Hi there!
Welcome to our February Post for Julius Lester's rendition of John Henry.
Trigger Warning: Racism, Death, Funeral
Overall
This older tale, having been passed down since the 1870s and originating in Talcott, West Virginia, is one of black excellence and resilience through turmoil. During the 1870s, the Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad was being constructed, and several thousand African Americans were looking for jobs, only five or six years after the Emancipation Proclamation and Juneteenth eliminated legal slavery in the United States in 1865.
There is a debate about whether John Henry was a fictional or verified truly alive human being. Regardless, the legend lives on, having been immortalized in oral tradition, animation, films, books, and more.
Lester's Rendition
Julius Lester's rendition of the book was published in written format in 1999 and has been a staple in several thousand homes that cherish this tale. Having been a Folk Singer before writing his account of John Henry's life into print, Julius is the right source for this piece of work.
One unique trait of the John Henry story that is pertinent to Lester's work and not very many others is that several animals attended John Henry's birth, even a unicorn! Jealous. Another is that Henry was buried on the White House lawn to be recognized as a national hero. We get the point.
The Themes
The themes in the classic John Henry tale are simple but run very, very deep. The power of man over the machine - the respect that black people have to "earn" from white racists by being superheroic - and the death of a savior - believing in one's self. Despite being a very Christian-coded story - the importance of this tale to its readers goes beyond that.
Black people having to do Superheroic things in order to be seen as good or successful is a major motif of this story. We both agree that the achievement of John Henry would not have been seen as an achievement unless he did indeed die. He had to die in order for any respect to be granted because he was black.
This leads to the Christian coding of the story as well - the Nativity-esque scene at the beginning, and then the dying for the people in order to save their livelihood is VERY Christ-Savior themed, which is totally cool. If it keeps the faith and hope alive, that's totally supported here.
The more simple theme of believing in one's self is another aspect of this story that is super encouraging and enjoyable. John Henry has no problem stepping up and doing the work- whether it's fixing the hole in the roof or plowing a hole through the mountain, John Henry is fearless in his pursuit of success.
People read John Henry and are reminded that they may be admired in their community, or that they may aspire to be like John Henry - in that, he goes above and beyond to save the working black man and prevent the white capitalist from taking away their jobs and giving them to a flawed machine.
Conclusion & Where We Go From Here
We liked that he had both parents and that he had a positive upbringing. We wanted to learn more about his childhood, but we understand why that isn't part of the legend.
Highly recommend it to parents and kids alike!
With love, see you soon!
Ceraya & Brieanna
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