Posted on 02/22/2004 6:13:25 AM PST by PeaRidge
The Transformation of Dr. Erenestine Harrison by Gail Jarvis
In a recent LRC blog post, Elizabeth Wright discusses the transformation of Dr. Erenestine Harrison who, as a concerned black resident of Hampton, Virginia, began a petition to change the names of two primarily black schools that were named after Confederate heroes: Robert E. Lee Elementary School and Jefferson Davis Middle School. However, Harrison later withdrew her request. In an interview, Dr. Harrison cited two basic reasons for her change of heart. First, the flood of email and letters she received from Southern heritage supporters that provided information previously unknown to her. Second, was the less than enthusiastic support of the local black community.
In telling Dr. Harrison’s story, Ms. Wright answers the question appearing on the masthead of her website, "Issues & Views"; "So you still think all blacks think alike?" Because this controversy reveals so much about what is wrong with contemporary society, I want to elaborate on Ms. Wright’s analysis. And, like Ms. Wright, demonstrate that all blacks do not think alike by contrasting Dr. Harrison with civil rights leader, Julian Bond
Although all blacks don’t think alike, members of the national media do think alike. And therein lies the problem. National media – television, radio and print – present only one version of history and conflicting voices are rarely allowed. Also, in recent years, versions of history have been contaminated by political correctness. Unfortunately, what many Americans know about history is a combination of what they learned in public schools and from media adaptations.
Dr. Harrison is like most Americans. She knows a lot about her field of endeavor, psychology, but, as she admitted, her knowledge of history is limited to what she was taught in public schools which she describes as being "simplified." Just how simplified is illustrated by this comment made by a 13-year-old student at Jefferson Davis Middle School who was interviewed about the school name: "I think the name should be changed to Abraham Lincoln because he freed the slaves."
Harrison began her campaign with strong public utterances. "Would Jews send their children to Adolph Hitler Elementary School?" She also gave her "simplified" view of Robert E. Lee and Jefferson Davis: "If I were a kid, especially a teenager, I would be ashamed to tell a friend that I went to Jefferson Davis. Basically, those guys fought for slavery." Scolding the black community she stated: "Our black leaders have been muffled here and have not spoken out about this, but I know that Jewish people would not stand for it."
Some parents signed Harrison’s petition but others were hesitant claiming that the drive for a symbolic renaming of schools might be counterproductive to the outstanding race relations the community enjoyed. Other parents as well as most of the students themselves didn’t seem to care about the names of the schools. The school superintendent said: "It’s not the name on the outside of the building that negatively affects the attitudes of the students inside. If the attitudes outside of the building are acceptable, then the name is immaterial."
Dr. Harrison was caught off-guard by the vast outpouring of historical information from Southern heritage supporters. She was informed that the Secretary of the Treasury of the Confederacy was a Jew and that approximately 4,000 Jewish troops fought for the Confederacy. Robert E. Lee’s anti-slavery opinions were quoted to her. Also, she learned that Lee never owned slaves himself and voluntarily manumitted the ones his wife inherited. Of course, the "human interest" facts she learned probably had a profound effect on her, i.e., Jefferson Davis and his wife adopted an abused black child named Jim Limber and Stonewall Jackson taught classes for slave children often purchasing their books with his own funds.
So, after digging through the information furnished her and doing some research on her own, Dr. Harrison was persuaded to abandon her petition. She could do this because there was no monetary or political motivation for her actions. But such is not the case with Julian Bond whose public utterances are driven by money and politics.
Read the full article at http://www.lewrockwell.com
A common mistake. Judah Benjamin started out in the cabinet as Attorney General, then he was Secretary of War, and finally Secretary of State. I don't know who the treasury secretary was, but it wasn't Benjamin. Before the war, Benjamin was US Senator from Louisiana
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