This is written in partly in response to Barbara's 07 Aug 09 - 04:15 PM post but mostly in response to McGrath of Harlow's question in his 07 Aug 09 - 06:54 PM post to this thread:

"What in the world is racist about the song "Old Black Joe"?"   

I'm aware that some people considered and still consider Stephen Foster's "Old Black Joe" and some of his other songs to have been 'enlightened' for the 19th century. However englightened "Old Black Joe" may have been, it still expresses and reinforces the meme of happy slaves who are/were content with their lot. This meme was used (and still may be used) as a justification for the inhumane and often brutal chattel slavery system.

I'm specifically referring to these lines from "Old Black Joe":

Gone are the days
When my heart was young and gay.
Gone are my friends
From the cotton fields away.

-snip-

and these lines:

Where are the hearts
Once so happy and so free

-snip-

It certainly seems to me that the hearts of enslaved people would have been much happier if their bodies had been free.

Furthermore, Old Black Joe's longing to again see "the children so dear/That I held upon my knee" minimizes the atrocities of the chattel slavery system which routinely and casually separated friends and family (such as those children who Old Black Joe remembers holding on his knee). Once family and friends were sold apart from each other, they were unlikely to see each other again on earth. Yet "Old Black Joe" implies that death was the only way that family and friends were parted from each other.

In addition,(and to 'flesh out' my first point), "Old Black Joe" dehumanizes African Americans by painting a word picture of Black slaves as bucolic, un-threatening and therefore harmless "gentle people" who are content with their lot as skaves and resigned to wait for death for any improvement of that lot.

Gone to the shore
Where my soul has longed to go
I hear their gentle voices calling:
Old Black Joe.

-snip-

It's not just that this portrait of Black people is simplistic and untrue. It's not only that as any people, African Americans would have had various responses and reactions to enslavement-including armed rebellions, rebellious acts while enslaved (think "Jimmy Vrack Corn's actions and his reaction to his 'master's death) and in addition to attempts to escape from slavery to the Northern states and/or to Cabada.

Part of the problem with songs like this is that their justification for slavery may still be used today by some people. In addition, in the 21st century there are still people who prefer to engage in stereotypical thinking about African Americans as one homogeneous group of people. Expression of that stereotypical thinking are the use of terms such as "the "black man"; "the black woman" and "the black community. In such ways we are seen as one people instead of as individuals who may have some biological and cultural similarities and who may join together politically when it's in our best interests to do so. However, we African Americans are still   multifaceted and diverse in our responses to life.

That said, with all due respect to all those who view "Old Black Joe" with nostalgia, I expect that there are very few Black people who do so.

**

By the way-for what it's worth- I live 5 minutes by car away from Stephen Foster's home and I understand-through reading books about Foster's life- that his regard for Black people was influenced by his Black nurse(nannie). According to at least one book on Foster that I purchased, his nurse sometimes took him with her to Black church services and probably other events which were largely attended by Black people. I also understand that as an adult Stephen Foster had some Black friends or at least some Black acquaintances. But in no way does any of that change my opinion about his songs.

**

Also by the way, I thank Bruce for posting the lyrics to "Old Black Joe" on this thread because I don't have the emotional energy to read that "Old Black Joe" thread right now.

I had no intentions of posting to this thread or any other Mudcat thread about race/racism. However, I felt the need to share my opinion about this song because I think it's important for at least one person who publicly acknowledges her or his Black racial identity on this forum to do so. And I gathered-from my five years this month experiences on this forum that if I didn't post to this thread, no other Black person would. But I am increasingly becoming tired of such a role and I don't intend to continue being in that role.