— KERRY ALTENBERND, Douglas County Law Librarian, member of the Black Jack Battlefield Trust Board of Trustees, tour coordinator for the Black Jack Battlefield & Nature Park, and John Brown re-enactor
STORY BY Amb er Brejcha Frale y PHOTOGRAPHY BY Jason Dailey with Bill Stephens and Jennifer Heeke
— KATIE ARMITAGE, historian and author of Lawrence: Survivors of Quantrill’s Raid — NAPOLEON CREWS, attorney and author of several historical novels including The Emancipation of Nate Bynum, Bleeding Kansas, Black Jack Blood and The Man Who Tamed Lawrence
I
t’s a question oft pondered: What would our nation’s founders think of us were they suddenly to appear in modern times? For Lawrence, there is arguably one
T H E
JOHN BROWN P A N E L
ON THE NEXT FEW PAGES, OUR PANEL CONTEMPLATES “WHAT WOULD JOHN BROWN DO?”
leading founder—in spirit, if not in actual deed—John Brown.
The radical 19th century abolitionist defended Lawrence from raiders, fought to make Kansas a free state and spilled blood to raid a U.S. military arsenal in hopes of sparking a rebellion to end slavery. In this 150th anniversary year of the Civil War, John Brown is now a Lawrence icon whose image appears on many front license plates and at the occasional University of Kansas sporting event. But is that a good thing? In short, is John Brown a hero for our times? We assembled a panel of John Brown experts and questioned them about Lawrence and John Brown. The questions and their answers are a sometimes humorous attempt to ask WWJBD? (What Would John Brown Do?) if he pulled a Rip Van Winkle and strolled across Massachusetts Street. But they are equally a serious examination of one of Lawrence’s most controversially important figures and our assessment of his legacy. “This kind of reflection,” explains historian and panel member Napoleon Crews, “is important to helping us understand how we got to be where we are, as a society and as a country, on important issues such as human and civil rights.” “I personally think he is one of the most important figures in American history,” adds fellow historian and panel member Kerry Altenbernd. “That’s the thing about John Brown—he does not go away.”
— KARL GRIDLEY, historian, author of the Territorial Kansas Heritage Alliance’s John Brown of Kansas brochure and the John Brown plaque outside Free State Brewing Co. — KEVIN WILLMOTT, fi lmmaker, associate professor of fi lm and media studies at the University of Kansas and creator of the “mockumentary” CSA: The Confederate States of America — CATHY HAMILTON, director of Downtown Lawrence Inc. and nationally syndicated BoomerGirl humor columnist
John Brown (Cathy Hamilton) with a pint of John Brown Ale and friends at Free State Brewing Co.
DOWN A JOHN BROWN?
WOULD JOHN BROWN
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[The John Brown Ale is a beer at the popular Lawrence brewery Free State Brewing Co.] Would he go into Free State and order a John Brown beer? Is he the type of guy that you would like to have a beer with? Altenbernd: I have not seen any documentation on how John Brown felt about consuming alcohol. During his time, beer was considered almost as food, and with bad water being common, it was often the only safe thing to drink. People drank then as much if not more than they do now, so if he were strongly against it, he would probably have written about it. John Brown has been described as a Calvinist, and thought this is not a completely accurate portrayal of his religious beliefs; he would definitely be against people drinking to excess and getting drunk. Calvin was not against drinking as long as it was done in moderation, so it is likely John Brown would have had a similar opinion. Even if he didn’t drink himself, he would not have been so dogmatic as to shun those that did imbibe, so he would likely go with you to Free State. I would definitely like to have a beer with him, but I am not sure how we would have gotten along. I hope we would have been able to talk to each other and find areas of common ground. Armitage: If he downed a John Brown in front of the plaque at the Free State Brewery [a plaque commemorating John Brown’s address to the citizens of Lawrence], he could draw a crowd and ask all to mend their ways in the moral cause of the day. Crews: No. John was very religious and did not approve of drinking. When he and his small army were hiding in the Maryland hills near Harper’s Ferry, preparing to attack, two of his men snuck into the town and returned to the hideout intoxicated. He strongly expressed his disapproval. Gridley: John Brown being a Calvinist and Puritan I imagine would abstain from downing the Kansas ale named in his honor. He wasn’t a killjoy though. He had strict rules for his men, and was called a “regular martinet” when it came to discipline in camp, but he respected most people as individuals who had their own philosophies of life. Just not slaveholders and their apologists. He had about as interesting a life as any American of that time and it would be fascinating to talk to him, even if he was just drinking camp coffee. Willmott: No, John wouldn’t drink with you, but he would down a strong coffee while you drank a Free State. Hamilton: I understand JB was a religious man, so he may have practiced temperance. That said, he is definitely the type of guy I’d like to have a beer with. But I’d like to have a beer with any type of guy.
sure!
no way!
JOHNNY SCORE:
John Brown (Todd Wyant of Westside Yoga) strikes a pose at Watson Park.
WOULD JOHN BROWN
STAY FIT?
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Would John Brown buy into the “healthful body, healthful mind” approach? Would he go to the gym? Would he run with Red Dog? Would he say “Namaste!”? Altenbernd: John Brown would have tried to stay fit, but it is unlikely that he would have gone to the gym or participated in exercise for its own sake. Compared to modern Americans, he was extremely fit. People in his day walked a lot, and he did not avoid doing so. It is said that when he first came to Kansas in 1855, he walked most of the way leading his pack animals. He would have believed in keeping the body fit, but not by expending energy unproductively. Armitage: Unlikely. Crews: John’s focus would first be on the spiritual self and the person’s relationship with God. Physical and mental health concentrations would be secondary to the human rights of the downtrodden. Gridley: John Brown was tough and wiry from having led a hard life and from always being on the move. I think he would stay fit, but do it by working hard, not working out. Willmott: He would stay fit by doing intense physical labor. He would not have to go to a gym or exercise he would stay in shape building houses for homeless people, helping the poor and others in need of care. He would be very hands-on. Hamilton: JB would be a distance runner. Think Forrest Gump in the “Running on Empty” scene.
sure!
no way!
JOHNNY SCORE:
John Brown (Kerry Altenbernd) visits with members of the Lawrence NAACP before the organization’s annual cook-off competition.
BE SATISFIED WITH THE STATUS OF THE MODERN BLACK COMMUNITY?
WOULD JOHN BROWN
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sure!
no way!
JOHNNY SCORE:
Would John Brown be satisfied with the progress, or lack of, in racial equality over the past 150 or so years? What would John Brown think of racial relations in the United States in general? Of recent racial tensions with the immigration debate? Altenbernd: John Brown believed in the Declaration of Independence and the Golden Rule. “All men are created equal” and “Do onto others as you would have others do onto you” were more than just words to him. They were divinely inspired, and were the blueprint on how we all should live our lives. He felt that all men were his brothers and all women his sisters. This was the foundation of everything that he did. As such, he would be appalled by the abysmally slow improvement in the state of racial equality in the United States since his time, but he might not be surprised that it would take a long time to change for the better. Before his raid on Harpers Ferry, he believed that ending slavery in this country would be relatively bloodless. After seeing the deep, intense, abiding hatred against anyone who would dare to believe that blacks were the equal of whites, the hatred that was exposed in the violent reaction to the raid, he predicted that “the crimes of this guilty land will never be purged away, but with blood.” This was an accurate prediction of the Civil War, but also a prediction for the nearly 150 years since the end of that conflict. He might not be surprised that the struggle has lasted far beyond the end of legalized slavery in this nation. He might not be surprised that the blood of countless numbers of Blacks, Indians, and other racial minorities would be spilled in this country in the years since he wrote those words, attesting to the fact that the struggle was and is still not over. He would have been with the Freedom Riders in the South helping Blacks register to vote, and with the migrant farm workers in Arizona and California striking for a living wage. He would be challenging Americans today to look into their own hearts when they debate homeless and immigration. Were he in Lawrence today, he would be against the building of a trafficway across land sacred to Indian people. If he were alive today, he would be pleased that we have a black man as President of the United States, though he might ask us, “Why did it take nearly 150 years?” Armitage: As John Brown passionately opposed conditions in his own time, he would be dissatisfied with social justice in our time. Crews: John would be relieved to see that slavery had ended and that his life and the lives of his men were not lost in vain. It would intrigue him that this country actually elected an African-American President. A walk through most of our cities would dishearten him because there is still much work to be done and progress on all racial fronts has all but stopped. Gridley: He was a true egalitarian and felt that everyone was equal in the eyes of the law. I think he would be pleased with progress like the end of slavery, de-segregation, Brown v. Board, and the Civil Rights Act. He would be disappointed though that we haven’t made more progress in terms of social equality. Willmott: He would think we have come a long way. He would be thrilled about Obama – he would want to take broad swords to the Tea Party and others that demonize immigrants. Hamilton: I don’t think JB would be satisfied until all traces of racial inequality disappeared forever, although he’d likely feel gratified to see Obama in the White House. He wouldn’t be too pleased about what’s happening in Arizona, though.
John Brown (Napoleon Crews) stands near a voting booth outside the Douglas County Courthouse.
VOTE OR RUN FOR OFFICE?
WOULD JOHN BROWN
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Would he be involved in non-violent politics? Would he run for office? What issues would be of concern to him? Altenbernd: Yes, John Brown would vote. He was a patriot. He believed very deeply that the United States had the potential to be the greatest nation that the world had ever seen, but it could never achieve that potential until the yoke of slavery was removed from around its neck. He worked peacefully for that most of his life, and only became violent as a reaction to increasing violence from those who supported slavery. Were he alive today, he would actively support efforts to ensure the United States lived up to the promises made to all citizens in the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. Armitage: John Brown was called to strike out against conditions of evil. Politics would be too messy for his style. Crews: Voting was important to John. When the Missouri Border Ruffians took over Kansas ballot boxes and intimidated voters on the Free-State issue, it helped him make the decision to come to Kansas and set things right. Gridley: Brown had very little use for the politicians of his day, and he felt the political process was not going to resolve the issue of slavery. Slavery was a special case. It was, he felt, “throughout its entire existence in the United States none other than a most barbarous, unprovoked and unjustifiable war of one portion of its citizens upon another portion.” He came to the conclusion that it would have to have a violent end, and ultimately he was right. I don’t know that you can transpose other modern issues onto him though. In Lawrence he had little use for what he called “jackdaw parliaments”—local leaders debating and dithering in the face of imminent pro-slavery attacks from Missouri. Willmott: Brown was only as violent as the slave owners that beat and murdered the human property they owned. No one ever asked how violent the slave owner is. He wouldn’t run for office – he was an outside man. He would understand like the late activist Philip Berrigan – “If voting changed anything, it would be illegal.” He knows the street is where the real change can happen. Brown is just like most American heroes he is violent when he was called to fight for justice. Once he heard of Dr. King and his use of non-violence I think he would like that idea and turn more toward that direction. Even though, he would argue, it would never have worked against the slave owner.
sure!
no way!
JOHNNY SCORE:
John Brown (Napoleon Crews) prepares to answer a question in Pam Mitchell’s second-grade Deerfield Elementary class.
GIVE A GOOD GRADE TO PUBLIC EDUCATION?
WOULD JOHN BROWN
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Would John Brown be proud of the modern American public education system? Altenbernd: That is hard to say. He would likely be pleased that an attempt is made to educate all American children, but would have been dismayed that the system seems to fail many of those who most need its help. Armitage: The Bible was his textbook. Crews: No, he would be upset with the education system’s failure to adequately address its shortcomings. He would however, be sympathetic to the fact that the education system’s problems substantially stem from the failure of parents to raise and discipline their children at home. Gridley: I think he would be impressed with technology and the great strides made in making education available to all children regardless of circumstances. But he would probably be disappointed in the overall lack of funding for public education and the unfair advantages that the privileges of class and wealth still bestow. Willmott: Not so much – he would be upset about how things have re-segregated between the races in bigger cities and down south. He would be very upset with the Virginia Governor Bob McDonald declaring Confederate History Month. He would see that the Civil War is still being waged. He would be very frustrated at how we still celebrate the CSA and teach in some places the war was not over slavery. He would want to burn down Atlanta after seeing “Gone with the Wind” on TNT. He would pull his hair out when he heard of the N-word being removed from Huck Finn. He would remind us of the slave boy he saw beaten as a child that created his hatred of slavery.
sure!
no way!
JOHNNY SCORE:
John Brown (Ethan Miles) cheers for Free State High School at the annual Free State vs. Lawrence High football showdown.
CHEER A TOUCHDOWN?
WOULD JOHN BROWN
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Would John Brown Wave the Wheat? Root for the Hawks? Cheer for the hometeam? How interested would he be in sports, or would he consider them a useless diversion? Altenbernd: Probably. There is a widespread impression that John Brown was an oddball, someone who was outside the mainstream of society. His opinions on blacks and slavery were definitely not shared by the vast majority of his fellow citizens, but in other areas of his life, he was very much like the people around him. He would probably not have liked the overemphasis on money and celebrity that is so common in sports today, but he would likely have supported athletics, and might very well have waved the wheat. Armitage: Unlikely. Crews: He would not cheer athletes or teams that practiced bad sportsmanship or failed to conduct their personal lives in a way that respected the rights of others. He would view sports as an important development tool for modern youth. And yes, he would scream his lungs out and pound the benches as KU whipped the stuffing out of Missouri. Gridley: Hard to say. He thought of himself as a Kansan, was an original jayhawker, and believed in teamwork. I think he would take pride in the nobler accomplishments of the state. Compared to the life-and-death struggles of his day though, I think sport contests might seem a little trivial to him. Willmott: He would love the Jayhawks not because of sports. He wouldn’t be very interested in sports as a whole. But he would love the Jayhawks because they are named after abolitionists. It would remind him of the good ole’ days at the Battle of Black Jack. He would love it when we play Mizzou. Hamilton: JB would definitely wave the wheat and root for KU. (I mean, excuse me...Jayhawkers?!?) The trick would be getting him to leave his rifle outside the stadium.
sure!
no way!
JOHNNY SCORE:
John Brown (Cole Cottin) gives a thumbs up to vendors Kevin Prather, left, and David Gundy at Cottin’s Farmers’ Market.
BE A CHAMPION FOR THE ENVIRONMENT?
WOULD JOHN BROWN
Would John Brown dig in the ground? Would he be an organic farmer? Would you see him at the farmers’ market? Would he be concerned about issues of local
no way!
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Armitage: John Brown today would likely be an environmentalist preaching about climate change and environmental degradation. Crews: John would probably be an organic farmer, more out of necessity than choice. Wealth would most likely elude him and so he would not be able to afford large plots of fertilized land. Gridley: He was a sheep farmer in Ohio and farmed in upstate New York in the Adirondacks before he came to Kansas. He was finally too restless to be a farmer, but he would be for Free Soil! Willmott: I think he would work closely with people like Wes Jackson. Hamilton: Wouldn’t it be cool to see JB at the farmer’s market on a Saturday morning!? I’m thinking he would grow killer tomatoes, but I’d love to see him dressed up like one of those bumble bee guys.
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JOHNNY SCORE:
Altenbernd: Yes, John Brown would work the ground. He farmed and raised livestock most of his life, and that was the life he most enjoyed. I imagine that he would have been very suspicious of modern agri-business with its massive use of fuel, chemical fertilizers, and poisons, all of which requires huge capital investments. John Brown was no friend of bankers and would likely have farmed in a way that did not require their assistance.
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John Brown (Matt Kirby) might or might not file his taxes after the annual post office tax day concert by Alferd Packer Memorial String Band.
WOULD JOHN BROWN
PAY TAXES?
no way!
Would John Brown file on April
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Armitage: He might not owe any taxes as his income was spotty! Crews: John Brown might fi le his taxes late, but not because he was a resister. He kept a lot of irons in the fire and failed at a lot of business ventures. This speaks to his management skills and also means that the IRS collection unit would probably know him quite well. Gridley: I think he would be troubled by the way taxes are spent primarily on the military, rather than on education and badly needed social programs. Willmott: He would be drawn toward resistance, but would be more inclined to pay under President Obama.
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JOHNNY SCORE:
Altenbernd: John Brown would have paid his taxes, keeping in mind Jesus’ admonition to, “Render unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s, and unto God the things that are God’s.”
John Brown (Nic Sanchez) joins Thomas Trowler in encouraging Lawrencians to “Honk for Hemp.”
WOULD JOHN BROWN
HONK FOR HEMP?
Would John Brown be a marijuana legalization advocate? What would
no way!
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he think of the war on drugs or the culture of drugs in modern America? Would he be a big
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Crews: He would abhor the fact that we have evolved into a drug culture and allow so many people to be enslaved by drugs. He would be vocal against legalization, but this addiction issue would not be his top priority.
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Gridley: Hemp was used for making rope in the 1850s and Missouri vied with other slave states to provide the rope that would hang John Brown. I imagine he would prefer hemp be put to more peaceable uses.
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Willmott: He wouldn’t be very interested in that. Brown dug reality – didn’t try to escape it. Very conservative in that way.
sure!
JOHNNY SCORE:
Altenbernd: It is very likely that John Brown grew hemp, and would do so again now. During his time, it was a widely grown agricultural crop used for rope and other fiber products. Its potential value has not changed, and John Brown would recognize that.
John Brown (Vernon Brejcha) revs up his Harley with Tori Crump, middle, and Melissa Darling.
REV IT UP TO GET AROUND?
WOULD JOHN BROWN
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Would he be an eco-conscious fuel-consumption advocate? A radical bicycle and alternative transport advocate? Would he be an “Americanmade” car advocate? Or would he ride a Harley? Altenbernd: John Brown’s concern for all people, and especially those who are neglected by the system, would likely bring him to support public transportation. He was a frugal man, so he would have chosen for himself the means of transportation that was most cost effective for his situation. As such, he might ride a bike, or even a Harley, if that proved to be the best choice. Armitage: Solar power for the people! Crews: He would drive an old car, probably a pickup. Gridley: Brown certainly got around in the 1850s. As for most people of the time, it involved a lot of walking and horse riding. I think he might find the transportation of the 21st century a little soft, although if it got him to where the action was faster, I imagine he would take to it. I guess I can see him driving a monster truck to the Battle of Black Jack. Willmott: John Brown would drive a raggedy old car that he would have working quite efficiently. Hamilton: I’m seeing JB on a Harley, crazy hair and beard flying in the breeze, a sexy gray-haired babe in the sidecar.
sure!
no way!
JOHNNY SCORE:
Altenbernd: Yes, it is a worthwhile thing to do, especially now that we are commemorating the 150th anniversary of the Civil War. John Brown is intimately linked to the beginning of that war, and thinking about how he thought and believed is timely and important. Thinking about what John Brown would do today is important because it gives us the opportunity to reflect on our modern conditions. What are we now taking for granted that future generations will look back on and ask, “how could they have thought that way,” in the same way we look back and ask that question about legalized slavery? Although John Brown was one of the most important figures in American history, it is good to realize that he was a person just like us. A person, who for most of his life, had done mundane things and worked hard just to get by. Imagining what he would do today, in our world, brings his larger-than-life figure down to our level, and allows us to realize that we are really not so different from him. Armitage: Kind of fun and maybe useful. Crews: Yes, very much so. The questions require us to refresh ourselves on his past history, views, and decisions. This kind of reflection is important to helping us understand how we got to be where we are, as a society and as a country, on important issues such as human and civil rights.
Kerry Altenbernd
Gridley: I think his life remains relevant to our time. He was someone who could not stand idly by in the face of great injustices. Many of the toughest issues we face as a society today are the direct result of the legacy of slavery. He knew slavery’s impact would hobble the country for generations to come, and that is why he felt it couldn’t continue one moment longer in the United States.
IS THERE ANY POINT IN ASKING
WHAT JOHN BROWN WOULD DO?
Willmott: Yes, because he is the man!