John Katz, Editor, The American Dossier
Unfortunately there is always room for scandal and controversy in news headlines.
Namely the sudden judgment of deceased 1940’s singer Kate Smith being labeled as racist.
Yet again we have had a fire storm presented as news without full facts, as allegations surfaced that 1940’s singer Kate Smith recorded songs with clearly racial overtones, with “That’s why Darkies were Born” and " and "Pickaninny Heaven."
Her infamous rendition of "God Bless America “ has been banned and a statue of her was removed from the home stadium of the Philadelphia Flyers. Here we go again with statues.
In actuality, these controversial songs were written as satire against white supremacists, much like the tone in Jewish American film producer Mel Brooks songs “ Springtime For Hitler” or “The Inquisition.”
I was traveling to work yesterday and happened upon Glenn Beck on Sirius radio, who gave a very ear opening perspective on racism and factual account on the selfless patriotic service of Kate Smith.
Some interesting facts:
She performed for King George VI and Queen Elizabeth, at the White House shortly before the start of WW2.
Ronald Reagan bestowed her with the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
She's been credited helping defeat the Nazis thanks to an 18-hour broadcast in which she helped CBS raise over $100 million in war bonds.
Beck went on to further clarify: "The songs which were brought into question as racist actually were purely satirical, as part of the 1931 Broadway revue "George White's Scandals."
As a satire of white supremacists. Smith wrote the songs with Paul Robeson an, African American actor and civil rights activist.
Robeson's father was literally a runaway slave.
In closing, racism is something that must never be tolerated or ignored however as Glen Beck pointed out, was this really about racism, or is it a hidden agenda at the expense of losing focus on God and Country?
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