Alabama Baptist Covers Collinsville Baptists 175th

[Stephen Fox]

Mattox of Collinsville and Charles Pickerings ADF was on Focus on the Family's live program July 4th and earlier. 4th was a repeat. He was talking about abortion on a Station in Bama that promotesJudge Roy Moore and the Tea Party Agenda.

Of thethree ministers sons who went to Duke and UVA,Casey,I'm convinced is in the minority.

In fact Matt Morgan's visiting Proff at Yale,Randall Balmer, has some insight into the politics of abortion in the severalbooks he'swritten,and his new one on President Carter is sure to advance the nuances of that wedge issue.

[Stephen Fox]

An edited version of this opinion piece was published in the July 3, Ft Payne Times-Journal. Ben Shurett, mentioned in the piece wanted to print in the Sand Mtn Reporter.

Letters for Publication
The Times-Journal
Ft. Payne Alabama

The Editors:

September 27, 1978 I purchased a copy of Will Campbell's Brother to A Dragonfly. I was pretty much spellbound reading second month in Knoxville, Tn after sixteen years in Gaffney, South Carolina the last ten years of which stay had a strong undercurrent of church and school race politics.
I first became acquainted with Will the fall of 73 when the Chaplains brought him to Furman. Then later began to understand the impression he made on Marshall Frady and I was pretty much a disciple.
Will died June 3. If you read the several reports about him in NY Times, Bham News,ABPnews.com and baptistlife.com you get an inkling of his significance. Campbell was the only white man to show up at the Lorraine Motel and be embraced without question the night Martin Luther King was assassinated yet he was a friend of Sam Bowers, the man who was the archetype for the evil Klan genius in the movie Mississippi Burning.
Present at his June 22 Memorial service outside Nashville was John Siegenthaler, friend of the Kennedy administration and longtime friend of Campbell and editor of the Nashville Tennessean. Waylon Jennings widow sang His Eye is on The Sparrow.
Will was on stage in Montgomery in the late 90s with some Collinsville 8th graders including the oldest son of one of the wealthiest and politically influential man in the town, several outstanding Hispanics from first wave of influx into the community and several others of color for which Collinsville has been historically known in DeKalb Coouty of NE Alabama.
It was a function of the Pacers project of the University of Alabama. Will Campbell was a mentor to Jack Shelton, the founder of the program. And then Collinsville principal Sammy Clanton was statewide president of the Pacers Project for Rural schools.
When I brought all this to the attention of the local Historical Association on their facebook wall, it stoked a process that led to my being blocked from participation on that site. I hope in a few weeks they will reconsider their mistake. I am willing to meet with the most fairminded of their group and hopefully be readmitted in good standing in that conversation I have come to enjoy most of the time.
In this 50th anniversary of Civil Rights struggle in Alabama I earlier also brought to the community's attention an online story of 2002 in the LA Times about the walk of William Moore through DeKalb County in April 1963. That reminder got some hazing as well.
That is sad, but in some ways understandable given the analysis of Wayne Flynt and a UGA proff in an excelled and easily googled piece at WBHM.org on the 50th anniversary of George Wallace stand in the schoolhouse door as reported June 11.
In that piece Flynt said:
"I think Wallace’s lasting legacy is the polarization that has made Alabama to this day not only the most conservative of American states but also most racially polarized."
Wayne Flynt is a former history professor at Auburn University and is the author ofAlabama: The History of a Southern State.
"In the 2008 presidential election between Obama and John McCain Alabama had the most divided populace of any state in the United States. 98% of African Americans voted for Barack Obama and more than 90% of whites voted for John McCain."

REcently I was rereading a late 90's pamphlet of the Baptist Historical Society, the whole issue devoted to a take on Baptists and the Civil Rights Movement. It was noted than even as late as the 90s Civil Rights history was rarely mentioned in white Baptist churches, and when it was pastors often reported frowns in the congregation.

Now these folks in Collinsville aren't bad people. There are only about 7 folks out of the 2,000 or so in South Dekalb County hard for me to get along with and I hope this opinion piece doesn't double that number. But when what passes for what one woman called the local "aristocracy" is so averse to honest history, what hope is there for integrity in social studies education and a more informed electorate.

That is where Ben Shurett's good piece on Frank Rose and the school house door may have a lesson for this region of NE Bama. Shurett said:

In his obit in 91, it was said of Rose: "The University President who described himself as neither a seg or an integrationist, but a realist, had vowed to ensure obedience to the laws and peace on the campus". I hope to advance that notion with an analogy to the CHA in my submission to the TJ. Shurett said in those days he met Bobby Kennedy, Katzenbach and Wallace, the man who embodied the folly of backward thinking. End of quote

In the conundrum of the White moderate in the South, sooner or later, somebody has to risk advancing the conversation for the common good, for something better. That is where Will Campbell made a much bigger difference than Frank Rose, though Frank Rose was a good man. And that is what seems to be lacking in Collinsville, Alabama, folks who can maintain good standing in the community while pointing out discrepancies between what passes for the best in the community holds as their image and actual practice, and the places where that image stifles others who may have just as much or more character and ability than themselves seeks to engage the conversation causes unnecessary resentments.
My family on my Mother's side goes back back to the 1840s in the Collinsville vicinity. My Great Grandfather was born in 1841 and buried in Rocky Mounty cemetery. I look forward to being back on the Historical Association Faceback wall soon.

[Stephen Fox]

Segura is the undocumented Salutatorian of the CHS class of 2013. He wrote a letter to Gov Bentley after graduation this year, and made front page lengthy story in the Ft Payne Times Journal. His all Hispanic state championship soccer team this year made a national story in NBC Latino. Here are his facebook thoughts on the Trayvon/Zman verdict!

You may not be bombing places, you may have not murdered anybody, you may not be homosexual, but just because you are not involved in such acts does not mean you are such a good person. People compare their lives with people responsible for acts like those, and they make themselves believe their lives are "okay." Then, they begin to judge the people responsible for such acts. Having good behavior doesnt make you a good person. Neither you or me are any better than the person that bombed a building or the person that murdered someone. I am saying all of this because of all the Zimmerman case posts all over the internet. Trayvon's family is not the only family that needs prayer. George Zimmerman and his family also need prayers. Don't condemn George Zimmerman because of what he did. As harsh as it may sound, Im not sure if Trayvon is Heaven or Hell. Im not quite sure of how he lived his life, and Im not sure how G. Zimmerman will continue to live his. I do know God can forgive him. Saul, later known as Paul persecuted the church, God's people. . and God still used him! Im not saying Im perfect, Im not saying justice or injustice was done. I just hope eyes and hearts are opened.

[Stephen Fox]

The Bham Weld has an ongoing series on the 50th anniversary of Civil Rights struggle in Alabama with resonances for my recent experience with the Collinsville Historical Association as witnessed above.

I will share that link soon.

[Stephen Fox]

http://www.al.com/living/index.ssf/2013 ... rooms.html

Find the facebook page: Auburn University's Living Democracy will bring it right up. Could get interesting.

[Stephen Fox]

I submitted two comments to this site awaiting moderation

http://aulivingdemocracy.wordpress.com/ ... week-nine/

[Stephen Fox]

Had the opportunity this weekend to go to church with my sister and her family in S.C. Her husband and son had been on Mission tour in NYC for the week where they got to hear a Gospel Choir in Brooklyn on Tuesday and see a Broadway play on Thursday.

Their Worship service began at 10:15 am so I was little rushed. They have good congregational singing. I don't get to church much since Gloria Morgan and some other women won my dismissal from Collinsville Baptist stacking the process so they never had to face me to register their complaints in person. They let surrogates do their bidding.

I did get in about the 2nd verse of Church's One Foundation. Sat near the front and looked up to see my sister and nephew in the choir on this verse:

Yet she on earth hath union
With God the Three in One,
And mystic sweet communion
With those whose rest is won:
O happy ones and holy!
Lord, give us grace that we,
Like them, the meek and lowly,
In love may dwell with Thee.

My nephew sang a duet here midway through his 14th year. He was very good and the young woman who sang with him, very, very good.

And it hit me, kinda like the fellow in Train Dreams who hears the Methodist choir in the distance. Was there in spirit with My Mom and Dad and others gone on before. I got choked up a little.

Minister had a good sermon toppped off by Dallas Willard's testimony of his Mother's last words on her deatbed when Willard was just two. His father told him the story later. She said: "Never let the children lose sight of eternity.

It registered.

[Stephen Fox]

In his review of BrandT Ayers book In Love with Defeat in the Summer issue of Oxford American Magazine which I hope Johnny Pierce and Bruce Gourley, Mercer President Underwood and Buddy Shurden and President Carter have read by now Crowther on his 5th page of the review after a sweet setup says:

Out [southern] fundamentalists still perform theological lobotomies on themselves and their children.

In context tremendous implications for the takeover of the SBC and my experience in Collinsville. The subject is about to catch fire at the Collinsville PTO facebook wall in coagulation with the Auburn Living Democracy initiative in town.

And Crowther mentions my hometown of Gaffney S.C. in his second paragraph of this effort. Was talking to a big fan of Marshall Frady just this morning about it. Get yourselves to a Barnes and Noble before this goes off the shelf, Print issue only. Report here if you read it. Just three minutes away from KeithE for example and I imagine there is a Barnes n Noble in Macon and Mercer should carry OxAm on their shelves so no excuse for Underwood, Pierce and Shurden.

[Stephen Fox]

Could become interesting indeed. Some may want to monitor this public facebook wall.

I just found it this morning and have made several comments there in addition to my blog post.Bruce Gourley should be particularly interested as his dissertation chair at Auburn, Wayne Flynt, almost certainly knows of this project

https://www.facebook.com/LivingDemocracyCollinsville

[Stephen Fox]

I just mentioned the Cornerstone of the Collinsville Baptist Church in Faith and Practice here at this site in the Camel's StrawThread; and referenced it on the Collinsville PTO facebook wall re the Auburn Living Democracy Project networked to Collinsville

[Stephen Fox]

http://www.al.com/living/index.ssf/2013 ... the_r.html

[Stephen Fox]

This afternoon of Aug 2 on the 14th anniverary of My Father Billy D. Fox's passing, this picture went up on the Auburn Democracy Main facebook page.

Click on the picture and you should be able to see my comments there with facebook registration

https://www.facebook.com/#!/photo.php?f ... =1&theater

[Stephen Fox]

It was Rebecca Clayton of the Historical Association that said posts like this had nothing to do with Collinsville. I think it had everything to do with Collinsville just like Tracy Thompson's chapter on Daughters of the Confederacy gave her a predisposition on matters of Faith and history, if Ms. Clayton could understand the significance of Bonhoeffer coming through Collinsville in 1931 maybe just maybe.......


http://www.nationalcathedral.org/learn/ ... 525T.shtml

[Stephen Fox]

Among those who backed Miss Ollie Brindley's niece Rebecca Clayton and her decison of June in the wake of my spotlight on the CHA of Will Campbell and his Montgomery event were

1. Kay Smith, a cousin in law of the town librarian

2.Allison Myers Foster, daughter of Donnie Myers, Deacon at Collinsville Baptist. Donnie a former Salaried employee of the Dekalb Co School District as Assisstant Superintendent.

3. Casey Mattox, a 93 classmate of Allison, UVA Grad and Boston Law who now works closely with Charles Pickering on the Alliance Defending Freedom and D.C. Staff. July 4 Casey was on Tony Perkins live hr. long call in show with Focus in the Family. Casey is big on abortion issues and is most likely trying to bring the personhood amendment to Alabama

4. Tanya Cantrell Tillery school teacher and daughter of former Chief of Police in Town. Good basektball player

5. Pat Whittle Hancock of Cordele Ga. Don't know her well but gives every indication she could consider Tracy Thompson's chapter on Daughters of the Confederacy in New Mind of the South. I hope Mark Wilson and the AULD will encourage Ms Wilkins to get a copy for the local lybury with all the attention Collinsville is gettin recently
in the Bham News and elsewhere. There were 30 others, not the same that voted against me on May 28, 2006, but some

[Stephen Fox]

Eventually she'll show you the church cornerstone or have Donnie Myers point it out to you. And if he doesn't get the point across, Mrs Clayton is there for a second Lesson. I guess every experience is a little different, but Ms Snow found out in a few weeks, Ms Wilkins is the gatekeeper.


http://aulivingdemocracy.wordpress.com/ ... week-five/

[Stephen Fox]

Ms Snow published a wrap up piece about her stay in Collinsville today on the Living Democracy site also linked on their main facebook wall. I made two comments on the Facebook wall as well as linked it to the Collinsville PTO site with additional links there; those links included Miguel De La Torre's recent piece at ABPnews.com with challenges to the Immigration bill in the senate, and and ed.com link featuring UMC Bishop Willimon's experience in Alabama.

Will be interesting to see if Jennifer Wilkins The Force now in Collinsville Baptist and Ms Snow's main handler of her time in Collinsville has the wits and Christian integrity to encourage followup with House Speaker Hubbard, or her pastor's son Joseph Morgan who is in the Gadsden office of Congressman Aderholt.

I contacted Capitol Hill today about this project, roughly communicating what I stated above.

[Stephen Fox]

My Mother's Brother James married Catherine Jordan of Anniston, Alabama. Both are grads of Jacksonville State. Uncle James was a grad of Midwestern, a pastor and a HS Band Director. Aunt Kay taught English in Schools in Tennessee, Alabama and Batavia Illinois. In a great sense both are a product of Collinsville Baptist Better days of BYPU in the 30's

Aunt Kay passed away yesterday. Here is one of her award winning poems:

Tobacco Boy

by Catherine Trotter Jordan (aka Mom)

Tobacco boy,
Beginning school two weeks late,
You sit in my classroom.
Almost, you are a foreign student
To me so fresh from city schools.
Brown eyes that mirror the sunrise,
And hay,
And cattle feeding,
You tell me in your autobiography:
"I hate English and
I don't like English teachers."

Teach me, tobacco boy.
Teach me the difference in
Burley,
One-sucker,
Dark-fired.
Already I appreciate the lazy smoke
Encircling rustic barns as summer wanes.
Already I appreciate the golden fields of---
Burley, is it?
Teach me, and I will try
To help you learn
To love a book.

Aka Mom is by her son, Pat, who posted this on his facebook wall

[Stephen Fox]

Tell All The Truth



Tell all the truth but tell it slant,
Success in circuit lies,
Too bright for our infirm delight
The truth's superb surprise;

As lightning to the children eased
With explanation kind,
The truth must dazzle gradually
Or every man be blind.


Emily Dickinson

[Stephen Fox]

http://sbcplodder.blogspot.com/2013/08/ ... o-say.html

[Stephen Fox]

is listed here in the 80s

http://www.uwa.edu/uploadedFiles/alabam ... 021-40.pdf

And scroll down here about three fifths of the way down in good company with Wayne Flynt and Chriss Doss, Rucker Agee and others

http://www.archives.alabama.gov/aha/pre ... _bios.html

[Stephen Fox]

Jorge is the undocumented salutatorian state HS Soccer champion who wrote a letter to Governor Bentley about his status and announced it at Commencement during his Address back in May in Collinsvile about 400 yards from where my Mother and Harry Sizemore are buried.

Here is the note I left for Jorge this morning, his first day of classes at West Alabama in Livingston, Pickens Co Alabama

good luck. Everybody on the first day is the same place you are. Be cool. your life experience to date puts you at the top of the class. Don't forget that. Don't be proud, just maintain the confidence you bring to the situation. America is flawed and Alabama moreso, but Abraham Lincoln, Judge Frank Johnson, Martin Luther King Jr, Oscar Romero. clint Dempsey, Julie Little and Lexxi got your back. God Bless You. Soccer strong.

[Stephen Fox]

http://ethicsdaily.com/7-reasons-smalle ... -cms-21028

[Stephen Fox]

Will tie all of it together as this history continues to unfold but this examination in recent review of several books in the New Republic is Marneyesque to say the least:

A number of recent historians, including Stephanie McCurry, Adam Rothman, and Manisha Sinha, have helped to build this case, and now a new book by Walter Johnson, River of Dark Dreams: Slavery and Empire in the Cotton Kingdom, goes a long way toward clinching it. Johnson shows in horrific detail how the culture of slave society—intellectual, social, sexual—arose out of the imperative of more and more cotton cultivation. In a brilliant chapter titled “The Carceral Landscape,” Johnson’s book reads as a kind of scholarly companion to Quentin Tarantino’s studiously gothic film Django Unchained. He demonstrates “the spectacular character” of punishment (deliberately evoking the root sense of spectacular as denoting something demonstrative to the eye) by showing how “slaveholders used violence didactically”—creating, with every whipping, with every leashing of a shoeless slave to the saddle of a trotting horse, a spectacle that flooded into the mind of any slave contemplating flight or resistance. This regime of terror was as sophisticated as it was brutal: “the baying of hounds in the woods” becomes “a sort of sonic tracer by which slaveholders could follow ... remotely” the progress of runaways.

What makes Johnson’s book more than a catalogue of horrors is its account of how slave-owners, too, were caught in the cycle of fear. “In order to survive,” he writes, they “had to expand.” As new technologies (not only the cotton gin) and new markets (Europe as well as the industrializing North) drove the expansion of cotton production against any and all compunction, talk of ending slavery, which had once been central to debate about the future of the republic, became a deadly threat to the economy of the South and, to a significant degree, of the whole nation. “Planters whose capital was tied up in land and slaves depended upon advances against cotton for liquidity—and only cotton would do for factors and bankers who had to be certain of the salability of the staple promised in consideration of the capital they had advanced.” The demand for cotton was insatiable. Yet once cotton was harvested, ginned, packed, and shipped, it still had to make its way through a gauntlet of risks till it arrived at the terminus of a long line of creditors who had advanced funds to the seller. En route, it could slide down muddy embankments, rot in leaky warehouses, or be consumed by animals or pilfered by thieves, leaving the seller with a burden of unsecured debt.

[Stephen Fox]

I saw the movie today. Mrs. Clayton whose ideology best I can figure her out was burnished into her soul by a 1940's version of the Daughters of the Confederacy desperately needs some remedial reading and education on the lessons of the Civil War. A viewing of The Butler is a good place for her to start.

Her remarks of June 7 on the Facebook wall of the Collinsville Historical Association were uncalled for and misleading in her majority role in the community. It would be helpful when the Auburn Living Democracy project come to town with Mr. Simone of the Matthews Center they walk her through the great insights of Delbanco's recent review of the Cotton Kingdom of Slavery and the genius of Lincoln vis a vis the folks of the confederacy she worships. The concluding paragraphs of the New Republic article invoking Django Unchained should be explained to her. Maybe in the future she will understand what Civil Rights history here in this year of 50th Anniversary on the Eve of the national celebration of King's Dream Speech; why all that has "everything to do with Collinsville, Alabama!"

Lincoln's Long Game trumps Rebecca Clayton's myopia, nearsightedness

http://blogs.tnr.com/article/114029/how ... nd-slavery

[Stephen Fox]

http://earlyamericanists.com/2013/06/03 ... roduction/