..


Saturday, October 27, 2018

CH203.1002-ESSAY #002--African-American Struggle in the Post-Reconstruction Era--U. OF NEVADA, RENO, FALL 2018

CORE HUMANITIES 203.1002
University of Nevada, Reno
Dr. S. Pasqualina
Fall 2018     28 Oct 18
James C. L’Angelle

African-American Struggle in the Post-Reconstruction Era

     Progress does not always come easily. Take for instance, the opposing views of Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. DuBois as to the course of the advance of African-Americans in the United States at the dawn of the 20th century. The former insisted that his race should apply itself to trades and conciliation, reconciliation, with the nation’s white population, namely in the South.  The latter argued that brains not brawn would be deliverance for emancipated slaves.. The former founded the Colored Normal School in Tuskegee, Alabama in 1881; the latter the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) in 1909 .  Washington’s “practical” outlook for African-Americans as the 1800s came to a close was an emphasis on manual skills, thus the normal school devoted its curriculum to that aspect. Dubois’ “idealistic” vision for African-Americans was one of education beyond labor, in other fields such as law and political involvement. A showdown of the two was inevitable, did the polarity benefit or impede progress for post-Reconstruction African-Americans?



     Backdrop for the clash of ideals was the Industrial Revolution of the late 19th century. In Atlanta, an exposition allowed the skills acquired by blacks attending the Tuskegee Normal School to be put on display, it’s founder delivered a monumental speech at the fair. Conciliation appeared to be the tone of the speech, at least it was interpreted that way; in other words do what the Negroes had been doing all along, submitting to the Southern whites. Superficial at best, this interpretation became a catalyst for  intellectual blacks who, led by WEB Dubois, placed blame for lack of intellectual progress squarely on BT Washington’s philosophy. In his speech, on September 18, 1895, Washington made it clear that cooperation was the key to integration,
     “To those of the white race who look to the incoming of those of foreign birth and strange tongue and habits for the prosperity of the South, were I permitted, I would repeat what I say to my own race. ‘Cast down your bucket where you are.’” (1)
The “bucket” metaphor was used throughout his speech and it alludes to assimilation, not alienation, of Negroes into Southern white culture. Whether it was the accommodationist  attitude or possibly plain resentment that caused Dubois’ negative reaction can only be surmised from a close reading of his rebuttal. However, WEB Dubois was not the first to criticize Washington’s desire for working, in the fields and factories, to win the hearts and minds of Southern whites.
     William H. Ferris, an African-American Yale graduate, as early as January, 1898 in a Washington Bee article, found troubling consequences for Washington’s philosophy,
     “Mr. Ferris held that Booker T. Washington's love was not the love of benevolence not a Christlike love but Booker T. Washington's love for the white man of the south was the love of complacency, it was a slave's love, a boy's love, the love that kisses the hand that smites one.” (2)
As if a personal affront to the dignity and intelligence of Northern blacks, Washington is put down by Ferris and those who ultimately became the ideological leaders of the “other” progressive effort in African-American culture, The Niagara Movement, organized by Dubois in 1905. (3)  By January, 1898, Dubois had taken up the refutation of the Washington philosophy of accommodation with an essay published in The Annals of the American Academy, titled  “The Study of the Negro Problems.”
     "A visitor to a great Negro school in the South catches the inspiration of youth, studies the work of graduates, and imbibes the hopes of teachers and immediately infers from the situation of a few hundred the general condition of a population numbering twice that of Holland.” (4)
Dubois’ reference to the “great Negro school” probably meant the Tuskegee normal school although there were others in what, at the time, was known not just as the “Black Belt” but also the “Cradle of the Confederacy.” His rather derogatory comparison to the population of Holland seemed quite out of place since it would have been just as appropriate to refer to the number of African-Americans in the South. Here is where a close reading is useful in determining whether there was more than just a difference of opinion or plain jealousy involved in Dubois’ tone for rejection of the Washington philosophy for progress.
     Dubois was a Harvard graduate, by poor Southern Negro standards, born with a silver spoon in his mouth. Washington was an emancipated slave who, once he was given the assignment to create a normal school in the Black Belt, found nearly insurmountable odds against its success when incorporated on July 4th, 1881. Reading his autobiographical account of the struggle in the early days of the school, it is one of remarkable effort for not just the students, but the teachers as well. The initial students were the teachers, they rejected manual labor to construct housing and classrooms. The students studied at night because they worked ten hours a day knee deep in mud to make bricks to sell in town. Progress was slow if any at all, money was scarce if any at all. Toothbrushes were shared by students, a single fork at the dinner table was shared by the family. (5)
Exceptional progress had been made in just a few short years at the normal school, as reported in the Alabama Herald & Times, December 23, 1885,
     “ During these 4 years 500 acres of land have been secured, 2 large buildings (one three story frame, costing $6,500, and one four story brick, costing $11,000,) have been put up, besides one-half dozen smaller buildings.  Industries established are farming, carpentry, painting, printing, poultry raising, sewing, laundry work and brick-making. 700,000 bricks have been made by the students for one of the new buildings and other purposes. “ (6)
Dubois, in his “Of the Training of Black Men” essay of 1903, took a negative view of the normal school’s development,
     “Meantime, starting in this decade, but especially developing from 1885 to 1895, began the industrial revolution of the South.”
Dubois added a quote in the essay from a “prominent Southern journal” but failed to acknowledge the source,
     “The experiment that has been made to give the colored students classical training has not been satisfactory...The whole scheme has proved a waste of time, efforts, and money of the state.” (7)
Noting indeed that the industrial revolution had begun in the South, and the need for labor to fuel it, Dubois ignored the strides made at the normal technical schools citing an unknown source that rejected progress for the African-American seeking to work his way out of the economic dilemma of post-Reconstruction.  Consistency didn’t seem to be a concern of Dubois as prior to his harsh criticism of the normal school charter, in 1895, as reported in the Des Moines Bystander, he delivered a “Creed for the New Negro,” which in its 6 point plan, included,
     “Industrial training and cooperation, and the formation of habits of steady, honest, manual toil, saving of earnings and providence, in order that the race may become self-supporting, and may aid in the development of Africa.” (8)
     Somewhere down the line, Dubois lost faith in the technical school approach to deliver African-Americans from the poor existence they had known following the end of the Civil War up until the turn of the century. It was possibly his Ivy League education, surrounded by colleagues with similar Niagara Movement worldviews. To make it personal as did others, by undermining Booker T. Washington’s  achievements, seemed unprofessional considering his education. Did it create a stigma for blacks to reject working in the fields and factories? Possibly. Did it make it difficult for African-Americans to integrate into the Southern white man’s way of life?  Probably. What had started as a great enterprise to put Negroes to work in trades became a target of political and intellectual criticism, even though the fruits of labor were obvious at the time. Although progress could be weighed by success, it was countered by stubborn refusal of some to take it at face value.


Supporting Documents:
Address at Opening of the Atlanta Exposition, 1895.  Five Hundred Years,  Casper, Davies, Jong, 2016, p. 150
Booker T. Washington, His False Theories Exposed by a Yale Graduate,  Washington Bee, 08 January, 1898.
The Niagara Movement, blackpast.org/aah/niagara-movement-1905-1909
The Study of the Negro Problem, WEB Dubois, The Annals of the American Academy,  Jan, 1898, p. 13
Up from slavery: An autobiography, by Booker Taliaferro Washington, 1901, http://www.alcyone.com/max/lit/slavery/
The Tuskegee Normal School, Alabama Herald and Times, 23 Dec 1885
Of the Training of Black Men, WEB Dubois, 1903, FYH p. 162-163
A Creed for the New Negro, WEB Dubois, Des Moines Bystander, 13 Dec 1895

JC LANGELLE   27 OCT 18

Saturday, September 29, 2018

RSJ108--Challenge 2 - "You Do You" Revisited--COMMENTS//RESPONSES

Challenge 2 - You Do You Revisited
Part A: Design

Part B: Documentation
Colors in my "You Do You" (Revisited) Challenge
#AE9F82--"Hillary"  (The Background)
#CCC9C2--"Cloud"  (The Cowboy Hat)
#B36E4F--"Santa Fe"  (The Locomotive)
#7F5E3D--"Spicy Mix"--(The Cactus)
(Background Image Courtesy: 4rail.net)

What would you do differently?  The image of "Me" does not cover enough of the canvas to allow for a better view of the background image. The train-railroad track scene had to be tactically placed in order to maximize its relation to the foreground and the cactus. Colors were matched using a hex identifier, html-color-codes.info,  and a name that color lookup on chir.ag/projects/name-that-color.  I was also at odds as to which lyrics to use from Glen Campbell's first major hit recording, as all of the lyrics are incredible. For anyone who has ever been there, this song is for you...
What does this statement mean? It's a big country out there. If you hitchhike to Florida and back you will get an opportunity to freeze in the San Antonio rain in December on the side of a freeway ramp. If you spend the next one under a starry sky sleeping on the side of Interstate-10 just east of Las Cruces, New Mexico on the way back out West, you'll know what I'm talking about. No song portrays the experience better than this one. I apologize if I am no good at promoting myself, as the saying goes,
"I'm not that kind of guy..."
COMMENTS//RESPONSES--

Hi James,
I really like the way this whole picture works so well together. The colors are very earthy tones and they give a very calming effect but also a sense of exploration or adventure. You mentioned in your documentation about traveling from one state to the other and I think it goes so well with the picture you chose. I also really like the font you used and the colors, it was super easy to read, and I think that by having the song lyrics one color and the name of the song and artist another was such a good idea! Overall I really like your work on this!
Thank you Jessica,
Travel is something I would recommend for everyone as it not only allows you to see the world but builds your self-confidence. You would be surprised how quickly you adapt to complicated situations you take for granted at home. We see where many people fail to adjust every holiday when their flights are cancelled and they spend the holiday sleeping in an airport and eating peanuts from a vending machine. Have a solid alternative in place, that's the message here. Thanks again.
Hi James!
Excellent work. Your craftsmanship is really evident in this project. Your portrait has a ton of detail that creates a spectacular and eye catching display. The overall result has a lot of character. Thanks for sharing.
Hello Mr. Gomez,
I am grateful for your positive comments. The photo of "Me Doing Me" was again a real #WIP due to the lack of photogenic nature I have at my disposal. Thus, the hat provides an opportunity to apologize for it since it's acceptable to be old and be a cowboy, many were born that way. There is however, something to be said for authenticity and that is much harder to get in life; requiring risk, experience, failure and above all, survival. Hopefully, all of that came out in the design. Thank you for taking a close look at the final product.



Wednesday, September 19, 2018

DAN365.1001--Essay: Ballet as an Ethnic Dance--U OF NEVADA, RENO, FALL 2018

FWD CD TACNET VIA JC PATROL SUBJ ASSIGNMENT TT RECENT--

(LZ Railbird)--Following docx submitted for review--


DAN365.1001
Prof E Allen
University of Nevada, Reno
Fall 2018 19 Sept 18
James Langelle

Essay: Ballet as Ethnic Dance

     Anthropology at best is an inexact science. It is based, as Joann Kealiinohomoku points out in her introductory argument, on deduction for one. The science is divided into many subordinate disciplines such as archaeology and linguistics, the former utilizing exact methods such as radiocarbon dating, the latter confined to phonetics and historical symbolism. Franz Boas introduced the far superior method of induction into fieldwork that paved the way for a new paradigm to be established in drawing conclusions from observation.(1).  Why is this important with relation to the study of dance, ballet in particular, by anthropologists? The question needs to be answered not directly, but in the context of Kealiinohomoku it is important to constrain the inquiry within the framework of her essay, An Anthropologist Looks at Ballet as a Form of Ethnic Dance.



     In her opening paragraphs, she cites a number of individuals she read in order to gain the necessary background in not just ballet, but dance in general. Here it appears she draws on resources that are genuinely dance history in nature, without any cross consultation with other anthropologists. Walter Sorell was a New York dance critic along with his many books on dance. (2)  Walter Terry, another dance critic, became associated with Ted Shawn’s  “Jacob’s Pillow”  project in Massachusetts. (3)  Claire Holt probably has the closest background of any cited in the text to that of a field anthropologist in her extensive work on Indonesian dance and culture; by some actually considered an accredited ethnographer. (4) Many of the other names cited by Kealiinohomoku indicate she had done her homework which may have led her to the rather cynical conclusion drawn of those who documented dance as ethnic.
     Next, after debunking deduction, Kealiinohomoku makes an exhaustive effort to interpret ethnology in relation to dance. She can’t find an answer in her readings since all of the historians cited overlook some basic assumptions about ethnology itself, that being its ethnocentric nature. For instance, she compares the Hopi rituals where members of the tribe, even though they don’t have a codified system in place for a particular ritual, nonetheless, everyone seems to be on the same page as to who’s who in the process. Here is where the refutation of the dance critics turned historians, as well as those who were directly involved as Agnes DeMille, come under scrutiny for their rather second-class citizen approach to interpreting ethnic dance in general. Kealiinohomoku rejects the categorization of “African dance” and “Indian dance” as superficial and groundless, preferring to place each particular tribal ritual into its own ethnic framework. Establishing the fact that the historians overlook basic field typology, she then moves on to examination of ballet as an ethnic dance itself.
     Ballet as an ethnic dance, according to her analysis, is based on some basic recognizable aspects of the art: the proscenium, the “three part performance,” curtain calls, applause and in particular the use of the French language. What Kealiinohomoku prefers to ignore is that none of that came about by accident. The difference between Western stylized culture (ballet)  and the so-called “pagan” or “savage” rituals lies directly in the codified system that evolved from the Renaissance and into the French ballets de cour. Pardon moi if there is no similar structure in African, Indian or Polynesian dance, but one has evolved out of India in Bharatanatyam.(5) Therefore, the argument is weak that dance historians prefer to overlook the various inherent components of non-Western ethnic performances such as the cast, the crew and who does the lighting and stage props, simply because they are from the West.
     Another mistaken assumption made by Kealiinohomoku is that ethnic ballet leaves out what isn’t appealing to the eye. Certainly an en pointe pirouette is something to behold and admire when performed by a skilled, young agile ballerina. Her name needs to be in credits, the choreographer congratulated. Kealiinohomoku rejects the use of “horses and swans” as purely Western ballet ethos with no tradition for swine and crocodylinae. In fact, costume design for dancers was not constrained in Fontainebleau in 1546 as mascarades began to appear;
     “A number of dancers, resembling some kind of pointed fishes, entered the room….two other mascarades ...griffins, eagles, vultures,” (6)
Also found at the performances were dancing frogs and cockerels (chickens). Note, of course, Kealiinohomoku’s argument that many of her sources had been revised and reprinted with but mere changes in some of the images in the sources, and many are dated. It can be taken into consideration as more historical data is uncovered  concerning the evolution of ballet through the Italian and French courts, more important discoveries will be made about the types of costumes and set designs, the characters and animals portrayed. That is the bottom line in anthropology anyway.The same applies to choreographic codification, as if the West purposely wrote down all of the movements on the floor to intimidate other cultures.
     As understood in Beauchamp-Feuillet Choregraphie, much of the movement depended not just on the performers, but on the stage itself when it came to striking the proper composition.  Etiquette was involved, the dancers might lose the focus of the audience if the set wasn’t properly designed, they could get literally lost onstage in the middle of the performance. (7) In other words, all that was lost in previous civilizations about the status of dance within the culture was directly related to the fact that it was not codified. The purpose of choreography is to preserve the movement, to channel it to a particular venue, to allow for variation and evolution; not to sell dance historians short because they can’t find similar components in other cultures.
     Finally, Kealiinohomoku fields a conclusion based on the “pan-human” trait of “we” and “they.”  Ironically, I encountered this very argument in a Core Humanities class recently when a student referred to “they” were dropping napalm on the people of Southeast Asia during the Vietnam War of the last century. Pardon moi again Mssr.,  I had to remind the student that he is an American, that “we” dropped napalm on the villages, not “they.”
     Taking it from the top, anthropology is best when used as an inductive process to discover why ballet is an ethnic Western dance. What cannot be emphasized strongly enough is the objective nature of the research in order to separate anthropology, the science, from ballet, the art. Both have codified systems in place and it may be necessary to reject those forms of non-codified expression in other cultures in order to better understand ballet as a distinctly Western ethnic art form.

Supporting Documents:
 Boas, http://anth701fall2016.web.unc.edu/2016/10/we-were-waiting-for-you-franz-boas/
Sorell, https://www.nytimes.com/1997/02/24/arts/walter-sorell-91-who-wrote-about-dance-and-culture.html
Terry, http://archives.nypl.org/dan/19832
Holt, https://globenewswire.com/news-release/2009/02/07/392262/159217/en/A-Radiant-Love-for-Indonesian-Culture-Art-and-Dance-Accompany-Claire-Holt-While-Sitting-At-the-Feet-of-Gurus.html
Bharatanatyam, https://www.culturalindia.net/indian-dance/classical/bharatnatyam.html
mascarades, Margaret McGowan, Dance in the Renaissance, Yale, 2008, pp. 141-42
Choregraphie, Wendy Hilton, Dance of Court and Theater, 1690-1725, Princeton, 1981, Ch 6, p. 87.

FWD MERTZ MESSTENT GI DETAIL--