Where did the black lawn jockey come from?
Origin. The black lawn jockey is typically thought of as a piece of racist memorabilia, but a viral Facebook post in January 2016 sought to reverse that image by claiming that these miniature statues were actually used to aid slaves traveling on the Underground Railroad and were therefore the least racist items that could be displayed in front…
Why was the lawn jockey important to the Underground Railroad?
A viral Facebook post described these common lawn ornaments as symbolic aids to escaping slaves on the Underground Railroad. Black lawn jockey figures were used to aid escaping slaves on the Underground Railroad. Do you rely on Snopes reporting? Click here to support it.
What kind of statue is the lawn jockey?
They are not just of black figures but also of white ones. For some, the original lawn jockey statue, the cast iron “Jocko” with his right arm raised as he is eagerly anticipating the reins of a horse, is a hitching post and nothing more.
Why was the groomsman statue in The Secret Life of the black lawn jockey?
This one leads the main character to freedom and to love when he sees a lantern in its hands. Jenkins was inspired to link her love story with the Underground Railroad and to include the groomsman statue after reading Blockson’s research.
Why was the lawn jockey important to the Civil War?
The idea of a Black sentinel with his lantern lighting the way to freedom gives some slave ancestors a very different impression of the lawn jockey – one that even many staunch anti-racist Whites might find hard to fathom. Some historians believe that the Black figure that became the lawn jockey actually predates the Civil War.
Origin. The black lawn jockey is typically thought of as a piece of racist memorabilia, but a viral Facebook post in January 2016 sought to reverse that image by claiming that these miniature statues were actually used to aid slaves traveling on the Underground Railroad and were therefore the least racist items that could be displayed in front…
Are there any black-faced lawn jockeys honoring the Underground Railroad?
At the risk of being polemic, are the families that have black-faced lawn jockeys honoring the slaves who fled for their lives or the families that aided them? I doubt it. The contemporary families who own and display lawn jockeys have most likely not heard of Jocko Graves or the stories about lawn jockeys and the Underground Railroad.
Why was the flag tied to the lawn Jockey statue?
It doesn’t support the idea that that’s the original or only purpose or association of the statues. In a 1984 National Geographic cover story on the underground railroad, Blockson told how the wife of U.S. District Judge Benjamin Piatt had tied a flag to a lawn jockey as a signal to fleeing slaves that it was safe to stop there.
