Free Republic

My last blog post, Calling a spade, a spade, has been altered in light of new information from a student, Paige Palmer, who was in attendance during the incident. Contrary to several news reports, the original score of Ol' Man River was not used and N-word was never used. The term "colored people" was substituted for the N-Word. The song was sung by a White student with a bass baritone voice. Paul Robeson was also a bass-baritone. Unfortunately, a White person singing 'Ol Man River is a more touchy subject than the N-word. The complicated history of minstrel shows in...

MORAGA — Saint Mary's College has punished a singing instructor, who is the brother of a college trustee, for his choice to use a song that uses racist terms in a voice class last month. College leaders said Monday the incident called into question Louis Lebherz's future at the school. The musician already has been forced to apologize to the class and to complete diversity training, said Beth Dobkin, the college's provost. Lebherz, an artist in residence at Saint Mary's, had been asked to teach classes this year, Dobkin said. His choice to use the original version of the show...