The Order of Myths

The Order of Myths film we watched in class yesterday was a very eye-opening documentary. First of all, I had no idea that Mardi Gras was such a big deal in Mobile, Alabama. I just new the stereotype of how New Orleans is associated with Mardi Gras not how Mobile, Alabama celebrated Mardi Gras in 1703 before New Orleans was even a city.

I was surprised to learn about how segregated Mobile is when it comes to the biggest of their celebrations. The MCA and the MAMGA are two entirely separate organizations who accomplish the same thing except one is white and wealthy while the other is black and middle to lower class. It's the classic case of the debutante society versus the working class with the black servicing the whites. It's an example of what Loewen said in Lies My Teacher Told Me: "young white adults have less tolerant attitudes toward black Americans..." (171). This proved somewhat true for Mobile in 2007, but there were brilliant exceptions, as well. A young white debutante named Brittain didn't wish to participate in the MCA court at all and could be seen in a kitchen talking with an older black woman she clearly respected. She explained how though the white families loved their black servants, they did not treat everyone equally.

The black MAMGA king and queen, Joseph and Stefannie, made a huge effort toward integration when they attended the all-white MCA coronation. They were graciously accepted though everyone was quite surprised to see them in attendance. I thought this was a step in the right direction even though the parades are still segregated and racialized. Brittain also seemed to approve of this and said that there was a time no too long ago when it couldn' have happened and she still didn't think the MCA was ready for the entire black MAMGA court to attend their proceedings.

It was also cool to see the MCA king and queen attend the black MAMGA Comrades Ball and interact with everyone there, dancing and having an apparently good time. Sadly, they were the only whites there, making the stark segregation even more apparent.

The Conde Explorers, the only mystic society that is openly integrated is another sad tale. It is a wonderful effort at better race relations, but there is only ONE white member, which speaks sorrowful volumes about my own race in that area.

I think my generation needs to open its eyes and step up to the plate so to speak in order to make race relations better. America deludes itself into thinking we are all so wonderful when in reality, like Loewen talks about, race relations are only minimally better in most places. I was severely shocked to learn from this film about the 1981 KKK lynching of a 19 year old black boy in Mobile, Alabama. That is terrible and not all that long ago! It's just an example of what Loewen keeps reminding his readers about how our history is whitened and made all rosy.