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Way up North in Dixie: A Black Family's Claim to the Confederate Anthem
This book traces the lives of the Snowdens, an African American family of musicians and farmers living in rural Knox County, Ohio. Howard L. Sacks and Judith Rose Sacks examine the Snowdens' musical and social exchanges with rural whites from the 1850s through the early 1920s and provide a detailed exploration of the claim that the Snowden family taught the song "Dixie" to Dan Emmett-–the white musician and blackface minstrel credited with writing the song. This edition features a new introduction in which the authors discuss the public response to this controversial claim, and present new information on the Snowdens' musical and social experiences.
288 pages, Paperback
First published September 17, 1993
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
April 5, 2008
VERY interesting book written by a Kenyon sociology professor during my time in Gambier. It traces the lives of the Snowden Family, a local black family whose matriarch was brought to Knox County, Ohio from slavery in Maryland.
As she marries and has a family, the Snowdens become musicians and farmers and this covers their experiences as one of the few black families in this part of Ohio. Their musical talents provide many interactions with white minstrel/traveling performers, one of whom is Dan Emmet...the reported author of "Dixie."
This book makes a VERY compelling argument that Ellen Snowden actually wrote Dixie from the perspective of a longing to return TO DIXIE where she was taken from her family, familiar places/faces, and brought north by herself- a stranger in a strange land. The Snowdens may have taught the song to Emmet, who then passed it off as his own traveling throughout the south performing in minstrel shows.
Have not read the updated version, but a very intriguing book which I love to discuss with my deep south friends.
Recommended for history and music buffs.
As she marries and has a family, the Snowdens become musicians and farmers and this covers their experiences as one of the few black families in this part of Ohio. Their musical talents provide many interactions with white minstrel/traveling performers, one of whom is Dan Emmet...the reported author of "Dixie."
This book makes a VERY compelling argument that Ellen Snowden actually wrote Dixie from the perspective of a longing to return TO DIXIE where she was taken from her family, familiar places/faces, and brought north by herself- a stranger in a strange land. The Snowdens may have taught the song to Emmet, who then passed it off as his own traveling throughout the south performing in minstrel shows.
Have not read the updated version, but a very intriguing book which I love to discuss with my deep south friends.
Recommended for history and music buffs.
October 13, 2011
I found this difficult to finish. Very interesting, well-written book, but not suitable to my interest level at the time.
Want to read
January 17, 2010Talked to the author at the Symposium on Rural Design January 15, 2010.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews