Folk Song Angers Parents, NAACP in Mich.


BERKLEY, Mich. (AP) - A black parent and the NAACP are criticizing a middle school's decision to perform a song that they say glorifies slavery.

The song, ``Pick a Bale of Cotton,'' is on the folk music choir program Wednesday at predominantly white Anderson Middle School in the Berkley School District.

The song's lyrics include, ``Jump down, turn around, pick a bale of cotton. Gotta jump down, turn around, Oh, Lordie, pick a bale a day.''

Greg Montgomery told The Detroit News that he complained to school officials, and when he was dissatisfied with their response, decided to pull his 11-year-old daughter, China, from singing.

``It's mind-boggling that people don't understand sensitive issues,'' he said.

China said: ``They were bringing back the memories of how African-Americans picked cotton, and it wasn't a good memory. It was disrespectful to African-Americans.''

Berkley schools spokeswoman Gwen Ahern said district officials would consider the song's origin and decide whether to leave it in the concert program. She also defended the choice.

``We used to sing that song when I was in school during the '50s,'' she said. ``It's like a Southern type of folk song. I remember it being perky. It was more of a song that people just sang for fun.''

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