Insomnia, remembering America's troubled past, as well as it's weird one

Unable to sleep at an hour when graduate students are normally awake, I thought I would check in on the two blogs I have been following over the past week or so.  Discussing fairly diverse topics of American history, each blog offers intriguing insights on a time before digitization.

The first blog I have been reading, entitled "Publishing the Long Civil Rights Movement," calls attention to various events of the Civil Rights movement on the anniversary of their occurrence. In the fashion of "this day in history," the blog offers a brief history of important events in the movement and includes several hyperlinks to further reading and discussion on certain areas of the story.  Some dates recall momentous successes in the movement, while others--particularly the post from yesterday about the brutal murder of Emmett Till--reflect on some of the heartrending struggles of those who fought to make civil rights for all a reality. 

The blog is not limited in its scope.  While most tend to think of the Civil Rights movement occurring solely during the 1950s and 1960s, "Publishing the Long Civil Rights Movement," true to its name, includes events dating back to the early 20th and even early 19th century.  The site itself is easily navigable and includes many links to outsides sources, categories, and news.  To me, this blog has really hit home as it serves as a reminder of the tragedy and triumphs American society has faced over the past two centuries in the struggle for true civil rights for everyone.  The struggle still continues for many, which is why I think blogs like this one are particularly important. 

The other blog I have discovered is quite different.  Entitled, "The Old, Weird America," this blog--which is not updated too frequently--utilizes the Folkways Anthology to look at American folk music through the years.  The author's goal is to discuss--with links, images, and media--each song compiled by Harry Smith.  The author's first post came in November, 2008, and he most recently posted on June 20, 2012 (discussing his 64th and 65th song).  Clearly, the author has a long way to go.  But the blog itself is super fascinating, using streaming text, music and images to stir new interest in a topic I previously knew little about.  Hopefully the author will post something new soon, yet I know it will take plenty of time for me to get through his existing posts--so much to see and do!!!

Comparably, "Publishing" is much more consistent than "Old, Weird," yet they both are interesting, thought-provoking blogs--showing me once more than technology and history really do get along.



Remembering Emmett Till



Dock Boggs