Episode 5
For the Love of Black Women
Episode 5 Transcript
INTRO
Hey Y’all, and welcome back to classical queens. I’m Jessica Joy and I’m here to introduce you to the Black women composers and musicians in classical music you probably haven’t heard about. Today, I decided to break from my format a bit, and share a singular book with you all, so we can all have a greater grasp on a vital piece of primary research that touches most of my research. The book, is by Margaret Bonds estranged father, Dr. Monroe Alpheus Majors, and is entitled, ‘ Noted Negro Women, their Triumphs and Activities’.
Now the first time I encountered this book, I was just elated. I felt all bubbly, and was just engrossed in seeing sketches of these women, the array of professions, and how much they were capable of doing despite America's social climate. Now, If I remember correctly I was at a point in my research where I felt like I was hitting a wall. I couldn’t seem to find information on anyone outside those already well researched, or remembered like Margaret Bonds or Marian Andersen for example. I was beginning to be frustrated and feeling like because this research isn’t too important to the vast majority of classical musicians and scholars, and I being here in Boise Idaho, I wouldn’t be able to really get farther than I had. I reached out to my professor, and she taught me how to go about seeking out more. Access really can turn things around. Maybe this seems silly or simple, but utilizing the right wording can bring so much varying material like access to relevant journals, articles, or books, with just the change of a singular word in a search, or from moving from a plural usage to singular. She taught me to create a catalog of the kinds of wording I would use in my searches, that did or didn’t get scholarly hits. Lastly, I began to really understand how to utilize bibliographies, as divergent paths to follow can explain what an author may have not been able. It was then, when we began to refine my searches, utilize sources differently, and specify my use of language to not language solely in my thought process, but language that others consider from, that I found this book.
Noted Negro Women, their Triumphs and Activites
Now let me introduce you to this piece of literary magic by Dr. Monroe Alpheus Major’s- Noted Negro Women, their triumphs and activities.
This book is a rare and beautiful piece of primary research about Black American women, and their contribution to the elevation of their race, with dates ranging from the mid-1800’s to the early-1900’s. I found within this work, an almost worshipful approach to the biographies of these women. Although I see the florid Victorian language used as slightly controversial -from a contemporary perspective- the intention behind this writing is what is most imperative. Dr. Majors seeks to draw attention to brilliant women through highly descriptive verbiage. He works to show their goodness related to the skills they were bringing to the public, their godliness, and their willingness to teach their specific black experience, so younger generations had something to aspire to.
On the title page of this book, Dr. M. A. Majors leaves a few of his own quotes to preface his research. “A race, no less than a nation, is prosperous in proportion to the intelligence of its women.” and “Great duties are before me, and great deeds, and whether crowned or crown-less when I fall, it matters not, so as Gods work is done.” (1) These quotes perfectly describe certain traits that Dr. Majors utilized, in designating which women to place within these pages and how he spoke about them. The introduction, written by the President of Paul Quinn College -one of the first historically black colleges and universities (HBCU) below Mississippi- H. T. Keating explains Dr. Majors’ motives. His explanation is based on who Dr. Majors was and how he advocated for his community. Keating states,
“ This merited recognition of the virtues and force of the noted women of the races whose work and influence have all too long been unnoticed, will receive at the hands of a discriminating public the attention its importance demands. (6)
Keating spoke of the kind of advocacy Dr. Majors participated in, within his own field, medicine, and also for women. Together, both Majors and Keating offer an empathetic approach, from their vicarious experience, towards the lack of representation Black women had during their lifetimes. This book, being proof that they both were strong advocates in changing this unfortunate norm. Following this explanation of Keating’s, the preface is where Dr. Majors further states his intentions. The Latin proverb, ‘Qualitatum non Quantum’(7), is used as the qualitative focus for his work. Qualitatum means, quality, as Quantum means, a discrete amount, and of course non meaning, not. This research meant exactly this to Dr. Majors; to disseminate the qualities of the smallest subset of humankind rarely considered as elevated, the black woman.
Dr. Majors separates this book into sections and the women discussed are not categorized in any particular order within these parts, simply, one biography is continuously followed by another. Each of these sections begin with a woman’s name, and the public titles she lived by. Many of these biographies offer hand drawn portraits of their subjects, but it is sadly not a united trait through the whole of this book. Dr. Majors is however, very consistent with his language. Each woman is not only appreciated for what she has done for her community, but also for every ounce of humility and godly pursuit she imbues. In each biography, details are shared about each woman’s life. He lists where she was born, if she was born a slave, or born free, and how the things she lived through allowed for her to elevate herself. That could relate to the training she had, the people who helped her cultivate art form, or what her work did to support her community. Helpfully, especially for modern researchers, Dr. Majors named newspapers he took quotes from, which offer an explanation on how well known these women were throughout black and white communities. Another captivating attribute of this book, it is not just about extraordinary Black American women musicians. This book does hold biographies on twenty-five musicians, four of whom are still well known, but it also has information on black teachers, nuns, African princesses and queens, writers, scientists, pantomimists, linguists, suffragettes, actresses, physicians, and lecturers. Almost all of whom Dr. Majors had met, worked with, read about, or had heard of from other sources, either friends or colleagues. Majors is very clear about his relationship to each of these women, however despite the type of connection, he speaks of each woman in the same florid manner.
I have spent some time analyzing the cultural situation that most of these women and Dr. Majors were amidst, and when this is considered, it offers a better understanding as to the use of language. Possible future intellectual controversy, due to romanticizing women and relationships with them, has nothing do with this work. Majors was seeking to share an elevated black culture to the public. He needed to not only share the life and work of these women, but his contribution to this work also needed to be elevated to be noticed. He used a popular medium of the time; romanticism and its language, in order to further elevate. He also understood privilege. He knew no one else would be able to write and research these women as he could. The likelihood of someone else doing so, who had the same sort of education, financial success, and social status that he had as a Black American man, would be highly minimal. This book has been an eye opening work to study from, as it is one of just a few books that offer first hand knowledge of well known black women of the time. It is also a hugely valuable resource, because Dr. Majors names so many people, in and outside of music, who could have been lost. Although I do battle with the controversy of language relating to the way these women are depicted at times. I also realize that much early research and observation the intellectual world utilizes regularly, is based off of someone’s opinion, perspective, experience or lack thereof, during a specific period of time, not necessarily a specific method of standardized unbiased research.
However one chooses to comprehend this book, I believe one fact must remain ever present, no one was writing about black women. The fact that a man dedicated a great deal of his time and finances, into making this book a reality, says a lot about what he was seeing in these women and what he wanted the culturally black and culturally white world to see as well. As he stated in his retrospection, “ The truth is, many of our white enemies and friends do not realize what we are doing, mentally, physically and morally as a race. And while we have much to do in the future, we can congratulate ourselves upon the past.” (357) Dr. Majors understood the importance of sharing history, and understanding that things of the past can inform a more hopeful future for all communities. I see hope in this work. Hope for the future of black and brown people, to continue to seek education, be inspired by the work and the lives of the people that came before, and the ability to build themselves a niche of their own, in this highly complex and racially separate world.
Questions About this Book
The final thing I would like to consider, and sadly I wish that I had come to this idea first, is what about the women who weren’t deemed as pure, beautiful, but were immensely talented? Have they been lost to history because they didn’t conform to a societal ideal?
A colleague of mine asked this question of a research paper I wrote on this book. Honestly, at the time I was so busy buzzin’ about what was new and exciting to me and my conclusions on the book, that I didn’t even consider the implications of a lack of womanly purity. I never questioned the validity within this question. So much that doesn’t live up to the pervasive societal, religious, what have you standard, is often easily ignored. This is the same when we look at black culture, and how it has so long been perceived by white culture. I suppose I leave this understanding wondering, what is a way around this. So pertinent information isn’t lost, just because a lifestyle doesn’t conform to an accepted societal standard….if I figure out this answer, I’ll be sure to share in the future.
Community Consideration
You know, I remember catching up with one of my favorite and most trusted professors at one point. They asked me about my experience within religion regarding my race, as I was trying to ignore religion within my research, and they wanted to understand my perspective because for Black America, religion was an important space, and something to not ignore. Now for me, this was a big question, but the person asking meant a lot to me, and I trusted them, so I shared my story. Its a interesting experience, one that’s hard to process. But involves the religious background I grew up in to deny the importance of my existence because of race. When you for so long have thought a space was safe, and you come to find out that people begin boycotting that space of worship just because you exist there, it really is heartbreaking, and was specifically my reasoning for creating space between myself religion. I wanted to love me, and not hate that I existed, so I needed to leave. Something I remember my professor saying was, you need to write down your story. I remember laughing, and asking why. I truly didn’t understand why a sob story about my relationship with religion was important. My professor said, don’t you see, this story is unique, based on the religion in question, and is a story that within the religion many would not hear, or choose to believe. That if I never felt fully comfortable to share the details of this experience with the world, that someday, someone might need this story in order to help them through their own experience. Or that this information could help others better understand the inner workings of this religion. Ive sat with this conversation, and with this book Noted Negro Women for years now. I sat with my story for even more. What I have come to realize is that it is because of the written word that most of these women are still remembered and why their lives can continue to be disseminated. The existence of works like these also prove this falsity that I heard for so long, even in the halls of education, women and people of color aren’t discussed in music because they didn’t create anything good enough to take note.
Now the question I asked earlier, what about the women who weren’t deemed as pure, but were extraordinary. Could they have been lost because a book like Noted Negro Women had just a singular perspective and didn’t see anything outside of that perspective as being worthy enough? I then think of myself, if my story could help someone, and with my understanding of the importance of history, is my story worthy enough? Even if its just little ole Jessica Joy, should it be written down? I mean, I suppose that someday, we all will be another bit of history to both be remembered and forgotten? It is with this understanding, of my professors question, and understanding how grateful I am for a book like Noted Negro Women, a book that offered me this intangible support that although I’m just a regular ass human person, my existence and experience is something. That sharing could prove useful, to the future of history, to those we leave behind, and to those who we do not know, but who may need the support of the past, of books, or of real stories, because they do not have that anywhere near their immediate vicinity.
Hmm- just things to consider, as we keep on….ya know?
