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November, 2008
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Black Americana - collect or not?
As a European priest in an African religion who regularly communicates with American colleagues, I am often amazed by the U.S. American attitude towards ethnic differences. The race issue in the Land of the Free and the Home of the Brave seems to be lovingly fed, fondled, pampered, cherished, and even carefully re-animated each and every time it threatens to lose some of its zest.
"Race", whatever the word might mean, is of the utmost importance to my American friends, but long ago I've stopped discussing the issue with them - it's useless. "Race" is not a biological, but a cultural and social concept - one that Americans of all shades, hues and colors tend to get highly excited about. With many different results, one of the more innocent being an enormous supply of Black Americana. This area covers an inexhaustible range of African-American collectables, as shown below.
* Antiques pertaining to slavery and abolition;
* postcards featuring Black American people;
* "Mammy" items for decorative purposes;
* historical items from the early days of the NAACP;
* political posters featuring Black American activists;
* memorabilia featuring Afro-American singers and actors;
* newer, limited edition figures from current Afro-American artists;
* original artwork from Black American artists,
* and of course my personal favorites: documents, photos and memorablia of the "Tuskegee Airmen" who, as a group and as individuals, were among the absolute top of the American WWII fighter pilots.
Some of this "Black Americana" stuff is in remarkably bad taste, sort of hurting ones eyes and ones human decency - but come to think of it, most of mankinds history is in bad taste... yet all of us are the delightful results of it (grin)! The vast majority of Black Americana is also as "politically incorrect" as anything can even remotely be - but then again, "political correctness" has always seemed a bit of an oxymoron to me.
Remains the question: should any decent person collect this stuff? I'd say: yes. After all, the alternative would be that only indecent people collect it. Which would be a sad state of affairs.
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Tuskegee Airmen badge
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Added by Jaap Verduijn on March 6, 2:45 PM.
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