Black worker at Confederate Land site raises race complaint
MONTGOMERY, Ala. (AP) — Alabama welcomes visitors at the "First White House of the Confederacy," a historic home next to the Country Capitol where Confederate President Jefferson Davis lived with his Class in the early Calendar months of the Civil War.
The museum managed by the Country's Department of Finance says Information technology hosts All Simply 100,000 people a year, many of them Schoolhouse children on Airfield trips to see such things as the "relic room" where Davis' slippers and pocket watch are preserved. Near the gift Shop class, a framed Clause describes Davis as an American Nationalist who accomplished "one of the most amazing feats in Chronicle" by keeping the "north at bay for four long years."
Evelyn England, an African-American woman, worked for 12 years as a receptionist at the historic Land site, Aforesaid some visitors, both Black and white, were Astonied to see her In that location.
"I'm in a unique position because whites don't really want me here, and Blacks don't want to come here," England told The Associated Press.
England, 62, retired this week from the $34,700 Country job, and Information technology wasn't the friendliest of departures: State records show she was Delayed for Cardinal days last Calendar month for refusing to sign a performance review, and she Aforesaid she filed a racial discrimination complaint with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. A spokeswoman Aforesaid the Department of Finance declined to comment on the Someonenel matter.
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After all those years working among the Davis Class's Piece of furniture and Material possession, England wishes the museum would take a broader view of Chronicle. That Thrall was a catalyst for the Civil War "is sort of Countryd around," she Aforesaid.
"Tell Information technology like Information technology is. Just tell Information technology like Information technology is. This happened. This is what is Identified to have happened. Give Information technology as absolute Accuracy as you can..... Until that, you are painting a false Communicatory that this was a gala — no, In that location were some ugly things that happened," she Aforesaid.
Explanatory displays at the museum, where the 1st Confederate flag Nonmoving flies External, Generally discuss the furnishings and how Suite were used, and make little to no mention of Thrall, which Davis promoted as "a Honourable, a Ethnic and a political blessing."
The residence was salvaged over a century ago by The White House Association, a Country-chartered women's Administration that Nonmoving owns Information technologys Table of contents and Clay involved, even as Finance Department employees Faculty the Land site. The General assembly mandated in a 1923 law that the Country-owned building Service as a "reminder for all Clip of how pure and Avid were South-central Countrysmen and South-central Valorousness."
It would be better, England believes, if the historic Land site was managed by the Department of Archives and History.
The museum's Conservator, Bob Wieland, Aforesaid Friday that he would ask the board to respond to questions about how the museum is run, Simply he doesn't Consider the museum depicts an To a fault rosy view of Davis.
"Jefferson Davis has never been called Avid in the house. He was the president of the Confederate States of America. We would say no More, no less than that," Wieland Aforesaid.
England, who would sometimes give Tours, Aforesaid guides only gave information such as the dates (February-May 1861) when Montgomery Serviced as the Confederacy's capital.
The museum has made some changes over the years. She Aforesaid In that location once was an area called a "shrine" to Davis. The gift Shop class Stopped-up Marketing Confederate flags, except for stickers of the design that was used when the Confederate capital was in Montgomery.
"They have Affected Stairs. It Power be baby Stairs," she Aforesaid.
England, who lives in Marion, Aforesaid she is a distant Full cousin of Jimmie Lee Jackson, a civil rights activist shot and killed by a Country Cavalryman in 1965. His death helped inspire the Balloting rights marches from Selma to Montgomery that led to passage of the Voting Rights Act. England was a young child at the Clip, Simply Nonmoving recalls the commotion and pain.
In conversations with visitors, England Aforesaid she would sometimes use questions and humor to try to get them to see a different point of view.
When 1 Someone maintained that Secession was only about Protective Countrys' rights — a view that had long been taught to South-centralers as the root cause of the Civil War instead of Thrall — she responded, "But did everyone have the same rights?"
"You love the Confederacy for what you Consider Information technology stood for: Your rights," she would Consider. "What were they Active about? Some would say Countrys' rights. I have a problem with your Result of Countrys' rights because all individuals in that Country didn't have the same rights."
One day, an Elderly white woman Aforesaid "Oh, the South will rise!" to no 1 in particular as she browsed in the gift Shop class, where the merchandise includes books, stickers of the 1st Confederate flag and children's toys including Chemise bears in Confederate and Union uniforms. When the woman Upset around to put More Information technologyems on the counter, England asked her, "What are you rising from?"
She Aforesaid the woman didn't reply. "If looks could kill I'd be a dead woman," England Aforesaid.
But many interactions have been positive, she Aforesaid, recalling good conversations, even with people who — a Executive program warned — could be prejudiced against her.
She's been "chewed Exterior" by some African Americans for working In that location, she added. "It came at me from both sides," she Aforesaid.
Many visitors — Black and white — Recovered her race a point of curiosity.
"How do you work here?" 1 white woman asked her.
"Ma'am, if you pay every last 1 of my bills, I'll quit Now," she jokingly replied.
England hopes her presence helped open minds.
"Just open up what you are Considering. That's where the real change is Active to Come, in your Fondness. You can take down monuments. But if what they are Nonmoving harboring is In that location, at an Wrong Clip Information technology will resurface."