William Apess was an eloquent Enlightenment era writer and preacher who used logic to protest oppression of the Native Americans by whites. In his work, "An Indian's Looking Glass for the White Man," Apess explains some of the reasons that Indians live in poverty and degradation. He explains that the reason his people suffer is because the whites have stolen their land and resources, and because they discriminate against the Native people with unjust laws. Adam Wick writes in his post "Apess and Franklin," "Apess valued learning and believed it should not be held from anybody. Apess wanted to integrate Indians into the neo-American culture." He believed strongly in the Christian religion, and expresses great frustration at how poorly Christians implement their faith's' basic tenets. Apess strives to explain to religious white people that their Christian religion demands that they begin to honor the Native Americans and assist them as a remedy of past injustices. Appess does not shy away from his beliefs, but calls the whites on their behavior. He expresses moral outrage, asking, "Can you charge the Indians with robbing a nation almost of their whole Continent, and murdering their women and children, and then depriving them of the remainder of their lawful rights, that nature and God require them to have" (Apess par. 8)? A song that Apess would likely have on his iPod is "Oh, Susquehanna!" by Defiance, Ohio. I believe that Apess would appreciate that some white people, like the kids in Defiance, Ohio, regret white America's treatment of the Native Americans. In "Oh, Susquehanna!," Defiance, Ohio protests the removal of an Indian burial ground in order to build a suburban strip mall in Kentucky. They sing, "And I feel like this could all come to no good. The kids who populate these cul-de-sacs will never know what stood beneath those cookie cutter houses: fields and streams and woods. They'll sit in cars and wait for mom to drive them out of this boring neighborhood.Oh, Susquehanna!... And I wonder, what did they do with the bodies" (Defiance, Ohio). Apess would be disappointed that even the remains of Native Americans have been mistreated by encroaching greed. Apess asks the whites, "can you deny that you are not robbing the Indians daily, and many others" (par. 14)? While being distressed at the continuing disrespect toward his people, I think that Apess would consider Defiance, Ohio to be among the "noble spirits...well calculated to promote the happiness of all mankind" (par. 14), and would appreciate their compassion.
Another song that may have appeared on William Apess' iPod, were such an anachronistic possibility to occur, would be Two Gallants' song, "Waves of Grain." This song is searingly emotional in its indictment against unjust war in the name of protecting American interests, in the name of progress. Apess chastises white Christians for their treatment of Indians, which is hypocritically inconsistent with their religion. He writes that Jesus was not white and asks, "if he should appear amongst us, would he not be shut out of doors by many, very quickly? and by those too, who profess religion" (Apess par. 13). "Waves of Grain" criticizes the Bush administration for entering into war with Iraq. Two Gallants allege that then President Bush, who was a self- professed devout Christian was motivated by oil profits in the Middle East. This is contrary to his stated reason that he was protecting American freedom. They write, "And your children are reared by panic and fear. But what when all your fields are rotten, your waves of grain, amber waves of grain? Your work is yet done: inbreed us 'till we're all the same. Your collection of tongues you keep framed in your parlor with you bibles and guns, the fetus of Christ with a fistful of scars" (Two Gallants). These lines are quite dense, but refer to many of the accusations made by Apess. Two Gallants say that Americans are raised to fear people who are different-whether by nationality or ethnicity, and to react to them with panic. By spending so much money on the military, America leaves its fields "rotten," (Two Gallants) and many of its own people struggling and hungry. This echoes Apess' contentions about whites' prejudice toward the Native Americans. He writes that it is because of whites that the Native Americans on New England's reservations are "the most mean, abject, miserable race of beings in the world--a complete place of prodigality and prostitution" (Apess par. 1). He states that it is white men who are seducing the Native American women and turning them into prostitutes (par.2). Apess mentions a Massachusetts law that outlaws Native Americans from marrying whites (par. 12), just as Two Gallants protest racism by comparing it with inbreeding. "Waves of Grain" references war trophies displayed alongside bibles and and guns, which are contradictory items. If Christians have been told by their Christ to love one another, as Apess points out (par. 10), then how can they justify violence toward their fellow humans? The "fetus of Christ with a fistful of scars" (Two Gallants) refers to a stunted understanding of Christianity that uses religion as a weapon, rather than a philosophy of love and justice. Both Apess and Two Gallants passionately protest the hypocrisy of violence and oppression committed by white Christians against people of color. They both use poetic language and imagery. Apess writes, "and pray you not stop till this tree of distinction shall be levelled to the earth, and the mantle of prejudice torn from every American heart--then shall peace prevail upon the Union" (par. 15). This beautiful imagery and attention to detail are found in "Waves of Grain" as well. Two Gallants sing, "And the oceans shall rise up and slap the shores of mountainsides. Great waves of progress shall wet the air...And my words won't be done; they'll never be done till the end." Apess would appreciate "Waves of Grain" for its intense emotional appeal to the government to behave ethically and its righteous condemnation of injustice.
Olauduh Equiano led an extraordinary life and wrote about his experiences in his two-volume autobiography, The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olauduh Equiano, or Gustavus Vassa, the African. He was stolen from Africa as a child and sold into slavery. Equiano, like Apess, was influenced by Enlightenment ideals and Christianity. Isaac Sullivan points He believed in perfecting himself through education. I think that if Equiano had an iPod, he may have included "Love and Logic" by American Steel. Equiano had an amazing ability to adapt to even the harshest circumstances. While he was initially terrified of his European captors, he realized that the best thing that he could do was to learn their ways (vol. 1 132). This logical decision helped him survive by allowing him to communicate with the Europeans, and eventually adopt their Christian religion and become baptised. Equiano writes, "I had the stronger desire to resemble them; to imbibe their spirit, and imitate their manners; I therefore embraced every occasion of improvement; and every new thing that I observed I treasured up in my memory" (132-133). Equiano's Enlightenment views that everyone can improve themselves by logical choices and education. By becoming more like the Europeans and white Americans, Equiano made himself more acceptable to them, which American Steel expresses a similar sentiment--that education is empowering. American Steel uses "love" rather than religion to speak to development of morality. They sing, "Come sons of every man still waiting for their promised land/ Huddled masses rise up, rebel hearts stand tall/ Because love's the only answer to anything you've ever wondered/ That is, love and logic" (American Steel). "Love and Logic" expresses the optimistic message that the underprivileged can "rise up" (American Steel) and make a better world for themselves with "love and logic" (American Steel).
Another song that Equiano would likely have on his iPod is "Psalms 40:2" by The Mountain Goats because of its religious theme. Equiano expresses his faith in Christianity throughout his narrative. He believes that God's providence has compensated him for his suffering under slavery by introducing him to Christianity (iii-iv). Both Equiano and the persona narrating "Psalms 40:2" describe transience, and the experience of traveling through unknown places. Because he embraces religion from an outsider's perspective, I think that Equiano would find affinity with the lyrics, "Pulled off the highway in Missouri and low our hearts were heavy laid/ Made for the chapel with some spray paint for all the things we'd held in secret" (The Mountain Goats). These lines suggest that the song's narrator needs to address the church's congregation, but must do so in an unorthodox way--just as Equiano must address European Christians through his narrative. As our venerable instructor points out, "Equiano wants to accept positive parts of European culture, but he has to fight against the fundamental racist beliefs of the Europeans that make slavery acceptable" (Creel, "Gil's Recap"). The Mountain Goats sing, "Lord, send me a mechanic, if I'm not beyond repair," which seems like something Equiano would believe-Enlightenment-style perfection of an individual through God's Providence (Equiano iv-v). Both the song and the narrative use imagery of God raising the individual out of his circumstances. The Mountain Goats sing, "he has raised me from my pit and set me high." Equiano writes, upon purchasing his freedom, "All within my breast was tumult, wildness, and delirium! My feet scarcely touched the ground, for they were winged with joy...like Elijah, as he rose to Heaven" (vol. 2 16).
While Apess and Equiano would likely each appreciate one another's playlists, Apess' songs speak of land that has been occupied, while Equiano's selections refer to the experience of being in a new land. Both writers were discriminated against, and each believed that education was the answer to achieving success. Finally, when they were tired of all the angst of the above song selections, both writers would appreciate Aretha Franklin's "Respect," which sums up what they were looking for all along. Both men prove that they were hardworking, intelligent, articulate, and devout. All they were looking for was some respect.
Equiano, Oulaudah. The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, Gustavus Vassa, the African. Written by Himself, Volumes I and II. Electronic Edition. Academic Affairs Library, UNC-CH. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 2001. <http://docsouth.unc.edu/neh/equiano1/equiano1.html>
Dude I randomly clicked on your page and then saw my name and then looked further and saw that you included some Two Gallants, I love that band!! I've almost cried before listening to this album.
and sorry for calling you dude, I just put that in there because thats how I would have said it in person.
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Comments (1)
Ike.Sull said
at 6:19 pm on Nov 13, 2011
Dude I randomly clicked on your page and then saw my name and then looked further and saw that you included some Two Gallants, I love that band!! I've almost cried before listening to this album.
and sorry for calling you dude, I just put that in there because thats how I would have said it in person.
You don't have permission to comment on this page.