A comment by Verdad Jones, UIC Employee; Date: Thu, 22 Mar 2001
(And a Maxwell Street Blues Song)
I think one of the reasons "the powers that be" are trying to keep Maxwell Street off the National Register is because of racial concerns. It is one thing to have New York's Lower East side given historic status. White immigrants have historically populated that area. Maxwell Street had a huge migration by blacks into that area from the South. Its like "ethnic cleansing" without killing people. They want to pretend that blacks don't have a long history in that area and in Chicago.
If everything is torn down and new buildings are erected, black history in that area will be gone. The people who run the city don't want to give credit to blacks for their contributions. They want to pretend the only contributions black have made to the city and country is crime. If they talk about the positive contributions blacks have made. It will make blacks like all other Americans. History will state blacks were not perfect, but great! Blacks contributed the only uniquely American music; jazz and its derivatives blues, rhythm and blues, rock. If blacks are given credit for their contributions, other groups will respect them. The people running the country don't want that!
Maxwell Street Blues: A song by Verdad Jones (May 2001)
Maxwell Street is my place
Its the only place, I feel like
I belong
I keep prayin' to the Lord,
that "the man" is gonna leave
me alone.
**
I came a long way to get here.
I want to stay here as long as I can.
But my heart is heavy, I ain't had
nothin' but trouble with "the man."
**
I don't do nothin' wrong.
I just sits here and sings my song.
I say, I don' do nothin'
I just sits here and sings my song.
But I is a poor country boy, and
trouble won't leave me alone.
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