Day Tripping: February 9
The honoured and the dishonourable
Welcome to my daily feature where each day on the calendar marks a part of our shared history.
Lesser-Known Fight For Equality
In 1886 after an eruption of violence concerning anti-Chinese protests, US President Grover Cleveland declares a state of emergency and Marshal Law in Seattle. His order came after a group called the Knights of Labor attempted to expel all Chinese citizens from the city.
During the Gold Rush in the middle of that century, many Chinese workers were imported to fill a massive shortage of labour on the Pacific coast. Many of these immigrant workers were responsible for the completion of the American railroad system among other infrastructure projects.
Racial unrest has a long and sordid history in the expansion of North America as a whole. This is just another example of where immigrant workers are welcome to perform tasks as needed, and then shunned or outright castigated after the fact.
Smear Campaign of the Last Century
Senator Joseph McCarthy of Wisconsin addresses a Women’s Republican Club audience in West Virginia, falsely claiming to have the names of 205 Communists working in the State Department. Much like a more recent occupant of government office, McCarthy pronounces without a shred of evidence that homegrown traitors were causing America to lose the Cold War to the Soviet Union.
McCarthyism has become a household word in American history, and the representative would finally be censured by the Senate after turning his rhetoric against General Dwight Eisenhower, future President of the United States and American WWII hero.
It would seem the lessons of seventy years ago have gone unheeded. History has, and will certainly repeat itself when given the opportunity to fester with suspicion and ignorance.
Satchmo Better Late Than Never
The Baseball Hall of Fame inducts the great pitcher of Negro Leagues excellence, Satchel Paige. He was the first such player to be honoured among his white peers in Cooperstown. Considered by many greats of the era both black and white the most dominant pitcher ever faced, Paige didn’t see action in a Major League Baseball game until the age of 42.
By that time the showy starter had toiled for more than twenty years in the Negro Leagues. Satchmo as he was known to all, played for four seasons as a major leaguer, and then returned for a one-game cameo at stage 59.
Unfortunately, because of segregation, Satchel Paige like many other gifted athletes was never fully appreciated for his gifts on a world stage when he was in his prime.
Musical Milestones
All fab!
1961 — The original lineup of The Beatles which includes Pete Best on drums and Stuart Sutcliffe playing bass, perform for the first time at The Cavern Club in Liverpool, England.
1964 — I can still remember gathering around the black & white television set with my family as The Beatles took the stage for the first time in North America on The Ed Sullivan Show. Opening with All My Loving, we looked on in shock as teenage girls, and boys in the audience screamed wildly with delight.
Narratives
1944 — Acclaimed author of The Color Purple, Alice Walker is born.
1979 — After premiering across American screens, Walter HIll’s film, The Warriors, is forced to suspend its marketing campaign the following weekend due to reported violence and vandalism around the country.
Remembrance
Princess Margaret in 2002, the younger sister of Queen Elizabeth II was often in the news for her unroyal behaviour, yet remained one of Elizabeth’s closest confidants.
Ed Sabol was probably more responsible for bringing NFL Football to prominence than he’s given credit for. His unmistakable voice and leadership in making NFL Films documentaries are legendary achievements in filmmaking. 2015
Notable Births
Joe Pesci — Favourite little tough guy in Martin Scorses films, and occasionally very funny villain from the Home Alone franchise in 1943.
Mia Farrow — More famous unfortunately for being embroiled in a public marital and child custody battle with Woody Allen, she is his ex-wife and ex-star born in 1945.
Micael B. Jordan — film star of The Black Panther and the Rocky reboot, Creed in 1987.
Thanks for taking the time to read this article dedicated to the days of our history. I hope to see you tomorrow for another installment.
Katie Wallace Maria Rattray Joseph M. Learned Maryam Merchant Dr Mehmet Yildiz Tree Langdon