When They Blew the Levee by David Todd Lawrence Elaine J. Lawless

Author:David Todd Lawrence, Elaine J. Lawless [David Todd Lawrence, Elaine J. Lawless]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Social Science, Ethnic Studies, American, African American & Black Studies, Discrimination, Disasters & Disaster Relief, History, United States, State & Local, Midwest (IA; IL; IN; KS; MI; MN; MO; ND; NE; OH; SD; WI)
ISBN: 9781496817761
Google: UDFbDwAAQBAJ
Publisher: Univ. Press of Mississippi
Published: 2018-05-30T04:13:38+00:00

Debra Robinson-Tarver speaks at Pinhook Day, 2014. Elaine J. Lawless.

Both Jim Robinsons, father and son, took as their primary political stance the rights of African American citizens of Mississippi County to enjoy a life free from constant flooding. They went to Jefferson City, the capitol of Missouri, and argued for improvements to the levee system that would benefit the black farmers living in the spillway. Although both Robinson men felt they had gained some political authority in the area, neither of them managed to get the levee system improved. In fact, both men were often faced with the insult that even if they managed to get onto local boards of various sorts, by virtue of the color of their skin, they were consistently denied the right to be voting members. Both Debra and Twan confirm that in 2011 the practice of ignoring the African American population in discussions of politics and flooding was firmly in place. These adult women were no more likely to be consulted than had been their forefathers. Facing discrimination, ignorance, and institutional disregard, Debra took on the mantle of “mayor” with steadfast intention and pledged to keep fighting for the town.

Race relations in southern Missouri have been vexed since before the Civil War. Missouri was a border state whose allegiances were split before, during, and after the war. Stories still abound about fathers fighting sons for the gray and the blue. The fact that “Little Dixie,” a multi-county region known for its southern migrants and confederate sympathies, exists (and is celebrated) in central Missouri leads credence to the argument that racial tensions can still run high in this area. Larry Robinson, one of Jim Robinson Jr.’s nephews, told us stories about what it was like growing up as a African American boy in Pinhook, learning to be a farmer with his father and the other black farmers. Larry made it clear to us that being an African American farmer in the Bootheel region was difficult because of the open discrimination against blacks in the near-by towns. His memories of trying to buy and repair farm machinery were rife with stories about local businessmen turning black farmers away, refusing to provide them with services even if the black men had the money to pay the costs. As a result, Larry told us, the black farmers became quite adept at creating their own machinery parts and providing for themselves. He was quick to say, too, that getting angry with the whites who lived near them or who resided in town would not help their cause. Clearly, no one wanted to encounter an angry black man, and Larry was quite aware that becoming a testament to that stereotype was not in his best interest—or the interests of those who lived in Pinhook. A mild-mannered gospel musician, Larry eventually landed a good job driving a Fed-Ex truck and moved into Sikeston with his wife and daughter. Yet, he still calls Pinhook his “home.” He quietly expresses his frustration and anger

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