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| Date: | Fri, 25 Jan 2013 13:35:13 -0500 |
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I received a teacher study guide from the local oratorio society on the Harriet Tubman cantata they will be performing later this year. There is a lesson plan about coded messages in spirituals sung by enslaved people.
My first reaction was to wonder if this was similar to the erroneous reports of coded messages in quilts, hung to help people involved with the Underground Railroad. In doing some basic on line searches, I found quite a few references to coded spirituals, from some pretty reputable sources.
One attributed a quote to Frederick Douglass that I would not see as a "coded" message but more the double meaning of some spirituals. He refers to songs like "Bound for Canaan" as - some may see the song as longing for our heavenly home, but our people see in it longing for the North and freedom.
Some of the references to coded spirituals said there were "message" spirituals and "map" spirituals - message sending some information around the groups, map giving specific directions.
And - one of the reputable resources also gave a link to the false information on the "coded quilts."
So now I don't know what to think.
Can anyone shed some additional light on this topic?
Cindy Boyer
Director of Public Programs
The Landmark Society of Western New York
133 S. Fitzhugh St.
Rochester NY 14608
(585) 546-7029 ext. 12
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Fax: (585) 546-4788
The Landmark Society: Celebrating 75 years as one of America's oldest and most active preservation organizations!
www.landmarksociety.org
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