Black and White

FLAKEY: We've been meaning to mention, since Sunday night, the MPA campus has been covered in a blanket of snow.  The depth reached about 6.5 inches here at its peak (Monday morning). Since then, we've had sub-freezing temperatures, but daytime sun has helped it melt a little bit. 

At first the dogs weren't having any of it, but they quickly got with the program.

The snow is pretty and all, but I'm kind of over it. ... But apparently it's not over us. The latest weather models are downright daunting. Cliff Mass, arguably the leading forecaster in the region, says we could have up to two feet of the white stuff by next Wednesday. Snow's supposed to start falling Friday night, and then the storms come one after another. Mass' quotes include "a veritable snow machine,” "unbelievable," "snow apocalypse,” “one of the greatest snow events in decades," and a "huge snow dump.”  Time will tell if Mass and the weather models are right.

Earlier on Sunday, before the snow came, I was admiring our first blooming crocus of the year.  It's crushed under the blanket of white, now.

OF IMPORT: Since it's Black History Month, today we focused on a figure from the past who deserves to be remembered. We discovered him by doing a search for "Black History Month" on BrainPOP and one of the two dozen or so 'hits' that returned was a video about Bass Reeves. None of us had ever heard of him, so that's the video we chose to watch.

It was so interesting! I'll have the kids tell you more about it. CJ is up first. ... 

In the late 18th and early 19th centuries, Bass Reeves was a prolific deputy U.S. marshal. Reeves was known for reportedly having arrested over three thousand different felons on the run from the law, as well as for being the first African-American deputy marshal west of the Mississippi. Reeves was born in 1838 as a slave of former Arkansas state legislator William Steele Reeves, but eventually escaped slavery during the American Civil War. After fleeing into the Indian Territory, today Oklahoma, Reeves slowly became familiar with the area's Native American nations, languages, and cultures, which aided in his selection as a deputy marshal by James F. Fagan in 1875. Reeves was known for his wits, more so than his marksmanship capabilities (which he also possessed.) Despite his long career as a deputy marshal (and, during the last years of his life, a police officer,) Reeves was never wounded by a felon. While Reeves is little-known today, Reeves is believed by many to be the basis for the fictional character of the Lone Ranger.

The Western History Collections at the University of Oklahoma Library have a copy of this image of Reeves in their holdings.

An imposing figure, he stood 6-foot 2-inches, which was half a foot taller than most men in his day and age. 

Annabelle has this to share about Reeves. ...

Bass Reeves was an oft-forgotten U.S. Marshal who captured over 3,000 criminals during his 3 decade career. He was one of the first ever African-American U.S. Marshals, and was assigned to the Oklahoma and Arkansas area due to his experience with the languages and customs that he had learned during his time as a runaway slave. He formed a legendary reputation for his resourcefulness and dedication to his cause, going so far as to use disguises and trickery to nab crooks.

Despite never learning how to read, he had a stellar memory; he had an associate read each warrant to him before he went out, and he never brought back an incorrect arrest. Some even say he was never shot by a criminal, and that all the bullets just barely missed him.

He quickly became somewhat of a legend. He may even be the inspiration for the character of the Lone Ranger, down to the white horse and "calling card" being a silver object. Sadly, he was forced to retire as a Marshal when Oklahoma became a state, causing it to fall under the Jim Crowe laws. He spent his last few years as a police officer before dying in 1910.

There are a number of documentaries about this man. They include many in-depth depictions of his exploits and life, including some of his most famous techniques for tricking criminals. Many pieces of Western-genre media incorrectly depict settlements as being homogeneous and predominantly white, but the more the truth about African-American heroes like Bass Reeves is spread, the closer we get to showing the truth.

DIY: Yesterday afternoon, the kids each installed a couple of IKEA blinds in their bedroom windows. We have a nice, private backyard, but in wintertime when the deciduous trees lose their leaves, we can somewhat see a house out of Annabelle's window, so it made sense to put some blinds up. 

We read the instructions (mostly) before beginning, and installation went (mostly) OK.

The kids each had a hand in the work in their own rooms, so they have some sense of ownership and accomplishment regarding the project.