For our first blog post, your task is to ponder the story of Sister Rosetta Tharpe in the context of all of our discussions to this point in the course. After reading the articles on the course page, please write a thoughtful response (1-2 paragraphs is fine, but be thorough and include specific evidence, etc.) to the following: How did Sister Rosetta Tharpe challenge the “master narrative”/traditional story of Civil Rights in U.S. History? Before you write, you should take some time to review the Textbook Analysis we did last class — might help you with some ideas. As always, you are stringly encouraged to comment on each other’s posts in order to bring our discussions online…
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Hidden Histories 
Sister Rosetta Tharpe: Challenging the Traditional Look at Civil Rights
Julia Pickel
Sister Rosetta Tharpe is not easily categorized. Tharpe was a Gospel singer and a “pioneer of modern rock-and-roll guitar,” crossing lines between religious and secular.1 She was a famous African-American star beginning in the first half of the 20th century, who defied the American vision of African-Americans during this time. In the traditional narrative of Civil Rights, African-Americans were still seen in relationship to slavery until people like Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King Jr. helped to achieve racial equality in the 1960s. Most of the time any mention of African-American culture in the traditional narrative is limited to the Harlem Renaissance and focused on the North, highlighting figures like W. E. B. Du Bois and Duke Ellington. Tharpe was very possibly a descendent of slaves and was born in Arkansas, yet this identity did not define her.2
The traditional Civil Rights’ 1930s and 40s narrative implies that African-Americans were mainly identified in the context Jim Crow laws, segregation, and the rising membership of the Ku Klux Klan. However, Sister Rosetta Tharpe became a celebrity during this time. She had “fine clothes, fistfuls of United States currency, and a glamorous persona.”3 The typical story of Civil Rights emphasizes the 1940s and 1950s as a time of lynching and violence. Though this was accurate, Sister Rosetta Tharpe challenged this narrative. In 1959, Tharpe went on an overseas tour. The typical story also implies that African-Americans were focused only on the political process to gain racial equality. However, by focusing on her music career, Tharpe transcended the racial barriers by inspiring musicians such as Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Johnny Cash.4,5 In addition, Tharpe defied gender roles, another aspect of Civil Rights. Tharpe’s success as a woman and pioneer of rock and roll, in a music world dominated by men, goes against the typical narrative of Civil Rights for women. This all happened before the 1970s, which was a pivotal turning point for the women’s rights movement. However, her story remains mostly “hidden,” solely because she does not fit into the traditional narrative’s vision of Civil Rights in U.S. History.
Endnotes
1. Gayle F. Wald, “‘Shout, Sister, Shout!’” New York Times, March 18, 2007, http://www.nytimes.com.
2. Ibid.
3. Ibid.
4. “Spotlight on the King #1: How Sister Rosetta Tharpe Influenced Elvis’ Music,” Elvis Information Network, http://www.elvisinfonet.com/tharpe.html.
5. Laura Sinagra, “Can I Get an Amen?” New York Times, March 18, 2007, http://www.nytimes.com.
Bibliography
Laura Sinagra. “Can I Get an Amen?” New York Times. March 18, 2007. http://www.nytimes.com.
“Spotlight on the King #1: How Sister Rosetta Tharpe Influenced Elvis’ Music.” Elvis Information Network. http://www.elvisinfonet.com/tharpe.html.
Wald, Gayle F. “‘Shout, Sister, Shout!’” New York Times. March 18, 2007. http://www.nytimes.com.
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One of the main constraints of Civil Rights in U.S. history is the narrow definition we give it, almost always solely implying African-American equality. Our ideas of civil rights usually fail to include the efforts of other minority groups such as women, Latinos, and members of the LGBTQ community. Sister Rosetta Tharpe not only provides an example of an African-American living during the Civil Rights Movement, but she also breaks barriers as a (possibly bi-sexual) female in the early 20th century music scene. In Gayle Wald’s article, “Shout, Sister, Shout,” she discusses Tharpe’s background as an African-American youth in the south. Wald describes, “children were to be seen and not heard,” but more specifically, “such rules of conduct were particularly crucial for black children” (Wald, p. 1). Tharpe not only defied this social code by making herself “heard,” but she also later ignored many barriers that she faced in the music world as an African-American woman. She made it clear that she disproved the often submissive role African-American woman played in U.S. Civil Rights history.
The “master narrative” of Civil Rights in U.S. history often over-emphasizes the “tangible things” that took place during this era, such as major Amendments and Supreme Court cases, but Tharpe was able to promote social equality through cultural transformation rather than politics and law. Tharpe was already unconventional compared to the musicians that filled mainstream music, but she furthermore branched away from the familiar conventions of the music itself, with her funky and distinctive style. This possibly explains her lack of presence in historical accounts. She could never really be categorized within typical genres of the times, as her music “knew no boundaries,” (Elvis Information Network, p. 1) and she commonly “entered the stage with brightly dyed flame-red hair and her guitar slung over her shoulder,” something that had never been seen within the traditional confines of American musical history.
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Rosetta Tharpe was a powerful and influential individual. Rosetta Tharpe’s story challenges traditional narratives because she embodies an individual who thrived despite her obvious ties to an oppressed race. Rosetta Tharpe’s talents influenced musicians whom today we regard as some of the most powerful musicians of all time. Elvis Presley is known for his unique “sound”, and yet his own style of music derives from Rosetta Tharpe’s innate capacity to blend genres and to push boundaries. Rosetta Tharpe’s personal style reflects her drive to be more than an African American woman living in circumstances in which she should have no control. Rosetta Tharpe was able to connect with different audiences through her music in ways many artists at the time were hesitant to, “she shocked her more pious black listeners with songs such as I Want A Tall Skinny Papa and delighted white listeners with Rock Me and This Train” (Elvis Information Network, p. 2). Her style of music, and flamboyant personality, is the very reason her story has been concealed.
Rosetta Tharpe in many ways challenges the way in which African American women were perceived. Rosetta Tharpe managed to thrive in a culture that gave her every reason not to, and she became an icon to not only millions of other African Americans, but also an icon to white male singers and performers that followed after. Rosetta Tharpe’s story has not been “chosen” by educational boards, because a study of her influence and power would give birth to new questions that could potentially threaten the basic structure and foundation of what students today learn about African American women of the 1940’s and even possibility reconsider the supposed pioneers of Rock and Roll and the early Hall of Famers.
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In addition to Tharpe being unique and the traditional story of Civil Rights in U.S. History being intimidated of the unfamiliar, do you also feel like they just didn’t even want to bother with her? She is kind of this strange “unknown”, unique to others like her (in race, sex, etc) at the time, so I personally feel like many just feel like she is not worth the time because she wasn’t part of “the norm”. Thoughts?
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I feel like she was probably thought about, but must have a been of particular frightening individual for much the creators and upholds of a culture that the same individuals undeniably benefited from.
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Sister Rosetta Tharpe was unexpected. Even today, one would not know quite how to think of her. It’s not everyday that one sees a middle-aged black woman plunge into a ripping electric guitar solo before a crowd in choir robes. Tharpe challenged all kinds of norms. She dared to be a black woman in the rock-and-roll world at a time when that world was almost solely occupied by white men. Not only did she defy racial norms, but she began defying them decades before the Civil Rights movement in the 1960s. She stepped outside of accepted gender roles long before the feminist movement in the 1960s and 70s. Tharpe was not even a conventional type of singer. “In the 1940s, when big bands were hiring pretty girls with sweet voices to bob over their beats, Tharpe fronted Lucky Millinder’s raucous swing outfit with gutsy force.” (1) Textbooks, with their fondness for clear dates, tell us that movements for change happened between specific years–that African-Americans and women were oppressed, and then they spoke out, and then they were no longer oppressed. But African-Americans and women had been resisting oppression for almost as long as they had been oppressed. There is no clear beginning and ending to these things. There are so many stories of people who, like Tharpe, made even a small difference just by being different, that schools could never fit them all into a curriculum. Their very nature excludes them from the master narrative, for they were often fought in their day, and they are still excluded from textbooks because they challenge the clear, accepted timelines of history. Thus, many of them are stories that have probably never been known, even by historians. Tharpe’s is one that has been conspicuously absent from school curriculums. “When early rock historians reached back to trace the form’s heritage, this middle-aged lady cheerily shouting and soloing in front of robed choirs didn’t quite fit their secular, guitar-as-phallus ideal.” (2)
Tharpe’s spirit carried into her personal life as well. Laura Singara calls Tharpe’s third marriage “a publicity stunt worthy of reality TV,” describing how, after the ceremony, Tharpe got on stage and performed in her wedding dress in front of thousands of people. (3) And this was in 1951, the year of I Love Lucy and Tupperware! She managed to become popular at a time when it was very unlikely that she would. Luckily that time was one with TV, which ensures that she’s never quite gone even today. She also greatly influenced rock stars like Elvis Presley. “Each day Elvis would rush home from school in Tupelo to listen to her and other singers on WELO’s daily half hour of black gospel.” (4) She can’t be forgotten when her songs are still played over and over on Elvis’ albums. But the times also managed to affect her. As much as Tharpe was deviating from history’s traditional picture of African-Americans in the 1930s-50s, her choir was still made up of only African-Americans and she is still categorized as a part of the history of “black music” rather than gospel music or rock music. And, of course, she is not taught about in US History curriculums. Tharpe is a voice that deviated from the single story of history told in textbooks, but she is still hidden from those who do not look for her.
Endnotes:
1. Singara
2. Ibid.
3. Ibid.
4. Patterson
Sources:
Singara, Laura. “Can I Get An Amen?” The New York Times. March 18, 2007. Read September 6, 2014
Wald, Gayle F. First Chapter: “‘Shout, Sister, Shout!’” The New York Times. March 18, 2007. Read September 6, 2014
Patterson, Nigel. “Spotlight on The King #1: How Sister Rosetta Tharpe Influenced Elvis’ Music.” Elvis Information Network. 1998. Read September 6, 2014
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Sandy Schenker
Sister Rosetta Tharpe
Sister Rosetta Tharpe challenged the traditional civil rights narrative by mixing together traditional white and black music to create a new genre that had a blurred racial line. This challenged the traditional civil rights narrative as before Sister Rosetta Tharpe, almost everything in the time period, including music, was extremely segregated between black and white. Although mixing these types of music was a very risky decision at the time period, it ended up being incredibly successful as “she shocked her more pious black listeners with songs such as I want A Tall Skinny Papa and delighted white listeners with Rock Me and This Train.” This shows that she challenged the traditional civil rights narrative, by pleasing both black and white listeners; whereas prior to this point musicians had usually only had pleased one race. This example of Sister Rosetta Tharpe mixing together the “black” and “white” music was one of the very few instances where this occurred during this time period. Not just for music, but for combining anything black and white together and the result being popular. Civil rights in this time period were known for the Ku Klux Klan, lynchings, etc.; therefore, Sister Rosetta Tharpe’s music absolutely shattered the “master narrative” as her music was something that every human could enjoy at the time, an extraordinarily rare thing.
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We wrote about similar concepts of uniquely uniting the races. Do you think there was a particularly tangible impact of this? *Snaps*
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During the Civil Right’s era, the overarching story was that throughout the U.S., African American’s struggled to receive the rights that they deserved due to restrictions put on by whites. During this time, a U.S. history will recount the story with many white men and women and a few African American’s. The few African American’s that “made the textbooks” were the like of educated men such as Frederick Douglass, Malcolm X, and Martin Luther King Junior; however, Sister Rosetta Tharpe changes the traditional story by not complying to these guidelines, but having a similar and similarly important effect on African American popularity and influence in the United States. Sister Rosetta Tharpe was one of the few African American’s that had a tremendous impact without having an education and impacting in a way that was different from talking about slavery. Rosetta Tharpe was getting airtime on the radio and performing concerts in front of thousands of fans. One fan in attendance was one of the greatest Rock n’ Roll artists of all time, Elvis Presley. “Each day Elvis would rush home from school in Tupelo to listen to her and other singers on WELO’s daily half hour of black gospel. According to his school friend, Billy Welch, Elvis would never miss a show,” (Elvis Information Network). Many educated African American’s wrote books on slavery and their experience during slavery (at least, this is what is talked about in textbooks) which helped give white readers who were unaware of the true horrors of slavery a more realistic understanding but Rosetta Tharpe was able to be a model for one of the greatest musicians of all time out of just pure talent. It was impossible for whites to resist her because of her skin color, because her music was even something special to them. Rosetta challenges the story of Civil Rights in the U.S. History because she progressed the story of Civil Rights without writing a book or being an eloquent speaker. This interesting story is a hidden one due to the fact that a lot of people who are disassociated with music have not ever heard of her despite the impact she currently has in the U.S. This can partly be attributed to textbook editors choosing not to look at her as “important information”. It is much more likely that you would find Sister Rosetta Tharpe in a history of music textbook than in a history of the United States textbook because most textbook editors and publishers don’t find her important in affecting the history of the United States.
Patch Johanson
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The people living during the United States Civil Rights era only had two stories to be categorized by. One story was the African American community who struggled to gain equality because they were still connected with slavery, discriminated against, and segregated. The second story included the privileged and successful white society who believed in white superiority. Therefore, the different people and stories that did not fit into either of these categories have become “hidden histories.”
Unfortunately, Sister Rosetta Tharpe did not fit into either of these categories and therefore, has has become defined as a “hidden history.” Starting from a young age Tharpe was surrounded by music and by the age of six she was performing regularly. However, Tharpe was dissimilar from the typical artist who sang to please the public or entertain industries. In fact, Tharpe became known as a “genre-defying artist.1” She was willing to break away from gender stereotypes and participate in a male dominated music business. She exceeded above and beyond the predetermined expectations audiences had of her. Additionally, Tharpe explored and embraced her own sense of style, and included her own emotions and religious beliefs in her music. She became “gospels music’s first national star and a pioneer of modern rock-and-roll guitar.2” She was willing to engage in controversial and sensitive topics that other musicians were not. Her music was her own and had no sense of boundaries.
1. Singara, Laura. “Can I get an Amen?” New York Times. March 18, 2007.
2. Wald, Gayle. “Shout, Sister, Shout!” New York Times. March 18, 2007.
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Textbooks make Civil Rights seem as fighting for African-American rights, when in reality it’s the right of citizens to political and social freedom and equality. Civil Rights is not limited to African-American rights, they can include woman, rights, Latino rights, any citizens rights. What makes Sister Rosetta Tharpe remarkable is she is a woman, she’s black, and she’s a musician. She challenges what her “people” should act like. As a black child she was not to “be seen and not heard-and such rules of conduct were particularly crucial for black children, for whom a careless word could spell mortal trouble” like all other children (Wald 1). Yet “by the age of six she had mastered the guitar” making her transcend not only what is expected of black children but of children in general (Spotlight). Tharpe almost challenges law of nature by learning things like learning to speak and walk before turning one. During her time Tharpe was extremely controversial because as a woman she is suppose to tending the kids, make dinner, not influencing The Elvis Presley. She may not be as well known as MLK, Rosa Parks, or Malcolm X, but her way of changing history was through not only changing civil rights history but also changing the direction that music was headed. Tharpe brought gospel music and rock together challenging her church. Questioning the church is alone difficult but challenging the way they deliver their message to their community by making the choir have more upbeat music is even more difficult. She changed expectations with her musical ability and her passion. Textbooks may not include her story but she made women, and African-Americans be viewed in a different light than they were before her. Tharpe was a religious, black, woman changing history and textbooks’ definition of what is history did not include Sister Rosetta Stone did not perfectly fit their definition of what Civil Rights looks like.
Bibliography
“Spotlight on the King #1: How Sister Rosetta Tharpe Influenced Elvis’ Music,” Elvis Information Network, http://www.elvisinfonet.com/tharpe.html.
Wald, Gayle F. “‘Shout, Sister, Shout!’” New York Times. March 18, 2007. http://www.nytimes.com.
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Sister Rosetta Tharpe is an outlier in the traditional story of Civil Rights throughout the United States. She is a talented, innovative, and confident black woman, who designed her own path in the midst of prevalent racial injustice. She was born in a small town outside of Cotton Plant, Arkansas, a relatively sheltered farmland compared to the cities such as Little Rock nearby. Sister Rosetta was lucky to have almost avoided the inequity growing up, “Cotton Plant was never touched by the racial violence that rocked Arkansas in the early twentieth century, when fifty-four black people were lynched between 1910 and 1929” (‘Shout, Sister, Shout!’, Wald). This could have been a factor in Rosetta becoming so influential through her music. She wasn’t afraid to take risks, whether it was through her pure voice, her pivotal pioneering of R&B guitar playing, or her appearances on national television. Sister Rosetta Tharpe was never afraid to say it all the best way she knew how.
It is an unfortunate reality that the impact Rosetta had on Civil Rights in U.S. history is only recently being acknowledged. Her story as a black woman serves as inspiration for many throughout that time period to today. Very rarely did one see a woman with such command and power while performing, not to mention her pioneering the use of an electric guitar. This captivated audiences, shocking many people into a realization about woman and their endless capabilities. Sister Rosetta Tharpe proved to be a catalyst for styles used by many famous male artists such as Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Johnny Cash.
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How does Sister Rosetta Tharpe challenge the traditional story of civil rights?
The civil rights era is normally presented as a time period over run with discrimination, racism, and the abuse of minority groups. It is traditionally presented that African Americans were treated horribly, and although there were some white allies who helped fight back, they were, for the most part unable to prosper in society. Although racism, and discrimination were extremely prevalent during this time, this in many ways is the “one story” that Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie talked about. Stories of African American figures who were able to make strides in order to move beyond the racial barriers are limited to a select few. Some examples include: Martin Luther King, Malcolm X. , Rosa Parks, Langston Hughes, and Booker T. Washington. Rosetta Tharpe’s very existence challenges the single story of what it is meant to be not only African American, but an African American women. Sister Rosetta Tharpe pushed the limits of womanhood. During this time period women were expected to work at home, and take care of the kids. In addition, the music industry during this time period was predominantly male. Therefore, breaking into this industry as a rock/gospel singer was a completely new frontier. Sister Rosetta Tharpe displayed that she had “power” over her situation. She didn’t let social norms inhibit her from expressing herself. Traditionally, we see that African Americans fighting against the system, in order to regain their lost power. This is seen through the numerous protests,and rallies that leaders like MLK organized to bring awareness to the inequality in society.However, Sister Rosetta Tharpe took her power back from an early age when she mastered the guitar at age 6, and continued performing in clubs, and took her passion of music to new heights. This “power” which manifests itself in her music, and the sheer amount of popularity she received, defy’s the impossible. “Rosetta tore up the clubs and churches often reducing her audience and congregation “to an emotional pulp”. (Spotlight on The Kind #1) Not only did Sister Rosetta Tharpe make a name for herself in the states in places like the Cotton Club, and on Broadway, but also she traveled overseas in 1959. In addition, it is essential to note the importance that music has in American culture. Despite the racism, outside and inside the music industry Rosetta Tharpe inspired names such as Elvis Presley, Little Richard, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Johnny Cash.(Spotlight on The Kind #1) The fact that Tharpe was able to captivate and inspire artists that were outside of the African American community demonstrates just how much of an impact she had on the music culture.
(Extra Note: Although Sister Rosetta Tharpe defies the traditional story of civil rights, all of the racism, and cruel treatment of minorities were very real. In addition, it is very true that there were others who were able to make move beyond some of the race barriers. However, I personally feel uncomfortable answering this question because I feel like I am missing a lot of information. Therefore, I feel the “evidence” that I provided isn’t adequate enough, and I feel like I didn’t have a range of viewpoints to read about. In addition, the answer overall doesn’t even begin to touch on the possible resistance that Sister Tharpe might have gone through.)
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I agree with your “extra note” a lot. The articles talk a lot about her success but she also most likely endured a lot of resistance. One example of this is in the one of the articles when they talked about her having to be “contained” in her tour bus while on a tour in the south, I believe. I also think that, like you said, there are many others that challenged racial barriers during the same time. However, though I don’t have enough information to say this for sure, I think one thing that she did that was different is she made a public statement defying racial barriers through her success as a musician, not necessarily through focusing on politics. I think this ties into what you were saying about her regaining of “power.”
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The “Unsung” Godmother of Rock and Roll
How does a legend fall through the cracks of history? How does one of the most groundbreaking and influential women in music, Sister Rosetta Tharpe, get written out of history books? The answer, simply put, is because her story deviates from the mainstream narrative of the Civil Rights era during which she rose to fame. She grew up with no education and minimal resources, but found her place in music nevertheless. As she gained more and more popularity, she began touring through an incredibly segregated nation unifying the country under the spell of her voice and musical genius. The history of African-Americans during the time period is a sad narrative of oppression and injustices and at the time, the expectation of Sister Rosetta Tharpe as a young African-American woman was “to be seen and not heard” (Wald, p1). However, Tharpe did quite the opposite. She defied the norm and played the music she wanted. The men didn’t want to be “outplayed” and white upper class did not want to allow themselves to enjoy the entertainment of a brilliantly talented African-American. However, nobody could resist the allure of the precocious Tharpe who brought a charismatic, electric, and bold energy to every performance. Her sound knew no boundaries and failed to fit any descriptions (Sinagra, p1). Because she never settled into any “niche that would have made her an avatar of any one musical moment”, the press did not know how to capture her. Due to the media’s huge influence on how we perceive and absorb history, it meant her story had to be “salvaged”. The unfortunate thing is that Tharpe “is only lately being accorded her rightful place in rock history” (Wald, p1). She has had an unmistakable impact on many historic musicians, such as Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Elvis Presley and the fact that these are three white males is not a coincidence (Patterson, p1). The problem of the “hidden story” of Sister Rosetta Tharpe is a matter of how her narrative fits into the narrative of the time. She was an outlier and she was different than who one might think about in terms of an African-American during the Civil Rights era. Although it is clear that her musical accomplishments and influence are underappreciated, Tharpe’s “salvaged” legend will live on today.
Bibliography:
Sinagra, Laura. “Can I Get an Amen?” New York Times. March 18, 2007. http://www.nytimes.com.
Patterson, Nigel. “Spotlight on the King #1: How Sister Rosetta Tharpe Influenced Elvis’ Music.” Elvis Information Network. http://www.elvisinfonet.com/tharpe.html.
Wald, Gayle F. “‘Shout, Sister, Shout!’” New York Times. March 18, 2007. http://www.nytimes.com.
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When describing the Civil Rights Era, the word racism comes to mind. Although this word is said to describe the general experience of what it was like being an African American in that time period, it does not encompass every story. Sister Rosetta Tharpe’s life experiences gives historians a new perspective. Born in 1915 outside a Cotton Plant in Arkansas, Tharpe was raised during a time of distinct separation between whites and blacks, as well as women and men. Sister Rosetta Tharpe mastered the guitar at the age of six and continued to perform throughout her lifetime. Although traditionally brought up with gospel music, she combined rock, a stereotypically “white” genre, with gospel. Raised to follow the black etiquette, “to be seen not heard”, her music did the exact opposite. It was loud and powerful and blended the stigma of blacks versus whites that she was living under. Her music brought joy, hope and an uplifting attitude to an otherwise oppressive time period. Tharpe being a women to achieve this top class talent also pushed boundaries that very few have been known in history (key word is known) to break. By refusing to stand under the common identity of African Americans in that era-inferior and untalented-she gave people a new outlet to express who they were without the confines of social constructs. How is it that someone described as a “seminal black influence,” “holly roller singer” and “hymnswinger” is not written in textbooks and is not as well known as Martin Luther King Jr. or Malcom X? It is because although her defiance of the “one story” is inspiring, it challenges what we thought we knew about that era and contradicts everything we are accustomed to. As stated in previous class discussions, it is easier to accept the “one story” and its face value as the truth rather than looking at the “unknowns” who changed the course of history.
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Luc Stervinou
Sister Rosetta Tharpe’s story has fallen victim to the way in which we teach history. Tharpe during the 1950’s, a time when Jim Crow flourished, “combined black spirituals with white big band jazz”(1), creating a new sound that reached all demographics including black and white. Tharpe, like Jesse Owens and Jackie Robinson, was able to obtain the praise of white audiences despite the oppressive and blatant racism that was etched in society during the time. However, to say that Tharpe’s story is “hidden” due to the time period in which she flourished is unfair and naïve. Tharpe’s story was unable to be hidden by the racial bigots of her time period, because they were the ones supporting her by attending her shows, as Laura Sinagra states: “this resourceful woman, whose livelihood depended on wowing affluent whites at the cotton club”(2). Her lack of story is due to how it is being told or lack there of today. Tharpe, unlike MLK or Malcolm X, did not gain notoriety or fame through the oppression that she was facing. Instead she endured this oppression, by still gaining notoriety despite her circumstances. In history today we try to find facts. Tharpe’s story, although miraculous, isn’t as blatant as that of MLK or Malcolm X. In history we are taught specific facts ideas and term because it makes it easier for us. Allowing us to not have to dive into the past and take it for what it is worth. Tharpe, a character that requires more background and understanding, is abstract. To understand her story you must truly understand the circumstances that she was facing. However, this is harder for us to come to terms with. It’s much easier for us to look at a term like the Alabama bus boycotts or I had a dream speech. Where we can look at the past as a timeline, allowing us to pull the emotion and guilt out of it.
1. Patterson
2. Sinagra
Sources
Singara, Laura. “Can I Get An Amen?” The New York Times. March 18, 2007. Read September 6, 2014
Patterson, Nigel. “Spotlight on The King #1: How Sister Rosetta Tharpe Influenced Elvis’ Music.” Elvis Information Network. 1998. Read September 6, 2014
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From the first class I took that focused on the details of the Civil rights, racial discrimination, and some of the other social issues that this world has faced, I have been taught restricted information. I have learned that Martin Luther King Jr. essentially solved the racial equality issue with his “I have a Dream” speech, and that Barak Obama has displayed the progress of our nation by becoming the first black president. And while both of these men, along with all of the women, men, and children who have suffered through the development of this nation deserve great respect and honor, there are few who have changed the course of history like Sister Rosetta Tharpe. Growing up surrounded by cotton farms and industries, Tharpe was fully immersed in the pain, discrimination, and disparity that blacks faced in contrast to that of whites. Yet what has separated her from all the others who have grown up in similar situations is that she pursued a talent of hers’ with intent to help change an era. As a black female in a nation still controlled, run, and censored by predominantly white males, Tharpe set out to enlighten a population. LIFE Magazine described her and her work as “moving the saints on Sunday and entertaining the big spenders on Monday”, suggesting that across the board Tharpe was touching and impacting all different kinds of people (Patterson, Spotlight on The King #1: How Sister Rosetta Tharpe Influenced Elvis’ Music). Her works as a black, female, musician lead her to become a pioneer for both music and civil rights in her era.
The reason I feel as though her story challenges that of traditional narratives is that for so long, for so many years, in so many classrooms we have been taught through white texts. We have read texts through white perception, often written by white people, and anytime we would read from a text or primary source by a non-white person, people became surprisingly more interested at the rare event. In the New York Times article titled ‘Shout, Sister, Shout!’ Gayle Wald touches on the need for educational changes in this nation, “in a country like ours where two races mingle in business relations so freely, it is very necessary for both to be educated. This education must be both literary and industrial. (Wald, Shout, Sister, Shout). Tharpe gave the nation just this. A way to communicate, express oneself, and create regardless of race, gender or class. Her music and her persona gave those, prior without, the confidence to stand up, believe and become who the person they wanted to be. I guess what I am trying to say is that Tharpe’s story; her impact on social justice, and her ability to change the course of the music industry is something that I don’t think anyone can deny. While there are a few others whose impact in the course of history is similar to that of her’s, the story, life, and impact of Sister Rosetta Tharpe is one that has forever changed the type of music we listen to, how we listen, and the respect that both women, and people of color have now attained in the Music Industry world wide.
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Traditionally when we talk about the Civil Rights movement we think of African American people such as Martin Luther King Jr. or Malcolm X and how they struggled to become equal. While these two men were important to the Civil Rights movement, one must not forget the people who defied odds and helped create a more equal society in less publicized ways. Rosetta Tharpe was one of these people who did not conform to the traditional values of the system. Rosetta was an African American born in a time period where women, people of color, and LGBTQ people were not given the same rights as the their white counterparts. These inadequate rights given to these people presented danger to those who wanted to change the oppressive system. Although she lived in a place that was dangerous for her she was rarely affected by it. Gayle F. Wald said, “Unlike the State capital, Cotton plant was never touched by the racial violence that rocked Arkansas in the early twentieth century, when fifty-four black people were lynched between 1910 and 1929,” (Wald 1). This violence that occurred close by to where she lived did not stop her from trying to be successful and create her own path to success. From a young age she was very interested in music and skilled with a guitar. This love of music instilled in her allowed her to be successful and become an idol even for a successful musician such as Elvis Presley. Gayle F. Wald stated, “Thirty years later, Rosetta would return to the area around Cotton plant a Bona fide celebrity in a fancy black roadster, thrilling people there with her fine clothes, fistfuls of United States currency, and a glamorous persona” (Wald 1). The tradition narrative during the civil rights movement was that in order to make a difference one had to go out and protest. She did not fit this narrative because she was able to create a form of social equality by doing what she loved instead of struggling to attain it. Rosetta was extremely successful in the music industry and was appealing to both African Americans and to white people. This was unusual for the time period and it helped create justice for all kinds of people.
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Sister Rosetta Tharpe does certainly challenge the glossed-over style directives that we are given in textbooks today. One way in which she does this is through her story of really having to learn to be polite to whites “as a matter of survival”. This quote from the article really stood out to me, because sure, the textbook might comment on the brutality of the KKK, or the lynchings they executed, and those are undeniably terrible, but the textbooks we examined did very little to illustrate what I think might have been the most detrimental effect: the constantly agonizing terror that must have accompanied blacks of the time. This especially relates to our answers to the question, “what was missing” from the textbooks, as it is these kinds of primary sources, or in this case personal stories, that really allow stories and history to come alive and impart some sort last impact. Tharpe’s story also relates to the theories we discussed in class of the civil rights era being “over”; the idea that Martin Luther King Jr. gave some speeches, we as a nation passed some laws, and now everything is as it should be. The civil rights era is not over. In fact, as I read and really begin to chew on this concept the idea that we even have some 15 year period which we arbitrarily dub the civil rights era is almost offensive by itself. Considering all that, let us also not forget Sister Rosetta Tharpe was a not just any ordinary person, she was a trailblazer for both her gender and her race. She used her music to inspire and unite two cultures that had previously been unimagined. Tharpe has been cited as a role model and inspiration by artists such as Johnny Cash and Elvis Presley, and that is incredible given their measured successes, but it is also incredible because even just decades prior it would have been inconceivable for a little white boy to imitate and aspire to be like black woman. Considering this, Tharpe is very similar to other cultural icons such as Joe Lewis and Jackie Robinson, two others who were able to cross the color boundary before it was considered possible to do so. Yet these characters seem to never be mentioned, when they arguably may have made some of largest impacts not through direct legislation obviously, but in changing the attitudes of entire generations to become more compassionate and understanding, much in the way these textbooks we are examining aren’t.
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The “master narrative” or traditional story of Civil Rights in US History is summed up to a few key figures and a few key events as is any master narrative. It tells a single story and leaves no room for smaller stories and figures less well known (due to the single story system). Sister Rosetta Tharpe undermines this story of history because she is an African American female who played electric guitar and sang. She is not MLK, Malcolm X, or a president of the United States. She transcended the norms of gender, race, and even music. In 2007, the New York Times stated that “The music press could never quite place her either, inventing descriptions that complemented her honorific, like ‘holy roller singer’ and ‘hymnswinger.’” She mixed gospel, soul and blues into her own genre and even played the same guitar as AC/DC. In terms of gender, she went against the stereotype of female singers like Ella Fitzgerald (not to downplay Fitzgerald, shes amazing). Being a self-driven individual caused her to challenge and be left out of the single story of Civil Rights in the United States.
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For the first part of her life, Sister Rosetta Tharp seemed to fit all of the stereotypes. A black girl born in the south to farm-working, christian parents, her story aligned with the master narrative of the civil rights movement. But as her life unfolded, it became increasingly apparent just how different Sister Rosetta Tharp was. With a passion for music since she was big enough to hold a guitar, Sister Rosetta Tharp refused to allow societal standards to get in her way. In her life she walked far outside the pre-drawn racial lines and not only succeeded as a musician but thrived and inspired others. She refused to conform to the stereotypical image of black musicians on many occasions and often found that her aspirations were “painfully out of sync” with the expectations of the music industry (Sinagara, 1). Unlike most successful black musicians of the time, her music transcended racial barriers and she became an inspiration and role model to many white musicians. Perhaps her success was due to her daring social focus as opposed to the political focus of most other women who gained recognition in the civil rights movement.
Unlike the single story allows, Sister Rosetta Tharp was defined not by her background but by her talent. Although she is missing from the master narrative and US history textbooks, Tharp was named one of Elvis Presley’s greatest inspirations: “Each day Elvis would rush home from school in Tupelo to listen to her and other singers on WELO’s daily half hour of black gospel” (Patterson, 1). Infact, she was such an inspiration to him that he recorded some of her songs for his album as a way to pay homage.
The master narrative of civil rights says that the happiest, most successful and widely influential people were white, but Sister Rosetta Tharp defied that single story and used her passion and talent to create her own hidden narrative.
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