started like most blacks did after slavery - you get yourself a pick, shovel and a wheelbarrow or a wagon, then you find a coal mine. After you filled up your wheelbarrow, you took it to the weigh master to get paid.”
The process was a step up from slavery where the slaves had to bring in four or five tons a day. If they made their quota, the slaves got to eat that day; if they didn’t, they got lashes across the back. The transaction closely resembled sharecropping because the company was always the winner. At the weigh station, the master would check each hunk of coal. If there was too much rock on the coal (and of course, the master determined what was too much), he would reject it by throwing it on the ground. I think you know what happened to the rejected coal that miners couldn’t reclaim.
Illiteracy of the miners worked in favor of the plantation and mining bosses, but even if you knew you were being exploited, there wasn’t much you could do about it. Unionizing mines were major victories for coal miners, especially black miners, who basically refused to work in non-union mines, given our history of hiring, firing and getting the worst jobs.
The overall numbers of miners dropped dramatically with the mechanization of mining and the use of oil. The recent mining incident in West Virginia was the deadliest in the last 25 years. It cannot be called an accident, given the horrendous working conditions reportedly known to Massey Coal but ignored. Of the 29 dead miners, it appeared that at least one was African American. It may be an indicator that the rich history of solidarity between black and white coal miners (“we’re all black underground”) may be a fading phenomenon. Most of us have come to believe that miners are white It’s a good thing we have the books to remind us of the relationships - and for women like Jane to keep the oral histories alive.
CHAPTER FOUR
Culture: The Fight for the Hearts and Minds of People
The stark difference between The (Infrared) Rockers and other St.
Louis reggae bands during the reggae heyday: For The Rockers, it
was always more than just the music. The core members were
committed to the celebration and preservation of black history and
culture. They were deeply involved in community issue, carrying
out the true role of artists as change agents. Much of their original
music uplifted the struggles of African peoples throughout the
world. The group formally disbanded in 2009 after the death of
Johari Kamili, its lead singer and main songwriter.
Chase Dem Crazy Baldheads Out of the Yard
April, 1994
A couple issues ago, I wrote about the exploitation of reggae music and the disrespect of the Infrared Rockers in particular. I relayed the situation around the last Reggie Fest at Mississippi Nights given by Professor Skank, a local white promoter. I exposed the attempts of the culture vultures to control the reggae scene, as well as the economic assassination of reggae groups who don’t kowtow to their agenda. Last week, the St. Louis American published a letter of attack on me in the “Letters to the Editor” section.
The letter was written by Robert Schoenfeld, who is associated with the Nighthawk record label that allegedly promotes various Jamaican reggae artists. Apparently, the column on reggae exploitation stepped on his toes. The letter has indeed sent a ripple of outrage throughout the reggae community. Schoenfeld told how “ignorant,” “unbalanced” and “outright unstable” I am and proceeded to call me a hypocrite and a parasite with a “sick agenda.” After enduring all the name-calling, I was sure that the letter would move to correct any facts I had misstated. Or perhaps clarify some misinformation that I had put forward. None of that! Schoenfeld had ample opportunity to make me eat my words, but came up woefully empty-handed - and sounding empty- headed.
Schoenfeld’s letter sparked a real education for me on the politics of reggae music. Many people called or wrote to give me information about this whole situation in St. Louis. One would like to just enjoy the music as an expression of a cultural art form but alas, nothing is free from the taint of racism and capitalism.
Neither time nor space will allow me to talk about what I learned about the ceevees (culture vultures) in this town. Reliable sources close to the reggae scene here really helped me to better understand the players and the pawns on ‘dis plantation called St. Louis. For example, I now understand why the name “Nighthawk” so accurately describes that record label. The hawk is a bird of prey. Night refers to the method of attack: in the darkness, or when people are unsuspecting. Jamaican recording artists such as the Itals, Joseph Hill, The Gladiators, Justin Himes and so on, were signed onto the Nighthawk label. They all jumped at the chance to “make it in America.” For the money they received for their talents and hard work, you might say they were recording sharecroppers of sorts. In other words, they damn near worked for free.
There was an invitation to hook me up with one of the Itals, currently in Germany, to confirm their treatment by the Nighthawk folks. A trans-Atlantic call over this? It’s not that serious. It was further explained that people like Professor Skank and Bob Schoenfeld have tried to control the reggae market for too long. They came along at a time when whites had the resources and connections, and Jamaican artists had to depend on them to get their music out.
Now, a new generation of Jamaican artists has learned the ropes, knows how to record, manage, etc. In the spirit of self-determination, they have created their own labels. The old guard ceevees don’t want to give up their turf and are sabotaging any efforts of these young, creative entrepreneurs to splash out onto the market. The ceevees aren’t even willing to share the markets - they want it all. Their days of control over reggae music industry are marked. Our music, like the rest of our culture, is universal. We don’t mind sharing it but people can’t own it. The first beneficiaries ought to be those who created it.
Angry brothers and sisters have been talking about what to do about this situation. I’ve heard everything from picketing the upcoming shows at Mississippi Nights to opening up our own reggae venue. Let’s not react to just Schoenfeld’s letter. Let’s not play the old game of divide-and- conquer. Whatever people agree to, the commitment has to be to follow through past the emotions. The culture vultures are only doing what we allow them to do.
Postscript: The two columns by Jamala about the disrespect of the Infrared Rockers produced a firestorm in the community. The issue was debated for several weeks in the St. Louis American. Here are excerpts from a few of those responses.
Professor Skank
I was recently made aware of Jamala Rogers’ hostile and appalling article concerning myself… and last month’s Reggae Fest. Ms. Rogers’ article was completely out of line and offensive…I’m not into the reggae scene to create enemies. I’m into it because of my sincere love for the music…These words are intended to end the absurdity created by the ignorance of Protein and Ms. Rogers.
James “Protein” Williams
…What I said that night was that there was a band that was not invited to the local Reggae Fest for the third time. The omitted band is not only the oldest reggae band in town, but also the most experienced and well-traveled band. I
