Mt. Meigs Industrial School Documentary

This concludes the curation of my project. However, it does not have to stop here. Feel free to utilize this platform to uncover the silence. Thank each of you for engaging and learning more about marginalized voices. Below I have attached my references. Follow the link I have provided below to access the material. There is also a direct link in the comments.

Citations Dublin Core Title Female students sewing at the Alabama Industrial School for Negro Children in Mount Meigs, Alabama. Creator Alabama Department of Archives History and Alabama Media Group Contributor Jamiah Files Publisher Alabama Department of Archives History Descript...

Adult prison is a horrific sight to see, but Mt. Meigs was just as bad. This institution only gets worse. The children’s living conditions were not the best either. The facility is orchestrated within the means of a prison, keep in mind that these are children. The beds they had for them appear to be rusted, unstable, and hard. I do not even see a comforter to keep them warm if the weather permits chill. Mt. Meigs was indeed a brutal institution, for those young children. Take a moment to reflect if you were in their shoes, how would you feel? Would you have survived these tactics? Be thankful for everything, as these children had nothing or no one to rely on. I have included another interview in the comments, be sure to check it out.

It is time to consider what Mt. Meigs was actually intended to do. Many lieutenants would say Mt. Meigs was for the reforming of African American juveniles, however, once again this program was more of a labor institution, rather than an educational reform. Also, Biello in “Atlanta Journalist Spotlights Stories of Violence at Alabama Mt. Meigs,” supports the hidden truth about Mt. Meigs as she discloses with Josie Rice about the reality of the institution and how it did not fulfill its purpose of educating. This nightmare began as the children were taken for unjustifiable reasons and as they suffered from not only sewing, and laundry, but dishes, mopping, and other housework tasks. Ideally, these measures displayed in the pictures are suspected to follow the system of slavery. Examine the image, the children, and their faces depict that the task was not a choice but a requirement. There are no smiles on anyone’s face; in fact, there are blank stares and a look of hope. The photos also display the amount of work that has to be done because of the piles of clothes they had to fold, the surface area that has to be mopped, and the number of dishes that had to be washed. Based on the images and the kids’ stories, their endurance at Mt. Meigs connects deeply to slavery. This experience even relates to convict leasing, the political loophole. Convict leasing states that even once slaves are “freed” they must still fulfill work orders. Similarly, this correlated to Mt. Meigs because these children are free but must also obey the command of the lieutenants. Check the comments to hear about the tasks the children were forced to execute.

The rising question is who calls the shots?

The archive has evidence of eight meetings. Many meetings transpired regarding the conduct of the school, however, there is no trace of what was said, who attended, and so forth. Take notice that if it were a positive cause, it would have been publicized. A lot of silence is transpiring, and this also leads to one of my main points. No one wants to speak up about Mt. Meigs, there is hardly any information provided about this institution. They assured me most of the evidence was erased as I even had trouble accessing the documents displayed within my project. It is time to bring things to the surface. This silence must not go unanswered.

According to what was published in the ADAH, Mt. Meigs protocol is below. This is what they considered juvenile children. Specifically, if you take a look at the artifacts below some of the rules state failure to conduct a given task in a satisfactory manner, poor attitude, lying, and more. These intolerable rules are set forth for children. Understandably, we are taught to do what authority says but what child has not lied, fought, and developed into their own emotions. This policy was set forth to belittle the children. As identified these rules that were in place covered up slavery and even displayed racism. If the rules were broken, they would be punished. In fact, if the children do something they do not agree with there is a consequence following. According to Bobbi-Jeanne Misick in “Unreformed’ Tells Largely Untold Story of Mt. Meigs,” she emphasized the kids’ thoughts about the school, as they have a perspective as well. Within the article, she announces that the rehabilitation of Black children that got in trouble with the law is not what happened. The children were abused by the state, and it was referred to as a “slave camp.” Take a listen to the podcast in the comments to hear a personal experience.

Hello everyone. Let us continue to dive into the history of Mt. Meigs!

Mt. Meigs’s institute originated in 1911 during President O’Neill’s term under the name “Alabama Reform School for Juvenile Negro Lawbreakers. You may know this institution by another name as it underwent three name changes that are listed below.
1. "Alabama Reform School for Juvenile
Negro Lawbreakers”
2. "Alabama Industrial School for Negro Children"
3. "Alabama Industrial School"
This is a key component because this school was designed for education reform, but enacted in measures of labor rather than educational reform. For instance, on the first and second page of the pamphlet, it is announced that Mt. Meigs is for the reforming of Black juvenile lawbreakers. Indicating it’s proposed purpose.
Also emphasized in the text is that this facility is located 14 miles east of Montgomery, which is quite deep in the Montgomery region. On page four, an even more in-depth description of the program is supposed to be a concentration camp however, this form in writing was masked by slavery. This is even exemplified within the name revision because if you notice they eliminated race from its title. Even though segregation was still in affect. Such a program turned into children’s worst nightmare. Which is why I decided to curated this information from the Alabama Department of Archives History. Also, be sure to check the comments to hear a personal overview of Mt. Meigs itself from Josie Rice “Unreformed: The Story of the Alabama Industrial School for Negro Children,” podcast.

As this information is beneath your eyes it is important to consider what do we owe the children now that their past is made aware. The children deserve respect and honoring for being treated so injustly. To demonstrate this unjust reason I have included images from the ADAH to exhibit the brutality that occurred and the neglect that was exemplified by those in charge. I have identified pamphlets and documents of policy that were preserved in the archive, significantly relating to slavery. Remembrance and awareness is a way to at least highlight this occasion, therefore a possibility to limit reoccurrence is achievable. Indeed, nowadays it is important to make sure people are aware of the different kinds of abuse and see ramification of these abuses that are occurring.

-Happy child abuse prevention month! Let’s reduce child neglect as it is continuing to be prolonged.

Introduction!

I am Jamiah Files (pictured below), author of this curation. This project was created at Auburn University At Montgomery during the University Honors Program seminar course. In which the focus was marginalized voices exhibited within the archives of the Alabama Department of Archives in History along side other local archives. Specifically, I will be telling the unheard story of Mt. Meigs during the 20th century. By using this platform, I would encourage my audience to utilize my platform to become educated about hidden slavery that occurred and has been buried. Although many people advocated the institutional system of Mt Meigs because of their satisfactory treatment of the children and their measurements of discipline, I, on the other hand, oppose the public statements of such a program. The buried voices of the children who were involved indicate an inhumane approach that was concealed, purposefully, with no attention. Through these children’s stories, I will highlight their story by exposing Mt Meigs’ brutality that significantly relates to slavery.