Wednesday, June 24, 2020
England rugby could ban Swing Low, Sweet Chariot because of slavery links
Rugby union bosses in England are to carry out a review into the “historical context” of Swing Low, Sweet Chariot – an anthem regularly sung by thousands of fans during matches at Twickenham.
The song has its roots in American slavery in the 19th century, which many supporters may be unaware of.
England’s governing body, the Rugby Football Union, has said it wants to educate fans about its origins, as well as undertaking the review.
It comes after global Black Lives Matter protests, including in the UK, about racial inequality in the wake of the police killing of unarmed black man George Floyd in Minneapolis.
The anthem has been sung by fans since the late 1980s, but it dates back to its credited author, Wallace Willis, who was a freed Oklahoma slave.
It became a popular spiritual song in the early 20th century and was popularised again among folk musicians during the civil rights movement of the 1960s.
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3 comments:
It is NOT a "Slave Hymn" but a "Spiritual." It was composed AFTER 1865, by a Freed Man. It was not "sung in the fields" during slavery, and while culturally it is "Black" and perhaps "Old," it is a celebration of Faith and Determination.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swing_Low,_Sweet_Chariot
Those who do not KNOW their history seem to be the most guilty of ignorantly condemning the past.
If you ban things that have "slavery roots" (i.e. anything that was created during the time slavery existed), you are banning history.
There is nothing racsists about that song its just a good song some people are just acting like total fools over this all
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