What Happened When Slaves Rebelled: History of American Slavery, Episode 5: How the frontier was really settled, and the volatile conditions that ripened it for rebellion
Slate+ – Aug. 6 (Subscription only; audio)
In Episode 5 of The History of American Slavery, a Slate Academy, hosts Rebecca Onion and Jamelle Bouie explore the slave rebellions—both real and imagined—that unfolded during the settlement of the 19th-century American frontier. They discuss the largest slave insurgency in American history, Louisiana’s 1811 German Coast rebellion. And then they explore an imagined slave revolt in Mississippi and the heady, boom-time conditions that led Mississippi slaveholders into panic and hysteria. Jamelle and Rebecca begin Episode 5 by remembering the life of Charles Deslondes (unknown–1811), a leader of the German Coast uprising. Our guests in Episode 5: … Joshua Rothman, professor of history at the University of Alabama. Read an excerpt of Rothman’s book Flush Times and Fever Dreams: A Story of Capitalism and Slavery in the Age of Jackson.
Will ‘Go Set a Watchman’ change how ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ is taught?
AL.com – Aug. 6
For more than half a century, Atticus Finch’s real impact hasn’t been in a courtroom, but in classrooms. Now that the book clubs and reviewers have had almost a month to chew on “Go Set a Watchman,” the latest Harper Lee novel has some wondering – how might a second trip to Maycomb affect the teaching of “To Kill a Mockingbird”? Add to that the question of how we should now view Atticus, formerly revered as a model of progressive virtue, now revealed as a member of a White Citizens Council?. . . . The story may be different in college classrooms though. James A. Crank, an assistant professor of American literature and culture at the University of Alabama, said he thinks the effect on Harper Lee’s literary reputation will be huge – and positive. “I was kind of expecting to be horrified and shocked,” he said, upon picking up the book. However, he thought the voice of the adult Jean Louise Finch was “fantastic.” Though the ending was talky and abrupt, he said, it compliments and complicates the story of “To Kill a Mockingbird.” “I don’t teach this novel (‘To Kill a Mockingbird’) in college, for a couple of reasons,” Crank said. “It feels young adult, and our students in Alabama read it, so we assume they know it. Reading it in a college classroom feels redundant, and it’s fairly straightforward and moralistic. Now I’m ready to teach both of these novels in concert. I know I’m doing it, and I’m in conversation with a lot of my colleagues about it.”
The Voting Rights Act turns 50 — why we must uphold its promise: opinion
AL.com – Aug. 6
Fifty years ago today, President Lyndon B. Johnson spoke those words before signing the landmark Voting Rights Act of 1965, which prohibited racial discrimination at the polls. The promise that was made in that generation, the guarantee of equality, has been embraced by a new generation of voters – sharp, vibrant and eager for change. Bridgette Jones, 22, stepped into the voting both for the very first time to cast her ballot in the 2012 presidential election. Yasmine Law, 16, soon will get that honor – she’ll vote for the first time during the 2016 presidential election. . . . Bridgette, a rising senior at the University of Alabama, said when she stepped in the booth for the first time in 2011, she was “excited, yet nervous and kind of unsure” – the power she held wasn’t lost on her. But she realized that was just the first step. “That first vote was just part of the process,” she said. “After that, we continue that process in our communities. We have to focus on the Senate, House and local elections just as much as presidential ones. Fifty years ago our voice was not wanted. But voting is now our voice.”
Former Cecil student wins University of Alabama transfer award
Cecil Daily (Elkton, Md.) – Aug. 7
After greeting Cecil College Professor Gail Wyant’s physics class with a customary “Roll Tide,” frequently uttered by University of Alabama students, fans and supporters, Kara Parks shared a story of how her previous coursework in North East paid dividends more than 900 miles away on a fluid mechanics exam in Tuscaloosa, Ala. . . . Parks, who also took some classes at Harford Community College, headed south with a year’s worth of credits and confident she can excel at college-level coursework. Not only did she immediately adjust to her new surroundings, but she immersed herself into life outside of the classroom and was recognized with one of Alabama’s two Outstanding Transfer Student awards during its 2015 Honors Week. The winners were selected by the university’s chapter of the Tau Sigma National Honor Society for their extraordinary contributions to the University of Alabama community through academic and extracurricular activities.
Slidell Memorial Hospital awards $1,000 scholarships
NOLA.com – Aug. 6
For almost 30 years, Slidell Memorial Hospital volunteers have worked year-round, holding bake sales, book sales and jewelry sales to fund an annual scholarship program helping outstanding local students enrolled in a medical program at an accredited university or college. This year, the volunteers awarded five $1,000 scholarships. The five chosen students were selected from 19 scholarship applicants, according to SMH Volunteer Coordinator Laurie Manley. . . . (Recipients include) Andreea Popa, who is working toward a Biology/Pre-medical degree and is attending the University of Alabama.
EDITORIAL: Honor given to Harrisons well-deserved
Tuscaloosa News – Aug. 7
Thanks to the University of Alabama, we’ve gotten pretty good around these parts at celebrating champions. But for many who like to bask in the glow of a Crimson Tide championship, it is easy to forget that the higher purpose of competitive athletics is to help the young men and women who wear crimson and white learn valuable lessons that will help them achieve, not just in sports but in life. Among those lessons is the importance of setting the right example when the eyes of many are upon you — and when they aren’t. The Nick’s Kids Foundation Luncheon provided a welcome reminder of that Wednesday in The Zone at Bryant-Denny Stadium.