Channeling the Ancestors: Rhiannon Giddens Shines a Spotlight on America’s Dark Past
A few days ago I turned on Tavis Smiley to escape the nonsense I was hearing and seeing on CNN and MSNBC, and happened to catch a beautiful young sistah in the middle of a song. She was accompanying herself on an old banjo, singing her heart out. The lyrics I happened to hear were: "Julie, O Julie, won’t you lie If they find that trunk of gold by my side. Julie, O Julie, you tell them men That trunk of gold is yours, my friend. Mistress, O Mistress, I won’t lie If they find that trunk of gold by your side. Mistress, O Mistress, that trunk of gold Is what you got when my children were sold. Mistress, O Mistress, don’t you cry. The price of staying here is too high! Mistress, O Mistress, I wish you well. But in leavin’ here, I’m leavin’ Hell!" My partner and I jumped up and looked at each other and exclaimed, “Who is that?!” Neither of us knew, so I set the TV to record the show for the broadcast the following day. Turns out...