Quote:
Originally Posted by Steven E. Webster
Matt,
Thanks for this discovery! I'm sure you recognized earlier in Lowry's benediction the quote of a verse from the hymn that is known as the African American National Anthem (titled, "Lift Every Voice and Sing"). So it turns out that Lowry's benediction was packed with literary allusion!
Steven Webster
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And that's exactly why I think this is important. There's a gap in our white knowledge of African American folklore that hindered our understanding of an apparently basic piece of oral tradition. This is just one example of the problem with that.
Seriously, what do we know about 'them'? Where is that knowledge from? All I can think of right now is Uncle Remus and Li'l Black Sambo. That is unacceptable!
We (all of us) need to work for the day when African American folklore is considered just
American folklore. (The book that I referenced on the blog is a fascinating read so far. There's so much we're missing out on!)