This weekend in an interview during the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, Pete Seeger recalled a visit to Lafayette in 1955. The legendary folk singer says he was invited to play “a little festival” here. But just before arriving, he had been grilled by the House Committee on Un-American Activities. At a house party here, Seeger found himself alone in a kitchen with Edwin E. Willis, the U.S. Congressman and chairman of the HUAC, who told Seeger he wasn't welcome in town. Seeger says he left Lafayette and headed back to California.
(Does anybody know which “little festival” in Lafayette Seeger is talking about? It would have occurred in the later part of 1955 or possibly even 1956. ... See the update below.)
... written by PlumpyBoy01 , April 28, 2009 - 12:16 pm
might have been mardi gras ? i dont recall any other festivals in lafayette back then..
... written by Cream of Steam , April 28, 2009 - 12:16 pm
Better Dead than Red?
... written by citizen , April 28, 2009 - 05:32 pm
Reading the article on the link called "grilled by the House Committee on Un-American activities" gave me the shivers. I can't think of many things more Un-American than that line of questioning.
... written by R. Reese Fuller , April 28, 2009 - 05:39 pm
And the winner seems to be historian Shane K. Bernard. He writes: "... the Acadian Bicentennial Celebration, which occurred in 1955 and was a year-long commemoration of the expulsion of the Acadians beginning in 1755. The climax of the year-long event took place in October 1955, in St. Martinville, but Lafayette also had its share of events that year, the two towns serving as the two main locations for commemoration events." Bernard was able to confirm from an issue of The Daily Advertiser dated Oct. 27, 1955 that Seeger was at the Acadian Bicentennial Celebration.
... written by Kirk Piccione , April 28, 2009 - 10:22 pm
Thanks to Edwin Willis, Lafayette was kept safe from the evils of communism! Hah. What a laugh. And what a dark period of utter stupidity in American history. Coming in second only to the witch burnings.
... written by Cream of Steam , April 29, 2009 - 08:26 am
To Kirk: Stupid? Yes. Unfounded, not exactly. Considering the success of the communist systems, I vote for us.
... written by citizen , April 29, 2009 - 11:06 am
Cream of steam: Are you suggesting that Pete Seeger was going to convert the country to Communism? Or that there was ever even any real threat that America could ever become communist?
I think it's pretty clear today that the whole communist witch hunt was nothing more than propaganda used by the people in power to circumvent protections provided to us by the constitution.
How amazingly brave of Pete to stand up to those guys. It takes real courage to stand up for your rights in the face of state supported facisim. He is a real American hero!
... written by James Dupree , April 29, 2009 - 01:51 pm
Citizen,
Thanks for your post & I couldn't agree more. Pete stood up for what he believed in- no matter what the cost were to him or his career. In fact, if memory serves, he was blackballed for quite a while for his beliefs. Standing up for one's beliefs, despite the odds, you can't get more American than that. I had the honor of meeting him & getting his signature after a concert in 2005, simply an amazing man.
... written by American Hero? , April 29, 2009 - 10:49 pm
Pete Seeger was a member of the Young Communist League and in 1942 he became a member of the Communist Party itself. He drifted away from the Party in the 1950's, but was a Stalinist for years. Later, Seeger apologized for being blind to Stalin's failings. "I think you�re right," wrote Seeger, "I should have asked to see the gulags when I was in U.S.S.R.
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