Kent Rasmussen in CRITICAL COMPANION TO MARK TWAIN records a meeting between Clemens, G. W. Cable. and Douglass on Nov. 25, 1884 backstage at their speaking performance in Washington, DC — at the same time with Pres. Chester Arthur. Barb On Monday, August 10, 2020, Dave Davis <[log in to unmask]> wrote: > I'd say he certainly did his bit, according to his lights. And, I think the > passage you cite, Clay, suggests that notion wonderfully and > subserversively. Other evidences that he came to believe that Black lives > matter, too, are to be found elsewhere in 'Huck Finn' also -- it is a > central point of Jim's narrative and Huck's dawning realization of his own > moral situation. And, of course, there's " “A True Story Repeated Word for > Word as I Heard It ." It's a complex record, but on the whole a decent > one, I feel. > > I don't know if he ever met Frederick Douglass (d .1895) or heard him > speak but that is certainly possible. He met and was photographed with > G.W. Carver, and supported the Tuskegee Institute, as well as donating > privately to one or more Black students who were pursuing college degrees, > I believe. (Paine reports this.) > > A less prominent African-American whom he held in high regard -- John T. > Lewis -- is discussed in this article (there are a couple of famous > photographs of them together): Lewis was employed as a coachman for Jervis > Langdon. > > https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2004/jun/18/20040618-080728-2424r/ > > See also: http://www.twainquotes.com/Negroes.html > > DDD > > > On Mon, Aug 10, 2020 at 9:17 AM Clay Shannon <[log in to unmask]> wrote: > > > If Alive Today, Would Mark Twain support "Black Lives Matter"? > > I believe that he doubtless would. > > By exposing the way some white folks thought at the time (mid-1800s) and > > place (Mississippi River valley), Mark Twain made the point in > "Adventures > > of Huckleberry Finn" that Black Lives Matter. > > You might even say that is the whole theme of the book. For one example > of > > that, note this passage from Chapter 33 where Twain, in a tongue-in-cheek > > way, underscores the illogical thinking of some white people of the time > > and place: > > “Now I can have a good look at you; and, laws-a-me, I’ve been hungry for > > it a many and a many a time, all these long years, and it’s come at last! > > We been expecting you a couple of days and more. What kep’ you?—boat get > > aground?” > > “Yes’m—she—” > > “Don’t say yes’m—say Aunt Sally. Where’d she get aground?” > > I didn’t rightly know what to say, because I didn’t know whether the boat > > would be coming up the river or down. But I go a good deal on instinct; > > and my instinct said she would be coming up—from down towards Orleans. > That > > didn’t help me much, though; for I didn’t know the names of bars down > that > > way. I see I’d got to invent a bar, or forget the name of the one we got > > aground on—or—Now I struck an idea, and fetched it out: > > “It warn’t the grounding—that didn’t keep us back but a little. We > blowed > > out a cylinder-head.” > > “Good gracious! anybody hurt?” > > “No’m. Killed a nigger.” > > “Well, it’s lucky; because sometimes people do get hurt. Two years ago > > last Christmas your uncle Silas was coming up from Newrleans on the old > > Lally Rook, and she blowed out a cylinder-head and crippled a man. And I > > think he died afterwards. He was a Baptist. Your uncle Silas knowed a > > family in Baton Rouge that knowed his people very well. Yes, I remember > > now, he did die. Mortification set in, and they had to amputate him. But > > it didn’t save him. Yes, it was mortification—that was it. He turned > blue > > all over, and died in the hope of a glorious resurrection. They say he > was > > a sight to look at. > > > > > > - B. Clay Shannon > > >