Pittsburgh debates future of Stephen Foster statue in Oakland

WTAE.com ^ | Aug 17, 2017 | Bob Hazen

[Leaning Right]

Pittsburgh city leaders are looking into whether a statue of musical pioneer Stephen Foster should be moved from a spot along Forbes Avenue in Oakland after years of criticism for its depiction of a black character from one of Foster’s songs.

Foster, a Pittsburgh native who died in 1864, is famous for classic songs including “Oh! Susanna” and “Camptown Races.” Many of his songs were used in minstrel shows in which actors performed in blackface. The statue depicts Foster sitting above a shoeless banjo-playing “Uncle Ned”, a slave character from a Foster song.

[nuke_road_warrior]

One thing they don’t realize (aside from the fact that Stephen Foster had never seen the Suwannee River and was not even remotely from the South) is that Foster was actually pretty revolutionary because he attributed normal human feelings to blacks in his lyrics. The songs were not meant to ridicule. They were in dialect, not uncommon for any group at that time (stories and popular songs were written in “Irish” and “Italian” dialects, etc.), but he treated the black people like anybody else: falling in love, longing for home, etc.

+1 If I recall correctly, Stephen Foster was an abolitionist. He was the first composer to incorporate black rhythms and musical phrasings into mainstream music.

[Shethink13]

Ok - I used to live in the Pittsburgh area so I listen to Rush on the local Pittsburgh station. During the news break I caught the tail end of a quote from the mayor about some statue being a "lightning rod" for violence or some such nonsense.

Was is this statue, I wonder? So just like guns - let's blame an inanimate object for the bad choices individuals make.

[JimRed]

In the evenin' by the moonlight
you could hear those darkies singin'
In the evenin' by the moonlight
you could hear those banjos ringin'
How the old folks would enjoy it
they would sit all night and listen...

[j.havenfarm]

This is a political issue, but really I have to note that
Many of these statues are just beautiful works of art. This one is magnificently executed

[Leaning Right]

Boy are you mixed up! It’s:

In the evenin’ by the moonlight
you could hear those dark keys singin’

The “keys” of course refers to the islands known as the Florida Keys.
(See, historical revisionism is easy.)

[Veto!]

These idiots are actually depriving black people of their real history. To have come up from slavery should make them proud, not angry so many generations later.

Stephen Foster was recording the times in a sympathetic, touching way. Paul Robeson added his glorious voice later:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H6Tvq_0tkyw

[Migraine]

Obamaville Politicians. Has a ring to it

Yeah, like a big old ((((GONNNNG))))

[COBOL2Java]

The Left is trying to make sure that Americans forget the past.

Why you ask?

Because they want Americans to repeat it, with perhaps a few minor changes here and there.

We're witnessing an American version of Chairman Mao's Cultural Revolution

[Albion Wilde]

What a beautiful statue. * sigh *

[Songcraft]

Some Stephen Foster Favorites The Robert Shaw Chorale & Others
"Old Folks At Home"	"Old Black Joe"	"Beautiful Dreamer"
"Gentle Lena Clare"	"Gentle Annie"	"Jeanie with the Light Brown Hair"
"Oh Susanna"	"Camptown Races"	"My Old Kentucky Home"

[Savage Beast]

Excellent observation!