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I was listening to C-Span on Xm radio tonight and their "American Perspectives" series replayed discussion with Henry Gates just before his arrest where he talks about race, slavery and Lincoln. The link to the audio is here.
If you think you know what this guy is all about, you don't until you have listened to this. He is full of interesting facts and has a very balanced approach to the topic and seems to particularly relish demythologizing what people believe about historical heros, and not just Lincoln, but he also talks about misconceptions blacks have about their own heritage. From the fact that the slave trade originates in Africa with blacks waging war on other black to capture them to sell to whites, to the fact that most free black in the antebellum south themselves owned slaves (and NOT just their own family), to the fact that a group of slave owning blacks in North Carolina formed a regiment and fought on the side of the Confederates (all around and after 1:26). He makes a statement to the effect that blacks are just as despicable as any other people and given the opportunity will oppress to the same extend whites have.
But to me his most interesting comments (starting around 1:18) are to the effect that each generation reconstructs Lincoln in its own image and always sees Lincoln reflected back when it looks in the mirror. Castro and Reagan both named Lincoln has their hero, for example. He also states that in his opinion Lincoln is greater not as a myth but as a man who is "better for being a little bad." The idea that his true greatness results in part from his flaws and that it is better to view the whole, if flawed, man and that it gives him short shrift to simply paint him as a sort of "American Jesus." I couldn't help but think as I listened to that that he had almost exactly captured my thoughts about a contemporary of Lincolns, who was also martyred, but as a much younger man: Joseph Smith.
Folks may also find it interesting around 22:00 where he talks about the genealogical work he has done Provo and how the "Mormons gave me my family back." He readily acknowledges that the world authority on genealogy is the church.
Anyway, I don't know what happened in his house but this is not some guy on a crusade looking to become an object lesson. He is clearly brilliant and this is well worth investing some time in listening to. Enjoy.
If you think you know what this guy is all about, you don't until you have listened to this. He is full of interesting facts and has a very balanced approach to the topic and seems to particularly relish demythologizing what people believe about historical heros, and not just Lincoln, but he also talks about misconceptions blacks have about their own heritage. From the fact that the slave trade originates in Africa with blacks waging war on other black to capture them to sell to whites, to the fact that most free black in the antebellum south themselves owned slaves (and NOT just their own family), to the fact that a group of slave owning blacks in North Carolina formed a regiment and fought on the side of the Confederates (all around and after 1:26). He makes a statement to the effect that blacks are just as despicable as any other people and given the opportunity will oppress to the same extend whites have.
But to me his most interesting comments (starting around 1:18) are to the effect that each generation reconstructs Lincoln in its own image and always sees Lincoln reflected back when it looks in the mirror. Castro and Reagan both named Lincoln has their hero, for example. He also states that in his opinion Lincoln is greater not as a myth but as a man who is "better for being a little bad." The idea that his true greatness results in part from his flaws and that it is better to view the whole, if flawed, man and that it gives him short shrift to simply paint him as a sort of "American Jesus." I couldn't help but think as I listened to that that he had almost exactly captured my thoughts about a contemporary of Lincolns, who was also martyred, but as a much younger man: Joseph Smith.
Folks may also find it interesting around 22:00 where he talks about the genealogical work he has done Provo and how the "Mormons gave me my family back." He readily acknowledges that the world authority on genealogy is the church.
Anyway, I don't know what happened in his house but this is not some guy on a crusade looking to become an object lesson. He is clearly brilliant and this is well worth investing some time in listening to. Enjoy.
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