A Meltingpot Moment from the Past:Dreaming of Timbuctoo

Why is that we never hear about events in American history that show how Black people and White people have lived, worked and died together in harmony? What's the point of perpetuating the myth that this country has always been segregated with Whites and Blacks throwing flames of hatred towards one another at a constant rate? If we knew how much we've worked together in the past, would that fuel our desire to come together in the present? I hope so. That's why we try to tell the real multi-culti truth here at the Meltingpot.


So here's a meltingpot moment I just learned about.
Who knew that in 1846, a wealthy White man named Gerrit Smith decided to give away 120,000 acres of his land in upstate New York to African-Americans (40 acres each) so they would have the right to vote (Only landowners could vote), a parcel of land to farm, and a chance to crawl out of urban poverty in New York City. Three thousand Black men took Smith up on his offer and formed one of the first African-American communities in the Adirondacks and called it Timbuctoo. But that's not all. It wasn't just Black people living in Timbuctoo, White abolitionists like John Brown, believed in Smith's mission so much he and his family moved to Timbuctoo to help the newcomers settle in and make a go of living off the land.

To learn more about this fascinating time in American history, check out: http://www.nyfolklore.org/pubs/voic29-1-2/exhibit.html And keep your eyes and ears open for America's real meltingpot moments.

Peace Out!

Mexican Mice and A Wise Black Jack Ass

I just took my five-year old son yesterday to see the new film, Barnyard. I think my husband and I laughed more than he did. I'm not saying it was that funny, it's just that much of the humor went way over my baby's head. And what's more... SPOILER ALERT...The death of a certain pivotal bovine in the cast, I thought was way unnecessary for a kiddie flick.

But that's not why we're here, to discuss dead cows. Really, I just want to ask the question, why in this movie does the mouse, yes the clever little rodent, have to be Mexican? And why is the wise old donkey played by a wise old Black man( Danny Glover)? And you wanna know what other colored folk/barnyard animals make the cast? Wanda Sykes gets to play the wise-talking, best-friend, supporting-role cow to Courtney Cox's bovine beauty. And then there's one rotund, rapping, Jamaican...Wait for it... RAT!

Is it true, even in the cartoon world, that colored people have to play supporting roles? Even when they are disguised as cute and furry little creatures, are they destined to play rodents and mules? Why? Does a Mexican voice just sound mouse like? Did somebody hear Danny Glover speak and think, 'Yes! He's a Jack Ass! Why not a Horse? A Horse commands respect and walks with pride, a donkey is basically the slave of the barnyard. Maybe Speedy Gonzalez and Donkey from Shrek (AKA Eddie Murphy) are to blame. Perhaps all casting directors think a cartoon mouse must have that Spanish accent or he won't be believable? And any animated donkey on the big screen must be able to speak Ebonics or else it just won't feel right. I don't know, I'm just guessing here.

I'm not a psychologist or even a sociologist, so maybe none of this matters. Most kids probably won't even realize what's going on here. They might just take it as a lesson in diversity --Even animals have different accents or something like that. And at least they allowed people of color to be in the film right? So this is a positive thing right? Keep hope alive.

And that's today's Meltingpot Moment

Peace Out