Longfellow's "The Song of Hiawatha.". I think you should do do something with this poem to honor James Earl Jones, Discrimination comes in so many forms as the MAGAs have been so proficient in exhibiting. That poem reference brought back memories for me, My Granny’s father, Jacque LeVrone jr. was the son of a French Canadian, Jacque LeVrone and as the family story goes a Cherokee woman whose name was not known. She died in childbirth, 5 years later, Jacque remarried a white woman who did not want a halfbreed with a club foot around so he was given a way to a neighbor, They had a child who they also named Jacque LaVron jr, thus also giving away his name, He later married and became a farmer but struggled with alcoholism. As you are parented so you partner. granny married a man who while he didn’t drink, was a womanizer and hit his wife and children, Granny had managed to go to college and was a teacher and loved books, but was required to quit teaching when she married, Her Catholic priest told her that her treatment was her cross to bear in this life and she would be rewarded in heaven as marriage was a sacrament and could not be undone, She was treated like a brood mare having a baby every three years. She was pregnant or nursing for 24 years. My memories of her are fond. As children, each summer we would each spend a week on the farm. Granny didn’t talk much, but always wore moccasins and gave us Indian dolls.I suppose to honor that part of her heritage. One of my fondest memories of her entertaining me was when she took out her false teeth and lisped her way through reciting Longfellow's "The Song of Hiawatha.".
How many others has this poem comforted and inspired and in what ways?
Both of my children were born with a 1/3 club foot reminding me of our ancestors and the threads that tie us all together.
Perhaps many of us have a ‘’story”…. My Mother’s Grandfather was French Canadian Indian and was therefore considered “nonperson”. When my son (in the 6th grade) did a “family tree”, that’s when I found out that she could only go that far…. Serious gratitude, Michael!
We can't apologize enough for the hurt that prejudice has caused individuals and minority communities. I only recently found out how racism caused us to have this fragmented, patchwork mess of healthcare we call a system here in the U.S. We could have had a single-payer universal healthcare system starting early in the 20th century if not for many prejudiced people trying to keep blacks from receiving life-saving care and wanting to keep white hospitals to stay white. When are we going to have equality in healthcare, at least if not economic equality?
Please no statue. I’m concerned that in the present climate, it would become an ongoing target for vandalism (but maybe later).
I suggest: 1. funding some SERIOUS (not less than $20,000 per) scholarships for Black students in JEJ’s name at his HS and/or others. These scholarships should be applicable to trade schools/apprenticeships, IF that is what a student wants to do. 2. Funding arts or other creative activities in the community for all students. The arts enlighten, develop, and change students, not having celebrities, athletes, or other “motivational” speakers do a one-time fly-by. That’s what selfish adults want, not students. 3. Make sure that all school and public libraries have a complete set of all books that are banned or threatened with banning. Or create PRIVATE libraries that are open to the public. Even just one such in the area would be great and employ one or more professional librarians, who are heroes. 4. Go ask young Black people in the area what THEY want and work WITH them to make sure it happens.
What you advocate contains all that makes our country appealing to all others from all over who want to come here and live here. I’ve had a number of foreign post doc students live in my house over the years, many from China. Art and it’s expression are a very high form of human life-force. Fun. Freedom. Sharing without lecturing. Even those who live via STEM subjects want to be in this kind of “free” environment.
Thank you Michael Moore. What is heartbreaking is not so much the awful hurt he sustained at that "fine restaurant" so many years ago, but that the evil of racism is still, still, still, here with us, from stupid jerks in high schools to politicians and bosses who run this country. We can never right the wrongs of the past. They are done. What we CAN do is prevent the wrongs of the future. And more and more I see that the only way to do that is to overthrow the whole racist-capitalist system and replace it with worker's power. That's a super-difficult. Maybe not even possible. But I think it's the only way.
Thanks for this piece on James Earl Jones, Michael. Add another person to the list of people with a stutter problem who persevered and overcame. One of them became our 46th President. Inspirational!
I thought stuttering was a sign of one’s brain outpacing one’s vocal abilities. In a word, intelligence. The one kid I know who stuttered was really good at poker. MADE money.
As a retired Speech Correctionist…. ( 26years ago) I just sobbed…. Allll kinds of reasons. Thank you!
Knowing as we do, that singing allows for flowing words…. I am sorry I was unaware that “flowing words in poetry “ could allow for the same result….. a rhythm and flow…. B r e a t h i n g…. Amen…
Dear Michael, Thank you for sharing this story with us. I was ignorant of the facts of James Earl Jones’ childhood and his stutter….would not have believed it with his powerful voice he became.
It would be great for you to still give homage to James Earl Jones in some way.
Thank you, Mr. Moore, for publishing this story. I, too, was brought to tears reading of the treatment of James Earl Jones, someone I have admired all my life. As a Michigander, I was also aware of the racism - it was evident in more places than just Traverse City. And I believe it is still there in Michigan.
IT IS EVERYWHERE, IN MICHIGAN AND EVERYWHERE ELSE. BURN THAT FACT INTO YOUR SOUL AND LIVE THE CHANGE IT DEMANDS. And remember that racism is first and foremost a SYSTEMIC evil - and that it pervades and rots every single one of our civic systems - health, justice, education, legal, environmental, legislative, electoral, and many more. ALL systems.
This is a beautifully written tribute, Michael, and a cautionary tale about the state of race relations in the United States. From the beginning, I've seen Felonious Don as an avatar of the white race; some of his statements don't even need to be parsed. He has enabled the resurgence of racist language, even giving it a veneer of respectability.
James Earl Jones's stammering reminds me of some of the great orators who had similar issues; Winston Churchill and Rubin "Hurricane" Carter come immediately to mind. With Carter, the speech impediment led directly, as with Jones, to violence, for which boxing gave him a legitimate outlet.
That was a moving and enlightening read. I’m fortunate to have been born and raised in California where my grandparents moved with four of their five grown daughters in the mid 1940s. However two of the daughters went back to Michigan and the oldest of the five daughters all lived there. I went to Michigan as a child, then not again until I was in my late 20s, what a shock some of it was, but yes the racism. And you’re right, because that was the mid 1970s. I’m 76 now, we’ll four weeks away, and I can see the stupidity of their thinking. Well it ever stop? Sad.
Just over the border from Michigan - in Canada, in the '60’s - I was pleasantly surprised to see a caucasian guy, walking alongside and conversing with, a black postal carrier. In my ‘hood just over the border from Michigan - in Ohio, in the ’60’s - this would have been anathema.
I grew up in Jim Crow South.I'm a little younger that James Earl Jones,. What has surprised me in adulthood is the racial hate that exists in the North. Growing up I knew many Black people. Jacob set me up on my first horse, Ida taught me how to iron. They didn't have to, they were just good. I don't think any of those hate filled rascists have ever known anyone of another color.I also have no idea how to change their hearts.
Longfellow's "The Song of Hiawatha.". I think you should do do something with this poem to honor James Earl Jones, Discrimination comes in so many forms as the MAGAs have been so proficient in exhibiting. That poem reference brought back memories for me, My Granny’s father, Jacque LeVrone jr. was the son of a French Canadian, Jacque LeVrone and as the family story goes a Cherokee woman whose name was not known. She died in childbirth, 5 years later, Jacque remarried a white woman who did not want a halfbreed with a club foot around so he was given a way to a neighbor, They had a child who they also named Jacque LaVron jr, thus also giving away his name, He later married and became a farmer but struggled with alcoholism. As you are parented so you partner. granny married a man who while he didn’t drink, was a womanizer and hit his wife and children, Granny had managed to go to college and was a teacher and loved books, but was required to quit teaching when she married, Her Catholic priest told her that her treatment was her cross to bear in this life and she would be rewarded in heaven as marriage was a sacrament and could not be undone, She was treated like a brood mare having a baby every three years. She was pregnant or nursing for 24 years. My memories of her are fond. As children, each summer we would each spend a week on the farm. Granny didn’t talk much, but always wore moccasins and gave us Indian dolls.I suppose to honor that part of her heritage. One of my fondest memories of her entertaining me was when she took out her false teeth and lisped her way through reciting Longfellow's "The Song of Hiawatha.".
How many others has this poem comforted and inspired and in what ways?
Both of my children were born with a 1/3 club foot reminding me of our ancestors and the threads that tie us all together.
Perhaps many of us have a ‘’story”…. My Mother’s Grandfather was French Canadian Indian and was therefore considered “nonperson”. When my son (in the 6th grade) did a “family tree”, that’s when I found out that she could only go that far…. Serious gratitude, Michael!
Linda, thank you for sharing your Granny’s story and yours with us. So interesting. You are Focusing on the Love and Trusting the process.
We can't apologize enough for the hurt that prejudice has caused individuals and minority communities. I only recently found out how racism caused us to have this fragmented, patchwork mess of healthcare we call a system here in the U.S. We could have had a single-payer universal healthcare system starting early in the 20th century if not for many prejudiced people trying to keep blacks from receiving life-saving care and wanting to keep white hospitals to stay white. When are we going to have equality in healthcare, at least if not economic equality?
Please no statue. I’m concerned that in the present climate, it would become an ongoing target for vandalism (but maybe later).
I suggest: 1. funding some SERIOUS (not less than $20,000 per) scholarships for Black students in JEJ’s name at his HS and/or others. These scholarships should be applicable to trade schools/apprenticeships, IF that is what a student wants to do. 2. Funding arts or other creative activities in the community for all students. The arts enlighten, develop, and change students, not having celebrities, athletes, or other “motivational” speakers do a one-time fly-by. That’s what selfish adults want, not students. 3. Make sure that all school and public libraries have a complete set of all books that are banned or threatened with banning. Or create PRIVATE libraries that are open to the public. Even just one such in the area would be great and employ one or more professional librarians, who are heroes. 4. Go ask young Black people in the area what THEY want and work WITH them to make sure it happens.
Name the library after James Earl Jones.
What you advocate contains all that makes our country appealing to all others from all over who want to come here and live here. I’ve had a number of foreign post doc students live in my house over the years, many from China. Art and it’s expression are a very high form of human life-force. Fun. Freedom. Sharing without lecturing. Even those who live via STEM subjects want to be in this kind of “free” environment.
Thank you Michael Moore. What is heartbreaking is not so much the awful hurt he sustained at that "fine restaurant" so many years ago, but that the evil of racism is still, still, still, here with us, from stupid jerks in high schools to politicians and bosses who run this country. We can never right the wrongs of the past. They are done. What we CAN do is prevent the wrongs of the future. And more and more I see that the only way to do that is to overthrow the whole racist-capitalist system and replace it with worker's power. That's a super-difficult. Maybe not even possible. But I think it's the only way.
Michael,
You are beautiful.
Long life, Michael. We need you around.
YEP!!!!!
Beautiful piece. I loved him as an actor and human being. Thank you.
Thanks for this piece on James Earl Jones, Michael. Add another person to the list of people with a stutter problem who persevered and overcame. One of them became our 46th President. Inspirational!
I thought stuttering was a sign of one’s brain outpacing one’s vocal abilities. In a word, intelligence. The one kid I know who stuttered was really good at poker. MADE money.
"I’ll R-R-Raise you two."
As a retired Speech Correctionist…. ( 26years ago) I just sobbed…. Allll kinds of reasons. Thank you!
Knowing as we do, that singing allows for flowing words…. I am sorry I was unaware that “flowing words in poetry “ could allow for the same result….. a rhythm and flow…. B r e a t h i n g…. Amen…
Thank you for sharing this powerful story, Michael. It brought me to tears.
Dear Michael, Thank you for sharing this story with us. I was ignorant of the facts of James Earl Jones’ childhood and his stutter….would not have believed it with his powerful voice he became.
It would be great for you to still give homage to James Earl Jones in some way.
Thank you….
We have a statue of Ella Fitzgerald by the Yonkers NY train station.
Thank you, Mr. Moore, for publishing this story. I, too, was brought to tears reading of the treatment of James Earl Jones, someone I have admired all my life. As a Michigander, I was also aware of the racism - it was evident in more places than just Traverse City. And I believe it is still there in Michigan.
IT IS EVERYWHERE, IN MICHIGAN AND EVERYWHERE ELSE. BURN THAT FACT INTO YOUR SOUL AND LIVE THE CHANGE IT DEMANDS. And remember that racism is first and foremost a SYSTEMIC evil - and that it pervades and rots every single one of our civic systems - health, justice, education, legal, environmental, legislative, electoral, and many more. ALL systems.
TRUE.
You can’t say fascism without racism.
This is a beautifully written tribute, Michael, and a cautionary tale about the state of race relations in the United States. From the beginning, I've seen Felonious Don as an avatar of the white race; some of his statements don't even need to be parsed. He has enabled the resurgence of racist language, even giving it a veneer of respectability.
James Earl Jones's stammering reminds me of some of the great orators who had similar issues; Winston Churchill and Rubin "Hurricane" Carter come immediately to mind. With Carter, the speech impediment led directly, as with Jones, to violence, for which boxing gave him a legitimate outlet.
That was a moving and enlightening read. I’m fortunate to have been born and raised in California where my grandparents moved with four of their five grown daughters in the mid 1940s. However two of the daughters went back to Michigan and the oldest of the five daughters all lived there. I went to Michigan as a child, then not again until I was in my late 20s, what a shock some of it was, but yes the racism. And you’re right, because that was the mid 1970s. I’m 76 now, we’ll four weeks away, and I can see the stupidity of their thinking. Well it ever stop? Sad.
Just over the border from Michigan - in Canada, in the '60’s - I was pleasantly surprised to see a caucasian guy, walking alongside and conversing with, a black postal carrier. In my ‘hood just over the border from Michigan - in Ohio, in the ’60’s - this would have been anathema.
I only know one person who has a severe stutter, and it is heartbreaking to see their struggle.
I found a link that might surprise some people;
https://www.stutteringhelp.org/famouspeople
I grew up in Jim Crow South.I'm a little younger that James Earl Jones,. What has surprised me in adulthood is the racial hate that exists in the North. Growing up I knew many Black people. Jacob set me up on my first horse, Ida taught me how to iron. They didn't have to, they were just good. I don't think any of those hate filled rascists have ever known anyone of another color.I also have no idea how to change their hearts.