JUNETEENTH A PAID HOLIDAY
[CARY] Two years ago, the town of Cary commemorated Juneteenth with a celebration, but this year it will be a paid holiday for town employees. The Town Council officially added Juneteenth to it’s list of paid holidays last month. As many African-Americans know, Juneteenth commemorates that day in 1865 when enslaved black people were finally told in 1865 that the Civil War was over, and press. Abraham Lincoln had signed the emancipation Proclamation two and a half years earlier. Cary joins Raleigh, Durham, Carrboro, Greensboro, Hillsborough and Chapel Hill in making Juneteenth a paid holiday. The state does not recognize it yet.
-30-
No comments:
Post a Comment