Disturbing the Peace : Black Culture and the Police Power After Slavery

W. C. Handy waking up to the blues on a train platform, Buddy Bolden eavesdropping on the drums at Congo Square, John Lomax taking his phonograph recorder into a southern penitentiary—some foundational myths of the black vernacular remain inescapable, even as they come under increasing pressure from skeptics. In Disturbing the Peace , Bryan Wagner revises the history of the black vernacular tradition and gives a new account of black culture by reading these myths in the context of the tradition’s ongoing engagement with the law. Returning to some familiar examples (trickster tales, outlaw legends, blues lyrics) central to previous studies of the black vernacular expression, Wagner uses an analytic framework he has developed from the historical language of the law to give new and surprising analyses. Wagner’s work draws both on his deep understanding of history and on a wealth of primary sources that range from novels to cartoons to popular ballads and early blues songs to newspapers and court reports. Through his innovative engagement with them, Wagner gives us a new and deeper understanding of black cultural expression, revealing its basis in the relational workings of African Americans in the social world. W.C. Handy s'éveillant au blues sur un quai de gare, Buddy Bolden écoutant la batterie à Congo Square, John Lomax emportant sa phonographe dans un pénitencier du sud - certains mythes fondamentaux de la culture populaire noire restent incontournables, même s'ils subissent la pression croissante des sceptiques. L'auteur révise l'histoire de la tradition vernaculaire noire et donne un nouveau compte rendu de la culture noire en lisant ces mythes dans le contexte de l'engagement continu de la tradition face à la loi. Il revient sur quelques exemples familiers (contes de tricheurs, légendes de hors-la-loi, paroles de blues) pour fournir une compréhension de l'expression culturelle noire, révélant son fondement dans les rouages relationnels des Afro-Américains dans le monde social W.C. Handy waking up to the blues on a train platform, Buddy Bolden eavesdropping on the drums at Congo Square, John Lomax taking his phonograph recorder into a southern penitentiary--some foundational myths of the black vernacular remain inescapable, even as they come under increasing pressure from skeptics. The author revises the history of the black vernacular tradition and gives a new account of black culture by reading these myths in the context of the tradition's ongoing engagement with the law. He returns to some familiar examples (trickster tales, outlaw legends, blues lyrics) to provide an understanding of black cultural expression, revealing its basis in the relational workings of African Americans in the social world CONTENTS......Page 6 List of Illustrations......Page 8 Introduction......Page 12 1 The Black Tradition from Ida B. Wells to Robert Charles......Page 36 2 The Strange Career of Bras- Coupé......Page 69 3 Uncle Remus and the Atlanta Police Department......Page 127 4 The Black Tradition from George W. Johnson to Ozella Jones......Page 196 Notes......Page 250 Acknowledgments......Page 308 Index......Page 310 CONTENTS 6 List of Illustrations 8 Introduction 12 1 The Black Tradition from Ida B. Wells to Robert Charles 36 2 The Strange Career of Bras- Coupé 69 3 Uncle Remus and the Atlanta Police Department 127 4 The Black Tradition from George W. Johnson to Ozella Jones 196 Notes 250 Acknowledgments 308 Index 310 0674035089,9780674035089 Harvard University Press