DIY History | Transcribe | Social Justice | May Tangen Christmas Letters, 1961-1974 | 1968-01-28 Letter to Jo, John, Kirk, Becky and Natalie Page 2

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May Tangen Christmas Letters, 1961-1974

1968-01-28 Letter to Jo, John, Kirk, Becky and Natalie Page 2

2

head of NAACP here in Holly Springs. Mrs. Nero is one of our two blond Negroes, what they used to call high yellow in olden days, I suppose. I don't know how much dye she uses in her hair, but I heard a comment that some one liked it much better this year than last. Of the group, she was the only one who had been here last year, so you see the youth of the faculty -- in years of service, that is. 

We've had two tremendous speakers on the campus this last week, both urging Negroes to know their history and heritage. The word is negritude. Black Power is here, but there is talk of Neo-Tomism, the acceptance of the best of both Negro and white culture. The "Tom" part, in case you don't know, is from Uncle Tom, the subservient Negro whose pleases the whites, a much abhorred figure. I didn't hear the man who spoke a week ago tonight because I had to keep the library open, but on Saturday morning I ate with the two white women, Mrs. Williamson and Miss Lundberg. Miss Lundberg had been very enthusiastic about the speaker and had been part of the group that had met between sessions, at the coffee hour, in student jam sessions during the night. (She's just out of Mich State U herself, here teaching physical education and being dorm counselor). She told us that she had been informally elected honorary Negro during the night by the students, because of her liberality and understanding and militancy (she didn't use that word). I found I envied her to the bottom of my shoes to think that anyone could be that well accepted. I told Mrs. Lindsey that this ought to be done more, since if the Negroes conferred honorary Negritude on accepted whites, it showed that they now themselves felt that being a Negro was an honor. And so it should be. Indians do this: their honored guests become honorary Indians, as Lady Bird Johnson a couple of years ago.

I have sensed a sort of rivalry between Miss Lundberg and myself. Of course I can't do what she's doing at my age, fraternizing with students. But in my way, joining the Negro church as I did, served much the same purpose. The Methodist faculty members have "carried" me everywhere to meetings so that I feel like a choice plum. But I must tell Miss Lundberg how I do envy her, as this is a signal honor to her. She was very happy about it. 

Let's see, how can I fill out this page? With postage up to 6¢ one can't afford to send blank paper. 
{drawing of asterisk and smiley face}

My Sunday School class? It hasn't been too successful. Some of the girls are naughty and early on they got mad at me for scolding them. How they somehow have endured me, making things a little hectic and teaching me many things. Our lesson was on faith a couple of Sundays ago and I had the group write what deep inside themselves they believed about God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit. One of the aggressive girls wrote a beautiful one at some length and I have made a sort of creed--litany out of them all, hoping they get as much blessing out of it as I did from reading them. I think I'll make a little book for them to keep. Anyway, it changed my attitude toward these girls. What does it matter how much they harrass me if this is their inner spiritual life. It should be brought out in the open --  this spiritual life, not my harrassment,  I mean -- and will be quite a blessing.

And oh! have I come this far without saying that Rev. and Mrs. Moore from Iowas City are vacationing in the south and are stopping here over night to visit me? That should have been at the top of the first page as it's the tip-topmost thing in my mind and the reason why I have to wash my walls.
And now I can write a little note to each of you. Good-night!

Saving...

2 head of NAACP here in Holly Springs. Mrs. Nero is one of our two blond Negroes, what they used to call high yellow in olden days, I suppose. I don't know how much dye she uses in her hair, but I heard a comment that some one liked it much better this year than last. Of the group, she was the only one who had been here last year, so you see the youth of the faculty -- in years of service, that is. We've had two tremendous speakers on the campus this last week, both urging Negroes to know their history and heritage. The word is negritude. Black Power is here, but there is talk of Neo-Tomism, the acceptance of the best of both Negro and white culture. The "Tom" part, in case you don't know, is from Uncle Tom, the subservient Negro whose pleases the whites, a much abhorred figure. I didn't hear the man who spoke a week ago tonight because I had to keep the library open, but on Saturday morning I ate with the two white women, Mrs. Williamson and Miss Lundberg. Miss Lundberg had been very enthusiastic about the speaker and had been part of the group that had met between sessions, at the coffee hour, in student jam sessions during the night. (She's just out of Mich State U herself, here teaching physical education and being dorm counselor). She told us that she had been informally elected honorary Negro during the night by the students, because of her liberality and understanding and militancy (she didn't use that word). I found I envied her to the bottom of my shoes to think that anyone could be that well accepted. I told Mrs. Lindsey that this ought to be done more, since if the Negroes conferred honorary Negritude on accepted whites, it showed that they now themselves felt that being a Negro was an honor. And so it should be. Indians do this: their honored guests become honorary Indians, as Lady Bird Johnson a couple of years ago. I have sensed a sort of rivalry between Miss Lundberg and myself. Of course I can't do what she's doing at my age, fraternizing with students. But in my way, joining the Negro church as I did, served much the same purpose. The Methodist faculty members have "carried" me everywhere to meetings so that I feel like a choice plum. But I must tell Miss Lundberg how I do envy her, as this is a signal honor to her. She was very happy about it. Let's see, how can I fill out this page? With postage up to 6¢ one can't afford to send blank paper. {drawing of asterisk and smiley face} My Sunday School class? It hasn't been too successful. Some of the girls are naughty and early on they got mad at me for scolding them. How they somehow have endured me, making things a little hectic and teaching me many things. Our lesson was on faith a couple of Sundays ago and I had the group write what deep inside themselves they believed about God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit. One of the aggressive girls wrote a beautiful one at some length and I have made a sort of creed--litany out of them all, hoping they get as much blessing out of it as I did from reading them. I think I'll make a little book for them to keep. Anyway, it changed my attitude toward these girls. What does it matter how much they harrass me if this is their inner spiritual life. It should be brought out in the open -- this spiritual life, not my harrassment, I mean -- and will be quite a blessing. And oh! have I come this far without saying that Rev. and Mrs. Moore from Iowas City are vacationing in the south and are stopping here over night to visit me? That should have been at the top of the first page as it's the tip-topmost thing in my mind and the reason why I have to wash my walls. And now I can write a little note to each of you. Good-night!