OKAY SO like, Henry Ford, the founder of Ford Motor Vehicles, was a noted racist. He hated jazz because he thought it was a Jewish conspiracy to corrupt the masses and take over the world. RIDICULOUS, am I right? (This must have been wild news to the African-Americans who actually invented it, but ANYWAY...)
Long story short, he poured a shitload of money into promoting square dancing as a wholesome (aka. "white") alternative to the moral decay supposedly brought on by jazz and its ilk. He published a book. He required all his employees to go to square dancing events. Funded fiddling contests and radio programs, created square dancing clubs... and it finally made its way physical education classes for kids, where it remains today.
The irony of all this, of course, is that America's square dancing tradition originally comes from African Americans, but it got whitewashed much like everything else.
And THAT'S why we all had to do it in gym class! (I am not making this up. I bet I could find a book on it in the library if you need me to cite my sources.)
DM 11/28, late
OKAY SO like, Henry Ford, the founder of Ford Motor Vehicles, was a noted racist. He hated jazz because he thought it was a Jewish conspiracy to corrupt the masses and take over the world. RIDICULOUS, am I right? (This must have been wild news to the African-Americans who actually invented it, but ANYWAY...)
Long story short, he poured a shitload of money into promoting square dancing as a wholesome (aka. "white") alternative to the moral decay supposedly brought on by jazz and its ilk. He published a book. He required all his employees to go to square dancing events. Funded fiddling contests and radio programs, created square dancing clubs... and it finally made its way physical education classes for kids, where it remains today.
The irony of all this, of course, is that America's square dancing tradition originally comes from African Americans, but it got whitewashed much like everything else.
And THAT'S why we all had to do it in gym class! (I am not making this up. I bet I could find a book on it in the library if you need me to cite my sources.)