The Independent Order of Pole-Bearers Association (predecessor to the NAACP) was organized by Southern blacks after the war to promote black voting rights, etc. One of their early conventions was held in Memphis and Confederate General Nathan Bedford Forrest was invited to be the guest speaker, the first white man ever to be invited to speak to the Association.
After the Civil War, General Forrest made a speech to the Memphis City Council (then called the Board of Aldermen). In this speech he said that there was no reason that the black man could not be doctors, store clerks, bankers, or any other job equal to whites. They were part of our community and should be involved and employed as such just like anyone else. In another speech to Federal authorities, Forrest said that many of the ex-slaves were skilled artisans and needed to be employed and that those skills needed to be taught to the younger workers. If not, then the next generation of blacks would have no skills and could not succeed and would become dependent on the welfare of society.
Forrest's words went unheeded. The Memphis & Selma Railroad was organized by Forrest after the war to help rebuild the South's transportation and to build the 'new South'. Forrest took it upon himself to hire blacks as architects, construction engineers and foremen, train engineers and conductors, and other high level jobs. In the North, blacks were prohibited from holding such jobs.
A convention and BBQ was held by the Independent Order of Pole-Bearers Association at the fairgrounds of Memphis, five miles east of the city. An invitation to speak was conveyed to General Nathan Bedford Forrest, one of the city's most prominent citizens, and one of the foremost cavalry commanders in the late War Between the States. This was the first invitation granted to a white man to speak at this gathering. The invitation's purpose, one of the leaders said, was to extend peace, joy, and union, and following a brief welcoming address a Miss Lou Lewis, daughter of an officer of the Pole-Bearers, brought forward flowers and assurances that she conveyed them as a token of good will. After Miss Lewis handed him the flowers, General Forrest responded with a short speech that, in the contemporary pages of the Memphis Appeal, evinces Forrest's racial open-mindedness that seemed to have been growing in him.
Ladies and Gentlemen I accept the flowers as a memento of reconciliation between the white and colored races of the southern states. I accept it more particularly as it comes from a colored lady, for if there is any one on God's earth who loves the ladies I believe it is myself. ( Immense applause and laughter.) I came here with the jeers of some white people, who think that I am doing wrong. I believe I can exert some influence, and do much to assist the people in strengthening fraternal relations, and shall do all in my power to elevate every man to depress none. (Applause.) I want to elevate you to take positions in law offices, in stores, on farms, and wherever you are capable of going. I have not said anything about politics today. I don't propose to say anything about politics. You have a right to elect whom you please; vote for the man you think best, and I think, when that is done, you and I are freemen. Do as you consider right and honest in electing men for office. I did not come here to make you a long speech, although invited to do so by you. I am not much of a speaker, and my business prevented me from preparing myself. I came to meet you as friends, and welcome you to the white people. I want you to come nearer to us. When I can serve you I will do so. We have but one flag, one country; let us stand together. We may differ in color, but not in sentiment Many things have been said about me which are wrong, and which white and black persons here, who stood by me through the war, can contradict. Go to work, be industrious, live honestly and act truly, and when you are oppressed I'll come to your relief. I thank you, ladies and gentlemen, for this opportunity you have afforded me to be with you, and to assure you that I am with you in heart and in hand. (Prolonged applause.)
Whereupon N. B. Forrest again thanked Miss Lewis for the bouquet and then gave her a kiss on the cheek. Such a kiss was unheard of in the society of those days, in 1875, but it showed a token of respect and friendship between the general and the black community and did much to promote harmony among the citizens of Memphis.
When Forrest died in 1877 it is noteworthy that his funeral in Memphis was attended not only by a throng of thousands of whites but by hundreds of blacks as well. The funeral procession was over two miles long and was attended by over 10,000 area residents, including 3000 black citizens paying their respects.
We should be for full honesty and transparency about his full story. It really is something wonderful. Everything you wrote is true, but it shouldn't be presented as if that is who he always was. He absolutely WAS a racist, violent, slave-trader. But then he actually encountered Jesus later after the war, and his entire heart changed. Just as Paul was out to arrest Christians and throw them in jail, but meeting Jesus changed his life, so too the story of Forrest is amazing.
Originally it was from a blog of a friend and is pieced together from several biographies and his lifelong passion as a Civil War History buff. He has since shuttered the blog and it is lost to the Social Media "Internet 2.0" boom but I have kept the paste in my docs for years because it was such an eye opener for me during my days in Nashville.
I accept it more particularly as it comes from a colored lady, for if there is any one on God's earth who loves the ladies I believe it is myself. ( Immense applause and laughter.)
Should have stayed in Poland. I am first generation Swiss American and am thinking about moving to Eastern Europe. This hatred of white people here is no longer acceptable and Western Europe will soon have the same problem with all their muzzies and Africans. Diversity is cancer and kills societies. Hard to understand how people don't understand this, despite all the scientific studies showing it.
The left traffic's in overly simplistic revisionist history. They take two or three points in history and connect the dots with conjecture and flowery language to display to others the virtuous nature of themselves. It's narcissistic, it's ignorant, it's often cynical, but most importantly it's not reality and not based in historical fact. They don't actually know or care what happened. Any narrative can be constructed to serve their purpose and ideals, and they won't let the truth get in the way.
On top of that they pedal conspiracy theories.
In short, I'm completely unsurprised. At the moment only a portion of people in the center or on the right seem to even care about our past and history
Dude, these vandals don't give a crap about history. Is it a revered icon? Let's destroy it. Anything 'establishment' is what Soros is paying them to rebuke.
He was white. Reason enough to hate on him. White people are being dehumanized right now, like the Jews during the 30ie's in Europe. Next they will come after you for your skin color and the white genocide begins.
BLM = Feelings over Facts, Always, don’t question us white male, RRREEEEEEEEEEE!
White Man Bad
It's because he committed the sin of being white.
How does the modern SJW repay him?
http://archive.is/23uCV
Thank you for this. Stunning piece of history that's been written over.
We should be for full honesty and transparency about his full story. It really is something wonderful. Everything you wrote is true, but it shouldn't be presented as if that is who he always was. He absolutely WAS a racist, violent, slave-trader. But then he actually encountered Jesus later after the war, and his entire heart changed. Just as Paul was out to arrest Christians and throw them in jail, but meeting Jesus changed his life, so too the story of Forrest is amazing.
https://shanekastler.typepad.com/pastor_shanes_blog/2008/07/when-the-devil-got-saved-the-christian-conversion-of-nathan-bedford-forrest.html
https://bulletininserts.org/vying-for-the-title-the-chief-of-sinners-nathan-bedford-forrest/
That speech was so moving even so many years later. The civil war has to be the most misunderstood war our country has had.
Edit: this should really be it's own post. Where can I find out more? Is there a book on his life?
What is this excerpt from? I'd love to read more
Originally it was from a blog of a friend and is pieced together from several biographies and his lifelong passion as a Civil War History buff. He has since shuttered the blog and it is lost to the Social Media "Internet 2.0" boom but I have kept the paste in my docs for years because it was such an eye opener for me during my days in Nashville.
Thanks! You did a good thing, I hope that site is on the archive. Did the NAACP pay for the statue?
His full story can be found here (pole-bearer meeting with this excerpt is near the very end):
https://shanekastler.typepad.com/pastor_shanes_blog/2008/07/when-the-devil-got-saved-the-christian-conversion-of-nathan-bedford-forrest.html
What a player! At a big public speech!
Real history isn't really taught in schools any more.
It's a lot easier to rewrite it when the facts are never taught.
Don't abrogate the parents' responsibility.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tadeusz_Ko%C5%9Bciuszko
I'm willing to bet it was all ANTIFA
He's a white male. That's enough reason for these people to hate him.
BLM is Soros Army. Just like Ukraine. These people are useful idiots.
They sees stuff, they loots stuff
As a first generation Polish American, this makes my blood boil.
Should have stayed in Poland. I am first generation Swiss American and am thinking about moving to Eastern Europe. This hatred of white people here is no longer acceptable and Western Europe will soon have the same problem with all their muzzies and Africans. Diversity is cancer and kills societies. Hard to understand how people don't understand this, despite all the scientific studies showing it.
Because this whole thing has nothing to do with racial injustice.
The left traffic's in overly simplistic revisionist history. They take two or three points in history and connect the dots with conjecture and flowery language to display to others the virtuous nature of themselves. It's narcissistic, it's ignorant, it's often cynical, but most importantly it's not reality and not based in historical fact. They don't actually know or care what happened. Any narrative can be constructed to serve their purpose and ideals, and they won't let the truth get in the way.
On top of that they pedal conspiracy theories.
In short, I'm completely unsurprised. At the moment only a portion of people in the center or on the right seem to even care about our past and history
The entire left is comprised of either ignorant people or Marxist historical revisionists.
But he committed the sin of being hwhite!
Dude, these vandals don't give a crap about history. Is it a revered icon? Let's destroy it. Anything 'establishment' is what Soros is paying them to rebuke.
As a Polish-American this one hurt. The man gave his money to free slaves and fought for freedom of all Americans. They don't even know who he was.
There’s a city in Mississippi named after him. Of course, the redneck pronunciation isn’t at all like the real polish name.
He was white. Reason enough to hate on him. White people are being dehumanized right now, like the Jews during the 30ie's in Europe. Next they will come after you for your skin color and the white genocide begins.
OR it coulda been some of the folks that got their businesses and homes destroyed, for no reason, having second thoughts about the whole...ya know.
I'm mostly kidding, but fuck: if youre convinced america's the reason you and wveryone you know is a fucking loser, we sont really need you here.