There's another man mentioned in Rising Tide who had local ties to my town. Dr. Robert Russa Moton is probably best remembered for being the second president of Tuskeegee Normal School, following the death of the first president and a personal friend of his, Mr. Booker T. Washington. Just as notable is his partnership with Julius Rosenwald, Chairman of the Board for Sears and Roebuck, that created hundreds of Rosenwald Schools in the American South for the purpose of educating black students.
It was news to me that 90 years ago, Moton delivered the keynote speech at the dedication ceremony for the Lincoln Memorial. Rising Tide mentions this distinction as well as his close relationship with Mr. Herbert Hoover which began prior to Hoover's presidency. As the Secretary of Commerce, Hoover was placed in charge of a commission to oversee flood relief. In late May of 1927, Hoover sent a telegraph to Moton requesting that he advise him on the creation of a Colored Advisory Commission that would investigate any complaints regarding the treatment of black citizens following the flood.
Last time I told you about how free black men across the Delta were forced to remain and work on flood-related clean up and damage. Specifically, the people who took shelter on the Greenville Levee were not evacuated, even though the boats and barges were sent to the area upon Will Percy's first order. When his father exerted pressure enough to undermine Will's decision, the boats left...nearly empty, and none of the passengers were black. Up to 13,000 black people lived on the 8-mile Greenville Levee, and I don't think I have to tell you that they were not afforded even the basic nutrition needed to live. The way Barry writes it, Greenville was known among its black population for being one of the better places to live because of nearly non-existent incidents of what we now know as hate crimes. Under the Percy family's leadership, it wasn't tolerated. What a shock it must have been when the years' old atmosphere changed right as the flood passed.
I can't even bring myself to tell you about the shameful speech Will Percy delivered to a large congregation of black Greenville citizens after the unwarranted murder of one of the entire community's most revered black residents. And he had the nerve to deliver such venom in the pulpit of Mt. Horeb Baptist Church. You wouldn't believe me if I told you, but feel free to flip ahead to page 334.
There was plenty to complain about, and I'm not sure exactly which details made it into the Colored Advisory Commission's report, but the document was only seven pages long. And although he created the CAC and asked for the feedback, it seems that the content of the report was "disappointing" and began a rift between Hoover and Moton. He led Moton to believe that positive, widespread changes were on the horizon for all black Americans, none of which were carried out, as far as I can tell.
This is the simplified version, I assure you. This book is over 400 pages long and dense with people, places, things and ideas. Read it for yourself and draw your own conclusions. I guarantee you that Hurricane Katrina will be in the back of your mind as you turn each page.
As for Moton, he lived the last five years of his life in Cappohosic. You may read more about him here, or make plans to visit the Moton Conference Center. It's a beautiful home that looks out onto the York River.
It was news to me that 90 years ago, Moton delivered the keynote speech at the dedication ceremony for the Lincoln Memorial. Rising Tide mentions this distinction as well as his close relationship with Mr. Herbert Hoover which began prior to Hoover's presidency. As the Secretary of Commerce, Hoover was placed in charge of a commission to oversee flood relief. In late May of 1927, Hoover sent a telegraph to Moton requesting that he advise him on the creation of a Colored Advisory Commission that would investigate any complaints regarding the treatment of black citizens following the flood.
Last time I told you about how free black men across the Delta were forced to remain and work on flood-related clean up and damage. Specifically, the people who took shelter on the Greenville Levee were not evacuated, even though the boats and barges were sent to the area upon Will Percy's first order. When his father exerted pressure enough to undermine Will's decision, the boats left...nearly empty, and none of the passengers were black. Up to 13,000 black people lived on the 8-mile Greenville Levee, and I don't think I have to tell you that they were not afforded even the basic nutrition needed to live. The way Barry writes it, Greenville was known among its black population for being one of the better places to live because of nearly non-existent incidents of what we now know as hate crimes. Under the Percy family's leadership, it wasn't tolerated. What a shock it must have been when the years' old atmosphere changed right as the flood passed.
I can't even bring myself to tell you about the shameful speech Will Percy delivered to a large congregation of black Greenville citizens after the unwarranted murder of one of the entire community's most revered black residents. And he had the nerve to deliver such venom in the pulpit of Mt. Horeb Baptist Church. You wouldn't believe me if I told you, but feel free to flip ahead to page 334.
There was plenty to complain about, and I'm not sure exactly which details made it into the Colored Advisory Commission's report, but the document was only seven pages long. And although he created the CAC and asked for the feedback, it seems that the content of the report was "disappointing" and began a rift between Hoover and Moton. He led Moton to believe that positive, widespread changes were on the horizon for all black Americans, none of which were carried out, as far as I can tell.
This is the simplified version, I assure you. This book is over 400 pages long and dense with people, places, things and ideas. Read it for yourself and draw your own conclusions. I guarantee you that Hurricane Katrina will be in the back of your mind as you turn each page.
As for Moton, he lived the last five years of his life in Cappohosic. You may read more about him here, or make plans to visit the Moton Conference Center. It's a beautiful home that looks out onto the York River.
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