[Xmca-l] Re: The Highlander Center in Tennessee

Mon Sep 1 18:53:11 PDT 2014

Sounds right to my experience.
mike

On Mon, Sep 1, 2014 at 5:44 PM, Andy Blunden <ablunden@mira.net> wrote:

> Actually, Horton says that after a long time searching and travelling and
> studying looking for a method or a way to do education for social change,
> he eventually realised what he had to do - "The thing to do was just find a
> place, move in and start and let it grow." He was lucky to catch the eye of
> an elderly woman farmer who gave him a farmhouse in Grundy County,
> Tennessee, so that was his beginning and the next 30 years.
>
>
> Andy
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> *Andy Blunden*
> http://home.pacific.net.au/~andy/
>
>
> Huw Lloyd wrote:
>
>> Thanks for bringing the Highlander Center topic up, Andy.
>>
>> In addition to thinking about Peg's comment, one of things that struck me
>> was the accord with Lefebvre's ideas in the production of space, i.e. new
>> social relations calling for a new space.
>>
>> Best,
>> Huw
>>
>>
>> On 31 August 2014 15:58, mike cole <lchcmike@gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>>
>>
>>> Good luck, all.
>>> Mike
>>>
>>> On Saturday, August 30, 2014, Andy Blunden <ablunden@mira.net> wrote:
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>> Helena Worthen and Greg Thompson have responded off-line, in addition to
>>>> Robert Lake and you who proposed it, Mike. And Helena wants to involve
>>>> someone on the Highlander faculty. When does a collaborative review
>>>>
>>>>
>>> article
>>>
>>>
>>>> become a broth with too many cooks? Pretty soon I think.
>>>> I will send a message to this group off-line to see if we can get a
>>>> plan.
>>>>
>>>> Andy
>>>> ------------------------------------------------------------
>>>> ------------
>>>> *Andy Blunden*
>>>> http://home.pacific.net.au/~andy/
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> mike cole wrote:
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>> I have heard no news of deadlines about an article of the sort I
>>>>> thought
>>>>> Andy was suggesting. And it appears that at least Andy and Robert are
>>>>> interested, and perhaps Henry? And?
>>>>>
>>>>> No centralized organization seems appropriate here. Those interested
>>>>> can
>>>>> recognize themselves from the discussion and let the editors what
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>> emerges.
>>>
>>>
>>>> The theme(s) is/are clearly generative of interest.
>>>>> mike
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> On Sat, Aug 30, 2014 at 2:27 PM, Henry G. Shonerd III <
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>> hshonerd@gmail.com
>>>
>>>
>>>> wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>> Hi Robert and Andy,
>>>>>> Taking a biographical perspective on a smaller scale, it's interesting
>>>>>> that an Australian Vygotskian/Hegellian/dialectic scholar would find
>>>>>> so
>>>>>> interesting the civil rights work of a courageous Black woman, that a
>>>>>> white
>>>>>> professor who gets impetus for writing while in movement (as he
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>> explains
>>>
>>>
>>>> in
>>>>>> his letter to Vera) would have a thorough knowledge of her work, and
>>>>>> that a
>>>>>> Black scholar (Lisa Delpit), should be associated with the "dark side"
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>> in
>>>
>>>
>>>> literacy for minorities. How pun-ishingly ironic, maybe at the heart of
>>>>>> the
>>>>>> dialectic? Does it make sense to see such "entanglements" as consonant
>>>>>> with
>>>>>> a fractal model of history and culture, fractal formations at any
>>>>>> scale
>>>>>> being "self similar" and complex. Surely dialect thinking and fractal
>>>>>> thinking are blendable, just as science and art are blendable. I am
>>>>>> thinking about Fauconnier and Turner (on blending), Cantor (on
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>> fractals)
>>>
>>>
>>>> and articles by Andy on metaphor and narrative, romantic science and
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>> the
>>>
>>>
>>>> interaction of conceptual and pre-conceptual thinking. One more
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>> personal
>>>
>>>
>>>> anecdote ties in. Two weekends ago my wife and I had lunch with Vera
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>> and
>>>
>>>
>>>> Ruben in Santa Fe. She talked about the creative "leap". In her 1985
>>>>>> Notebooks of the Mind, Vera talks about "the joining of rapid bursts
>>>>>> of
>>>>>> thought with a regime of disciplined work". And finally, Anna
>>>>>> Stetsenko
>>>>>> in
>>>>>> the the letters to Vera (Constructing a Community of Thought), argues
>>>>>> that
>>>>>> "Creativity…is an ineluctable feature of all and every person in their
>>>>>> even
>>>>>> utmost mundane activities and pursuits of everyday life." Vera and
>>>>>> Vygotsky
>>>>>> bring us creativity at all scales. Typically, "going to scale" means
>>>>>> growth. Cancer is a growth. Destructive. Creativity is generative,
>>>>>> nurturing. In all of this I find hope, which was got me into the xmca
>>>>>> dialog in the first place.
>>>>>> Henry
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>> On Aug 29, 2014, at 7:43 AM, Robert Lake <boblake@georgiasouthern.edu
>>>>>> >
>>>>>> wrote:
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Hi 
>>>>>>> Andy,
>>>>>>> I am so glad you are intrigued by Septima's role in the formation of
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>> SNCC .
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>> She was often overlooked in the chauvinist culture of the times (both
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>> white
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>> and black) and that is why began researching her life. Most people
>>>>>>> see
>>>>>>> recognize Rosa Parks and Ella Baker's role and later those who were
>>>>>>> credited for the "Freedom School curriculum
>>>>>>> ". If you look at Clark's life and the manner and content of what
>>>>>>> she
>>>>>>> taught on John's Island and other parts of South Carolina, 
>>>>>>> you can easily recognize that her work was seminal in the formation
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>> of
>>>
>>>
>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>> the
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Freedom School Curriculum.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> I have tried to get permission to reprint Septima's autobiography
>>>>>>> from
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>> her
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>> family, but I have been unsuccessful. The book by Cynthia Brown
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>> *Ready
>>>
>>>
>>>>  from Within *has a lot of  primary source interviews. Catherine Mellon
>>>>>>> Charon's book,  *Septima Clark: Freedom's Teacher *is richly detailed
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>> with
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>> many interviews of her friends  and documents from primary sources
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>> from
>>>
>>>
>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>> the
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>> University of Wisconsin Highlander collection.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Here is a link to a recorded interview with Septima that may be
>>>>>>> useful
>>>>>>> to
>>>>>>> you. I enjoyed hearing her voice at least.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> http://docsouth.unc.edu/sohp/G-0017/menu.html
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> *Robert*
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> On Aug 29, 2014 5:05 AM, "Andy Blunden" <ablunden@mira.net> wrote:
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> So you are placing Septima Clark right up there in importance,
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Robert.
>>>
>>>
>>>>  I am part way through a "chronicle" of Highlander, called
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> "Highlander.
>>>
>>>
>>>>
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> No
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Ordinary school, 1932-1962". It is very useful for me, so I can get
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> everything in sequence. So here I discovered that Septima Clark was
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> in
>>>
>>>
>>>>  charge of the discussions with the students who later joined SNCC. So
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> she
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>> is coming into focus for me. I have just ordered two books on her,
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> including the one you recommended. Unfortuantely, an autobiography
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> she
>>>
>>>
>>>>  wrote in 1962 seems to be out of print and entirely unavailable now.
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> Andy
>>>>>>>> ------------------------------------------------------------
>>>>>>>> ------------
>>>>>>>> *Andy Blunden*
>>>>>>>> http://home.pacific.net.au/~andy/
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> Robert Lake wrote:
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> Hi Andy,
>>>>>>>>> Yes I do. Start with this .
>>>>>>>>> http://highlandercenter.org/about-us/history/
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> And this biography of Myles Horton
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> http://www.amazon.com/The-Long-Haul-An-Autobiography/dp/0807737003
>>>>>>>>> and the biography of Septima Clark.
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> http://www.amazon.com/Freedoms-Teacher-Life-Septima-
>>>>>>>>> Clark/dp/0807872229/ref=sr_1_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=
>>>>>>>>> 1408889271&sr=1-2&keywords=septima+clark <http://www.amazon.com/
>>>>>>>>> Freedoms-Teacher-Life-Septima-Clark/dp/0807872229/ref=sr_1_
>>>>>>>>> 2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1408889271&sr=1-2&keywords=septima+clark>
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> I have written a piece on her as well and will send it this
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> afternoon.
>>>
>>>
>>>>  I think the book We Make the Road by Walking: A dialogue between
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> Myles
>>>
>>>
>>>>  Horton and Paulo Freire
>>>>>>>>> is one of the best books on both these leaders.
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> More Later,
>>>>>>>>> Robert Lake
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> I will send more this afternoon.
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> On Sun, Aug 24, 2014 at 9:31 AM, Andy Blunden <ablunden@mira.net
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> <mailto:
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>
>>>>>>> ablunden@mira.net>> wrote:
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>    Does anyone on this list know about the Highlander Center, what
>>>>>>>>>    used to be called the Highlander Folk School?
>>>>>>>>>    The people there are very helpful, but they're also rushed off
>>>>>>>>>    their feet (like everyone, I guess) and if there were any other
>>>>>>>>>    sources of information about it, that would be helpful. I'm
>>>>>>>>>    particularly interested if anyone is familiar with what they
>>>>>>>>> were
>>>>>>>>>    doing in the 1950s and 60s.
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>    Andy
>>>>>>>>>    --     ------------------------------
>>>>>>>>> ------------------------------
>>>>>>>>> ------------
>>>>>>>>>    *Andy Blunden*
>>>>>>>>>    http://home.pacific.net.au/~andy/
>>>>>>>>>    <http://home.pacific.net.au/%7Eandy/>
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>> --
>>>>>>>>> *Robert Lake  Ed.D.
>>>>>>>>> *Associate Professor
>>>>>>>>> Social Foundations of Education
>>>>>>>>> Dept. of Curriculum, Foundations, and Reading
>>>>>>>>> Georgia Southern University
>>>>>>>>> Secretary/Treasurer-AERA- Paulo Freire Special Interest Group
>>>>>>>>> P. O. Box 8144
>>>>>>>>> Phone: (912) 478-0355
>>>>>>>>> Fax: (912) 478-5382
>>>>>>>>> Statesboro, GA  30460
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>
>>
>>
>
>