Thanks for the great stuff on Harry Truman, my favorite president. Truman may have been racist earlier in his life, but he began to change from his experience in World War I, according to my great-grand-uncle, who was his battery 1st sergeant and then worked for him politically for the rest of his career (and introduced me to him when I …
Thanks for the great stuff on Harry Truman, my favorite president. Truman may have been racist earlier in his life, but he began to change from his experience in World War I, according to my great-grand-uncle, who was his battery 1st sergeant and then worked for him politically for the rest of his career (and introduced me to him when I was 14). The unit Truman was part of was in the Meuse-Argonne offensive, and they were in the part of the American Army that was right next to the French. They got to know the Harlem Hellfighters, who when they got to France were sent to fight with the French, where they established a magnificent record (while introducing the French to American jazz). My Uncle Jim told me they knew of those guys. Truman liked them because he came to like jazz piano, being a piano player himself. And then in the 1920s, when he was a County Judge there in Independence and ended up part of the Pendergast Machine in Kansas City, Tom Pendergast hated the KKK, and Truman went after them and broke them in Independence. At one time, according to my uncle, Truman was carrying a loaded pistol when he was driving in the rural areas outside of the town, because of the Klan.
So when he heard those stories that HCR related here after World War I, he knew what he was talking about when he referenced the "bigotry" after World War I, and that would have predisposed him to believe what he heard.
And then let's remember he was the one who desegregated the armed forces (which didn't really happen till 1951, when the demands of the battlefield in Korea finally overthrew segregated units).
Like I said, my favorite president. He was a self-taught - and pretty darned good - historian in his own right. I know because he gave me a pretty serious quiz on my knowledge of American history when I met him that summer of my 14th birthday, (which I passed).
And this is why I love Substack. What a great story TC. The columns and postings here bring history up close and personal like no other medium can. Thank you HCR. Thank you TC
Oh geez, TC. What a great personal anecdote about former President Harry S. Truman. A good story to hear on MLK Day. Personal experience matters. It shapes one regarding important issues relating to the ways that all people interact with each other. With prejudice or acceptance and appreciation. I am so grateful for my own life experience as a very young adult that changed and shaped my attitudes about civil rights and the way to live and be an example of acceptance and appreciation. Life is so much fuller together. And very much worth the risk of being a beacon of example.
We are all in this together. There is enough to go around.
Cheers, TC! (On passing that history quiz…then and now!)
Total trivia on why sometimes his name is written as Harry S Truman without the period after the S:
"Truman’s parents gave him the middle initial S to honor his grandfathers, Anderson Shipp Truman and Solomon Young, although the S didn’t stand for a specific name."
Many days I think we need another Harry Truman. I read the biography by David McCullough and came away impressed by how hard he worked all his life and rose from a dirt poor farmer to president. He was also willing to change opinions and learn. TCinLA thanks for the further anecdote about Truman.
TC, I can't say he was one of my favorite presidents, but at least he wore his corruptions openly. He was a tool of the political machine that Tom Pendergast created--which relied heavily on Black people in KC supporting Tom against the white opposition to the machine. So Truman worked a lot with the political leaders in the Black community of Kansas City, which had a significant presence in the 1920s as a result of Pendergast. The backlash, however, was pretty extreme once the Boss machine system fell apart--and Truman was not unhappy with no longer being tied to it and did little to help the community here. He gave a speech on the steps of the administration building at the founding of the university where I teach and did not acknowledge that it was founded for whites only--in 1934, which means that it was quite behind the times. The University of Kansas City (which was attached to the post WW2 University of Missouri System in the 1960s) soon had to upend its dedication to white nationalism but the damage was done: the Black community in KC for decades after refused to support the only research university in Kansas City because of its stance. And Truman did nothing to ameliorate that.
Though Truman was called the “Pendergast senator” and was broadly shunned when he first went to Congress, he personally was in no way corrupt. He was first elected by the Pendergast machine, which was as crooked as a contortionist.Truman acknowledged that he was obliged to hire some Pendergast ‘stay at homes,’ but never took a nickel himself.
During WW II he established a reputation for saving scads of military contract money.
With no publicity, he drove around the country visiting many military installations. The result was a Congressional hearing where he publicized major scandals and recovered massive misspend funds. His accomplishments merited a Time magazine cover. Without this national exposure, he wouldn’t have been FDR’s Vice President choice (instead of Henry Wallace) in 1944. Wallace instead of Truman as president would have made a profound difference in the post-WW II Cold War.
"Wallace instead of Truman as president would have made a profound difference in the post-WW II Cold War."
Amen. I believe FDR wanted Wallace to run again as VP, but the party wanted otherwise. And FDR was too ill to fight it. If only FDR could have lived to serve the remaining 45 months of his term. If only Wallace had been VP at FDR's death. Thinking back 80 more years, if only Lincoln had lived through the remaining 45 months of his term. It just didn't seem to be the destiny for us in the U.S.
Heydon I believe that you have gotten your history mixed up. At the 1944 Democratic presidential convention Vice President Henry Wallace was the favorite for renomination. The party ‘bosses’ didn’t want him. Their alternatives were Byrnes or Harry Truman. When the VP nomination was first mentioned to Truman, he gave a blunt no. He enjoyed being senator and there was concern that his father in law’s suicide could come out in a campaign. Ultimately FDR called Truman to convince him it was his patriotic duty to take the VP nomination.
Personally I believe that Wallace as president would have been dreadful for post-war America. Wallace had been fine in agriculture, but seemed naive in other areas—including dealing with Stalin and preserving Western Europe. Truman learned on the job and, in key areas, served America extremely well.
Hi Keith. Yes, I knew about the 1944 convention and the wishes of the party bosses. My recollection is that after Wallace won the first round of balloting for a VP, the leaders called for a second ballot casting which Wallace won also. On the third round, the bosses finally got Truman selected. The party leaders wanted Wallace out because they felt he was too progressive and may be too soft on Stalin. They also wanted James Byrnes to be run as VP. That would have been more of a losing situation for the dems. since Byrnes from South Carolina was a strong segregationist and opposed anti-lynching laws. FDR wouldn't accept Byrnes at all. FDR and the bosses finally settled on Harry Truman, but FDR still mouthed support for Wallace, but, as I mentioned originally, FDR was too tired to further fight with the party bosses over this. Most of my knowledge on this is from Oliver Stone's (& American historian Peter Ruznick) "The Untold History of the United States." https://www.amazon.com/Untold-History-United-States/dp/1491512563
I highly recommend the book and the video series. A few notable endorsements include
“Indispensable… There is much here to reflect upon.” —President Mikhail Gorbachev
“As riveting, eye-opening, and thought-provoking as any history book you will ever read. . . . Can’t recommend it highly enough.” —Glenn Greenwald, The Guardian
“Finally, a book with the guts to challenge the accepted narrative of recent American history.” —Bill Maher
Glenn Greenwald's endorsement goes a long way with me.
No, Wallace did not have the in-depth knowledge of the USSR as in the case of the state department's George Kenny. However, Wallace's progressive attitude would have kept the doors of communication open between the U.S. and the USSR. Personally, I believe the U.S. MIC had a role in controlling the dem. party bosses because there was so much money to be made in the endless production of armaments while antagonisms continued between the USSR and the U.S.
Heydon The American Prrsidents series on Truman focuses on the ‘bosses’ and FDR’s phone calls. I depend highly on two biographies of Truman, by David McCullough and Hamby. I don’t think that the issue of U.S./Soviet relations was a matter of keeping ‘the doors of communications’ open. The Soviet military, at horrendous loss of life, had occupied much of Eastern Europe. George Kennan (who I knew late in his life) was an expert on the Soviet Union and Stalin. Stalin sought to continue his occupation of much of Eastern Europe and push in other pressure points. He sought to retain troops in northern Iran until Truman and the U. N. Pushed back. The Berlin Airlift was in response to Stalin’s blockade of Berlin in expectations that the West would be obliged to abandon Berlin.
I just wrote up an excellent talk by Professor James Bannon, Jr on ‘revisionist’ history. He states that all history is ‘revisionist’ since Thucydides took issue with Herodotus. He cautioned that historians look careful at the ‘facts,’ including new sources. He also pointed out that history without argumentation would lack vitality.
As a history professor from age 58 to 80, I had ample opportunity to explore new insights on the Cold War. I give Truman high marks and shudder at what ‘President’ Wallace would have done. The Russian bear then and now I do not find cuddly. I just posted my NYT comment on ‘Putin—Stalin lite?’ If I feel there is sufficient interest, I will post it on LFAA. Otherwise, give me your e-mail and I can send it to you.
Tc if you don’t mind I’d like to add an anecdote of my own. In the early 60s I was going to college in Birmingham Alabama. It was a tumultuous time. There were sit ins, Martin Luther King junior walked across the Pettus bridge in Selma where many people were seriously injured including John Lewis, four beautiful little black girls were killed in the bombing at the 16th St., Baptist Church in Birmingham. I was blackballed from a fraternity I was pledging because I suggested we have black fraternity brothers. I was called into the Dean’s office and asked if I’d be willing to room with one of the black commuter students. The very few black students we had were all commuter students. I agreed. Surprisingly when I walked out of the office everyone on campus seem to be aware of this. In the end my black friend decided not to move onto campus because he was worried about my safety. I was certainly willing to take the risk. Two friends of mine and I drove to Gee’s Bend which is now famous for its quilts. It was an entirely black community and they did not have a phone. We went there to attend church and see the communities’ cucumber farm which was a successful operation. We were invited to spend the night with members of the community and learned about the quilts that have now become so famous. In Alabama there were no front plates on cars at that time and most people had confederate flag on their front plates. I painted my front plate black and wrote the words “promote individual dignity“ in white letters. Surprisingly no issues arose from that and I suppose it was primarily because of the phrasing I used. As a general proposition it was hard to argue with. About two years ago I returned to Birmingham and it was a quite different city. The mayor was black. There was a black history Museum. When we went out to have breakfast one morning, there were black and white patrons, black and white servers and black and white cooks. Strong emotions weld up inside me to see such a wonderful change. As I reflect on my experiences there tears are coming to my eyes because sometimes things you don’t think will change in your lifetime do change.
Martin Luther King junior day is a good day to remember these things. He knew and we know we still have a long way to go.
Awesome experience Robin O. However some wrong folks have seen the same 'progress' that you have witnessed first hand. Thank you for sharing this with us.
Wow, Robin, I would LOVE to hear more of your experiences in my hometown (and Gee’s Bend as well)! While I left for college and did not move back, I still have family there. I’m proud of the strides the city has made. 💙
Truman was the real thing. Two books - McCulloughs "Truman" and "1945, Year of Decision" are terrific reads if anyone wants to explore the amazing Harry.
Truman rose to the occasion of being the President. He was a person of integrity. Fast forward to 2016 and the election of the orange menace, who has denigrated the office of the presidency in ways we did not even realize were possible. Tfg and his ilk are like kudzu, a horribly invasive plant that will grow over anything in its path and choke the life out of it. Removing kudzu is damn near impossible, but we have to try. FYI-kudzu, the plant that ate the south.
To violate the sacredness of; profane.To divest of a sacred character or office; to divert from a sacred purpose; to violate the sanctity of; to profane; to put to an unworthy use; -- the opposite of consecrate.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
Yes, Kudzu (import from Korea that naturalized here in the South) was spooky as you drove along the highway and saw nothing but green foliage. No trees no telefone poles or lines - everything covered in Kudzu. In the '70s there was an underground newspaper in MS called Kudzu, with the note that it would grow over a sleeping pig entangling it. IDK if it was true, but the plant does grow fast.
Kudzu was brought over to control erosion. I have seen the horrendous damage that it can cause to the landscape. Like racism, sexism, etc. rooting it out requires MASSIVE amounts of work. I’m not sure it can grow over a sleeping pig, but it can grow across a two lane country road in a couple of days. Kudzu had unintended consequences.
If we let the evil of hurting others grow, as with racism,
For lighter reading about Truman, the Matthew Algeo book "Harry Truman's Excellent Adventures" is quite interesting regarding a roadtrip Truman and Bess took. No press. No Secret Service. Just them taking a grassroots trip.
Bill I consider David McCullough the American Cio of our times. I have read all of David’s books except the first: THE JOHNSTOWN FLOOD. David and I have been good friends for decades and regularly correspond. His TRUMAN was a magnificent read and won his first Pulitzer. Personally I thought that Hamby’s Truman was more balanced. I have told David and Rosalie that, were I restricted to a single McCullough book on a desert island, my choice would be BRAVE COMPANIONS, 17 marvelous biographical vignettes that range from Humboldt to ‘the little lady who caused the Civil War.’
Kathy What a shame. I have two copies, including one signed by David, and would have been delighted to mail you the other. I underline all of my books, which drives my wife crazy. Often when I reread, I see a highlighted spot and murmur “I didn’t know that.”
David had embarked on a book focused on the latter-year letters between Adams/Jefferson. The he wrote me that he found Jefferson to be such a hypocrite that he switched to his John and Abigail book—and another Pulitzer. You might also be interested in a delicious book—TRAVELS WITH GEORGE—that I recently reviewed on Amazon. A page turner with fascinating personal insights into George Washington.
Another gem here.....will read "Truman"....... thanks. Just read about the blinding of Sargent Woodard's eyes yesterday in Fear, part of the "1619 Project", and that essay is much of what today's letter talks about..
We share a favorite President! TCInLA, I have liked Truman for many of his statements and behaviors, including the fact that he didn’t feel being President entitled him to write a book or serve on corporate boards to use his influence to profit from the experience. France-Amérique magazine had an article in 2021 about African-American servicemen who stayed in or returned to France after WWII. They were accepted there! Reading HCR today and your response underscore what I believe - and any sensitive American who has returned to this country feels right away - that racism is in the air we breathe. It permeates everyone and everything, everywhere. From pumping gas to buying groceries. Still, many of us love our country and have stayed here and are working to make it the imagined better place that so many have fought and died for. Like MLK. Like Truman. You were so fortunate to meet him of “The Buck Stops Here.” ❤️🤍💙
Please, Mike. I’m a country boy, and your generalization is silly. Obama? FDR? Most Americans live in cities. Republicans love to promote the canard that the people living in rural states are the “real Americans”, and city people are socialist takers. Don’t feed into that.
PS I remember Carter well, he was a well-meaning but ineffective president.
JR, first, my apology for writing (partially) tongue in cheek but not making that clear in the writing. It is not like you could see the smile on my face as I wrote about the superiority of country boys as President.
I forgot Eisenhower who was also a country boy.
Of course it is silly to elevate any one set of humans above another. However, I bet within the last two weeks everyone on earth, in some way, has done that.
Ah, yes, Slick Willy. A true disappointment when it comes to being a country boy. Went to all those fancy private schools and refused to ever even wear cowboy boots.
Louis, all I can say about slick W is that he was a failure in every way. He helped the Republicans continue offshoring. He defined African Americans who were smoking the same dope that white folks in the suburb were smoking as "super predators" and then helped write legislation to keep black men locked up for their entire life for two oz of Marijuana.
Truly a failure in all things.
A question I have always asked myself, given the many reputable reports on how many women Bill Clinton abused or outright raped is:
Why is Hillary still hanging around? Now THAT is a question which appears to have no rational answer.
I am hearing rumbling she will run again.
Aye. I guess losers just never learn they are losers no matter how many times they lose. Hillary, if she can manage to overcome what I and many Democrats will do to stop her from running, will lose.
‘…. A failure in every way…’! Logic dictates one counter example proves false the ‘every or all’ statements. I prefer to ‘paint’ with a narrower brush! I believe Clinton was a moderate Republican perhaps a Rockefeller style! Come to think of it Clinton and Rocky had a lot in common with their female escapades!
Clinton courted big business thus starting the alienation of union related groups toward the Democratic Party! However, his pro public education policies were a positive point in his time in office!
Today, instead, it is now every politician with the palm of their hand out behind their back waiting for their "Citizens United voting-motivation" Eh!?
Thanks for the great stuff on Harry Truman, my favorite president. Truman may have been racist earlier in his life, but he began to change from his experience in World War I, according to my great-grand-uncle, who was his battery 1st sergeant and then worked for him politically for the rest of his career (and introduced me to him when I was 14). The unit Truman was part of was in the Meuse-Argonne offensive, and they were in the part of the American Army that was right next to the French. They got to know the Harlem Hellfighters, who when they got to France were sent to fight with the French, where they established a magnificent record (while introducing the French to American jazz). My Uncle Jim told me they knew of those guys. Truman liked them because he came to like jazz piano, being a piano player himself. And then in the 1920s, when he was a County Judge there in Independence and ended up part of the Pendergast Machine in Kansas City, Tom Pendergast hated the KKK, and Truman went after them and broke them in Independence. At one time, according to my uncle, Truman was carrying a loaded pistol when he was driving in the rural areas outside of the town, because of the Klan.
So when he heard those stories that HCR related here after World War I, he knew what he was talking about when he referenced the "bigotry" after World War I, and that would have predisposed him to believe what he heard.
And then let's remember he was the one who desegregated the armed forces (which didn't really happen till 1951, when the demands of the battlefield in Korea finally overthrew segregated units).
Like I said, my favorite president. He was a self-taught - and pretty darned good - historian in his own right. I know because he gave me a pretty serious quiz on my knowledge of American history when I met him that summer of my 14th birthday, (which I passed).
Harry Truman said, "There is nothing new in the world except the history you do not know." We gather here to learn so much, that we do not know.
That is exactly how I feel
Perfect. Thank You, Scott.
Well said, Scott.
And this is why I love Substack. What a great story TC. The columns and postings here bring history up close and personal like no other medium can. Thank you HCR. Thank you TC
Oh geez, TC. What a great personal anecdote about former President Harry S. Truman. A good story to hear on MLK Day. Personal experience matters. It shapes one regarding important issues relating to the ways that all people interact with each other. With prejudice or acceptance and appreciation. I am so grateful for my own life experience as a very young adult that changed and shaped my attitudes about civil rights and the way to live and be an example of acceptance and appreciation. Life is so much fuller together. And very much worth the risk of being a beacon of example.
We are all in this together. There is enough to go around.
Cheers, TC! (On passing that history quiz…then and now!)
Total trivia on why sometimes his name is written as Harry S Truman without the period after the S:
"Truman’s parents gave him the middle initial S to honor his grandfathers, Anderson Shipp Truman and Solomon Young, although the S didn’t stand for a specific name."
https://www.history.com/topics/us-presidents/harry-truman
I learned that story too, Ellie, because Shipp is my maiden name. My father liked the connection.
Many days I think we need another Harry Truman. I read the biography by David McCullough and came away impressed by how hard he worked all his life and rose from a dirt poor farmer to president. He was also willing to change opinions and learn. TCinLA thanks for the further anecdote about Truman.
These days a politican willing to learn and change their opinions is accused of flip-flopping.
A sad truth.
TC, I can't say he was one of my favorite presidents, but at least he wore his corruptions openly. He was a tool of the political machine that Tom Pendergast created--which relied heavily on Black people in KC supporting Tom against the white opposition to the machine. So Truman worked a lot with the political leaders in the Black community of Kansas City, which had a significant presence in the 1920s as a result of Pendergast. The backlash, however, was pretty extreme once the Boss machine system fell apart--and Truman was not unhappy with no longer being tied to it and did little to help the community here. He gave a speech on the steps of the administration building at the founding of the university where I teach and did not acknowledge that it was founded for whites only--in 1934, which means that it was quite behind the times. The University of Kansas City (which was attached to the post WW2 University of Missouri System in the 1960s) soon had to upend its dedication to white nationalism but the damage was done: the Black community in KC for decades after refused to support the only research university in Kansas City because of its stance. And Truman did nothing to ameliorate that.
Brilliant line ‘wore his corruptions openly!’ Federalist society, unlike the old political machines, has no state boundaries! Tragic!
Though Truman was called the “Pendergast senator” and was broadly shunned when he first went to Congress, he personally was in no way corrupt. He was first elected by the Pendergast machine, which was as crooked as a contortionist.Truman acknowledged that he was obliged to hire some Pendergast ‘stay at homes,’ but never took a nickel himself.
During WW II he established a reputation for saving scads of military contract money.
With no publicity, he drove around the country visiting many military installations. The result was a Congressional hearing where he publicized major scandals and recovered massive misspend funds. His accomplishments merited a Time magazine cover. Without this national exposure, he wouldn’t have been FDR’s Vice President choice (instead of Henry Wallace) in 1944. Wallace instead of Truman as president would have made a profound difference in the post-WW II Cold War.
"Wallace instead of Truman as president would have made a profound difference in the post-WW II Cold War."
Amen. I believe FDR wanted Wallace to run again as VP, but the party wanted otherwise. And FDR was too ill to fight it. If only FDR could have lived to serve the remaining 45 months of his term. If only Wallace had been VP at FDR's death. Thinking back 80 more years, if only Lincoln had lived through the remaining 45 months of his term. It just didn't seem to be the destiny for us in the U.S.
Heydon I believe that you have gotten your history mixed up. At the 1944 Democratic presidential convention Vice President Henry Wallace was the favorite for renomination. The party ‘bosses’ didn’t want him. Their alternatives were Byrnes or Harry Truman. When the VP nomination was first mentioned to Truman, he gave a blunt no. He enjoyed being senator and there was concern that his father in law’s suicide could come out in a campaign. Ultimately FDR called Truman to convince him it was his patriotic duty to take the VP nomination.
Personally I believe that Wallace as president would have been dreadful for post-war America. Wallace had been fine in agriculture, but seemed naive in other areas—including dealing with Stalin and preserving Western Europe. Truman learned on the job and, in key areas, served America extremely well.
Hi Keith. Yes, I knew about the 1944 convention and the wishes of the party bosses. My recollection is that after Wallace won the first round of balloting for a VP, the leaders called for a second ballot casting which Wallace won also. On the third round, the bosses finally got Truman selected. The party leaders wanted Wallace out because they felt he was too progressive and may be too soft on Stalin. They also wanted James Byrnes to be run as VP. That would have been more of a losing situation for the dems. since Byrnes from South Carolina was a strong segregationist and opposed anti-lynching laws. FDR wouldn't accept Byrnes at all. FDR and the bosses finally settled on Harry Truman, but FDR still mouthed support for Wallace, but, as I mentioned originally, FDR was too tired to further fight with the party bosses over this. Most of my knowledge on this is from Oliver Stone's (& American historian Peter Ruznick) "The Untold History of the United States." https://www.amazon.com/Untold-History-United-States/dp/1491512563
I highly recommend the book and the video series. A few notable endorsements include
“Indispensable… There is much here to reflect upon.” —President Mikhail Gorbachev
“As riveting, eye-opening, and thought-provoking as any history book you will ever read. . . . Can’t recommend it highly enough.” —Glenn Greenwald, The Guardian
“Finally, a book with the guts to challenge the accepted narrative of recent American history.” —Bill Maher
Glenn Greenwald's endorsement goes a long way with me.
No, Wallace did not have the in-depth knowledge of the USSR as in the case of the state department's George Kenny. However, Wallace's progressive attitude would have kept the doors of communication open between the U.S. and the USSR. Personally, I believe the U.S. MIC had a role in controlling the dem. party bosses because there was so much money to be made in the endless production of armaments while antagonisms continued between the USSR and the U.S.
Heydon The American Prrsidents series on Truman focuses on the ‘bosses’ and FDR’s phone calls. I depend highly on two biographies of Truman, by David McCullough and Hamby. I don’t think that the issue of U.S./Soviet relations was a matter of keeping ‘the doors of communications’ open. The Soviet military, at horrendous loss of life, had occupied much of Eastern Europe. George Kennan (who I knew late in his life) was an expert on the Soviet Union and Stalin. Stalin sought to continue his occupation of much of Eastern Europe and push in other pressure points. He sought to retain troops in northern Iran until Truman and the U. N. Pushed back. The Berlin Airlift was in response to Stalin’s blockade of Berlin in expectations that the West would be obliged to abandon Berlin.
I just wrote up an excellent talk by Professor James Bannon, Jr on ‘revisionist’ history. He states that all history is ‘revisionist’ since Thucydides took issue with Herodotus. He cautioned that historians look careful at the ‘facts,’ including new sources. He also pointed out that history without argumentation would lack vitality.
As a history professor from age 58 to 80, I had ample opportunity to explore new insights on the Cold War. I give Truman high marks and shudder at what ‘President’ Wallace would have done. The Russian bear then and now I do not find cuddly. I just posted my NYT comment on ‘Putin—Stalin lite?’ If I feel there is sufficient interest, I will post it on LFAA. Otherwise, give me your e-mail and I can send it to you.
Splendid story, TC! Thank you!
Interesting history. Thank you.
Tc if you don’t mind I’d like to add an anecdote of my own. In the early 60s I was going to college in Birmingham Alabama. It was a tumultuous time. There were sit ins, Martin Luther King junior walked across the Pettus bridge in Selma where many people were seriously injured including John Lewis, four beautiful little black girls were killed in the bombing at the 16th St., Baptist Church in Birmingham. I was blackballed from a fraternity I was pledging because I suggested we have black fraternity brothers. I was called into the Dean’s office and asked if I’d be willing to room with one of the black commuter students. The very few black students we had were all commuter students. I agreed. Surprisingly when I walked out of the office everyone on campus seem to be aware of this. In the end my black friend decided not to move onto campus because he was worried about my safety. I was certainly willing to take the risk. Two friends of mine and I drove to Gee’s Bend which is now famous for its quilts. It was an entirely black community and they did not have a phone. We went there to attend church and see the communities’ cucumber farm which was a successful operation. We were invited to spend the night with members of the community and learned about the quilts that have now become so famous. In Alabama there were no front plates on cars at that time and most people had confederate flag on their front plates. I painted my front plate black and wrote the words “promote individual dignity“ in white letters. Surprisingly no issues arose from that and I suppose it was primarily because of the phrasing I used. As a general proposition it was hard to argue with. About two years ago I returned to Birmingham and it was a quite different city. The mayor was black. There was a black history Museum. When we went out to have breakfast one morning, there were black and white patrons, black and white servers and black and white cooks. Strong emotions weld up inside me to see such a wonderful change. As I reflect on my experiences there tears are coming to my eyes because sometimes things you don’t think will change in your lifetime do change.
Martin Luther King junior day is a good day to remember these things. He knew and we know we still have a long way to go.
Thanks, Robin. Hearing stories like yours is inspiring.
Awesome experience Robin O. However some wrong folks have seen the same 'progress' that you have witnessed first hand. Thank you for sharing this with us.
Wow, Robin, I would LOVE to hear more of your experiences in my hometown (and Gee’s Bend as well)! While I left for college and did not move back, I still have family there. I’m proud of the strides the city has made. 💙
That's nice to know. Thanks.
Agreed. Thanks for a great post!
Truman was the real thing. Two books - McCulloughs "Truman" and "1945, Year of Decision" are terrific reads if anyone wants to explore the amazing Harry.
Truman rose to the occasion of being the President. He was a person of integrity. Fast forward to 2016 and the election of the orange menace, who has denigrated the office of the presidency in ways we did not even realize were possible. Tfg and his ilk are like kudzu, a horribly invasive plant that will grow over anything in its path and choke the life out of it. Removing kudzu is damn near impossible, but we have to try. FYI-kudzu, the plant that ate the south.
"Denigrate" works pretty well, but I would add the word "defile".
Spot on!
From NC, I know it well. Indeed a pest that looks good until it destroys every good plant. That’s tfg
In the description of what tfg did to the Presidency and the White House, to "denigrated" and "defiled" I would add "desecrated."
Absolutely!
This thread is rapidly heading into scatological territory...
Only if others take it there 🙂
desecrate
dĕs′ĭ-krāt″
transitive verb
To violate the sacredness of; profane.To divest of a sacred character or office; to divert from a sacred purpose; to violate the sanctity of; to profane; to put to an unworthy use; -- the opposite of consecrate.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
Far be it from me!
Only those one with kudzu can fully appreciate that reference.
Yes, Kudzu (import from Korea that naturalized here in the South) was spooky as you drove along the highway and saw nothing but green foliage. No trees no telefone poles or lines - everything covered in Kudzu. In the '70s there was an underground newspaper in MS called Kudzu, with the note that it would grow over a sleeping pig entangling it. IDK if it was true, but the plant does grow fast.
Kudzu was brought over to control erosion. I have seen the horrendous damage that it can cause to the landscape. Like racism, sexism, etc. rooting it out requires MASSIVE amounts of work. I’m not sure it can grow over a sleeping pig, but it can grow across a two lane country road in a couple of days. Kudzu had unintended consequences.
If we let the evil of hurting others grow, as with racism,
we will suffer awful consequences.
A foot a day, so I read
at minimum
Excellent analogy with kudzu. Death star is a cancer on the body politic.
For lighter reading about Truman, the Matthew Algeo book "Harry Truman's Excellent Adventures" is quite interesting regarding a roadtrip Truman and Bess took. No press. No Secret Service. Just them taking a grassroots trip.
Bill I consider David McCullough the American Cio of our times. I have read all of David’s books except the first: THE JOHNSTOWN FLOOD. David and I have been good friends for decades and regularly correspond. His TRUMAN was a magnificent read and won his first Pulitzer. Personally I thought that Hamby’s Truman was more balanced. I have told David and Rosalie that, were I restricted to a single McCullough book on a desert island, my choice would be BRAVE COMPANIONS, 17 marvelous biographical vignettes that range from Humboldt to ‘the little lady who caused the Civil War.’
I bought John Adams yesterday. Altho I have read borrowed copies of this book twice, I now have my very own to underline as I please.
Kathy What a shame. I have two copies, including one signed by David, and would have been delighted to mail you the other. I underline all of my books, which drives my wife crazy. Often when I reread, I see a highlighted spot and murmur “I didn’t know that.”
David had embarked on a book focused on the latter-year letters between Adams/Jefferson. The he wrote me that he found Jefferson to be such a hypocrite that he switched to his John and Abigail book—and another Pulitzer. You might also be interested in a delicious book—TRAVELS WITH GEORGE—that I recently reviewed on Amazon. A page turner with fascinating personal insights into George Washington.
Thank you.
Oh, forgot about David McCullough! Love his work! Thank You, Keith. I will check out his "Brave Companions."
Another gem here.....will read "Truman"....... thanks. Just read about the blinding of Sargent Woodard's eyes yesterday in Fear, part of the "1619 Project", and that essay is much of what today's letter talks about..
We share a favorite President! TCInLA, I have liked Truman for many of his statements and behaviors, including the fact that he didn’t feel being President entitled him to write a book or serve on corporate boards to use his influence to profit from the experience. France-Amérique magazine had an article in 2021 about African-American servicemen who stayed in or returned to France after WWII. They were accepted there! Reading HCR today and your response underscore what I believe - and any sensitive American who has returned to this country feels right away - that racism is in the air we breathe. It permeates everyone and everything, everywhere. From pumping gas to buying groceries. Still, many of us love our country and have stayed here and are working to make it the imagined better place that so many have fought and died for. Like MLK. Like Truman. You were so fortunate to meet him of “The Buck Stops Here.” ❤️🤍💙
TC, great post and personal story. Thanks!
Note: Truman was a country boy like Lincoln. Here, here!
Seems to me like we only move forward in the US when we get country boys in leadership.
Remember, Jimmy Carter was our last good, modern President as well.
(OK, I wish I could say country boys and country gals, but, historically, I cannot, .... yet).
Please, Mike. I’m a country boy, and your generalization is silly. Obama? FDR? Most Americans live in cities. Republicans love to promote the canard that the people living in rural states are the “real Americans”, and city people are socialist takers. Don’t feed into that.
PS I remember Carter well, he was a well-meaning but ineffective president.
You'll probably find others of us that you think require your instructions.
Dear Fern💙
🪴
🔥
JR, first, my apology for writing (partially) tongue in cheek but not making that clear in the writing. It is not like you could see the smile on my face as I wrote about the superiority of country boys as President.
I forgot Eisenhower who was also a country boy.
Of course it is silly to elevate any one set of humans above another. However, I bet within the last two weeks everyone on earth, in some way, has done that.
Again, I was tongue in cheek as I wrote, sort of.
:-)
Where does Slick Willy from Arkansas fit in your HOF?
Ah, yes, Slick Willy. A true disappointment when it comes to being a country boy. Went to all those fancy private schools and refused to ever even wear cowboy boots.
Louis, all I can say about slick W is that he was a failure in every way. He helped the Republicans continue offshoring. He defined African Americans who were smoking the same dope that white folks in the suburb were smoking as "super predators" and then helped write legislation to keep black men locked up for their entire life for two oz of Marijuana.
Truly a failure in all things.
A question I have always asked myself, given the many reputable reports on how many women Bill Clinton abused or outright raped is:
Why is Hillary still hanging around? Now THAT is a question which appears to have no rational answer.
I am hearing rumbling she will run again.
Aye. I guess losers just never learn they are losers no matter how many times they lose. Hillary, if she can manage to overcome what I and many Democrats will do to stop her from running, will lose.
‘…. A failure in every way…’! Logic dictates one counter example proves false the ‘every or all’ statements. I prefer to ‘paint’ with a narrower brush! I believe Clinton was a moderate Republican perhaps a Rockefeller style! Come to think of it Clinton and Rocky had a lot in common with their female escapades!
Clinton courted big business thus starting the alienation of union related groups toward the Democratic Party! However, his pro public education policies were a positive point in his time in office!
Excellent story TCinLA. Always inspiring to hear about mankind evolving in a positive manner.
A fascinating piece of personal history. Thank you!
Wonderful share. Thank you.
My favorite quote was "the buck stops here". How many politicians currently "serving" would even know what that meant!
Today, instead, it is now every politician with the palm of their hand out behind their back waiting for their "Citizens United voting-motivation" Eh!?
How true.
TC, I’m always impressed and amazed by the depth and breadth of your experiences and intelligence. Thank you for sharing this with us!
Wow! Thank You, TC!