Happy Presidents' Day!

The Congo-American Language Institute (CALI) is a popular English language school in Kinshasa with more than 1,000 students. I was invited to address their “English Club” for Presidents’ Day. After they asked me, I paused, then answered…ok…I can speak about Abraham Lincoln.

For the talk last Thursday, I prepared a lecture on Lincoln’s humble beginnings in an Illinois log cabin…followed by a discussion of Washington and the cherry tree.

Just kidding.

I began by asking the audience what, if anything, they knew about Abraham Lincoln. As expected, and much like a US audience, they mentioned the Civil War and the abolition of slavery. Then, to challenge them, I read from Lincoln’s debates with Stephen Douglas some of his statements of his racial attitudes and position on slavery. How did Abraham Lincoln end up fighting a war that ended slavery? They were confused by what I told them, which contradicted much of what they thought previously. Perfect, I thought.

After this introduction, I explained what was going on in the US during the decade from the Kansas Civil War of the mid-1850s until 1865 and the 13th Amendment. Using a dry-erase board and a US map, I explained Lincoln’s background and his interest in protecting white laborers from competition with black laborers (whether slave or free). I discussed the John Brown attack on Harpers Ferry and the radicalization of both pro- and anti-slavery forces. His strong pre-war desire to preserve slavery in the South (which included his proposal of a Constitutional amendment to that effect). Lincoln’s attempts to appease slave-owners and border states. The Emancipation Proclamation. His reelection campaign of 1864.

It was a good audience. They laughed at my Bush jokes. (When I was explaining Lincoln’s choice of Andrew Johnson as his VP in 1864, I told them that I once thought Johnson was the worst President in US history…but now I need to reconsider.) The questions were very encouraging because they demonstrated that people really listened, understood, and appreciated what I was saying. As a speaker or teacher, I always hope for this. Let me give a sample:

• Question: Was Abraham Lincoln a racist? (If you don’t know the answer after my talk, that is a good thing…Of course, he was a racist, but if you end your questioning there, you really miss what is interesting/important/remarkable about Lincoln and this period in US history.)
• Question: When did Presidents’ Day begin in the US? (I have no idea, but I mentioned that there used to be separate celebrations for Lincoln and Washington, but that was too many paid holidays. Here, there are two consecutive paid holidays to mark the assassinations of Lumumba and Laurent Kabila, who were killed one day [plus 40 years] apart.)
• Statement: When Bill Clinton was first elected, there were huge celebrations in DRC. People were really excited. Then, after a few months, they realized that things were the same. There was no change in US policy to DRC. Question: How did the Democratic Party become the party associated with human rights? (I talked about North-South reunification, New Deal, Civil Rights, etc.)
• Question: Do I support using weapons to achieve one’s aims? (In the case of four million people enslaved, absolutely. Not to settle a dispute over a traffic accident, or in violation of international law, or under false pretenses.)
• Statement: Economics are behind all political change. Colonialism in DRC ended because of the economic interests of the US and Europe. Therefore, slavery ended for economic reasons. Question: What were those economic reasons? (After suggesting that he was underestimating the role of popular movements in the DRC and repeating the important economic motivations for Lincoln’s positions, I explained that the slave economy was flourishing in the US in the 1850s. Slavery ended when it did for one reason: African American militancy. He didn’t like my answer, but it enabled me to end on a clear note.)

Happy Presidents’ Day!