An episode in Dreamgirls reminded me of the plagiarism of
Clenora’s work related to Till. One of the characters who left the
group named the “Dreams” (loosely based upon the famous Motown
group “the Supremes”), records a song “One Night Only” that becomes
a local hit in Detroit. The manager of the “Dreams” (loosely based
upon Berry Gordy), orders the “Dreams” to record the same song.
Because of the Berry Gordy prototype character’s access to major
media outlets, the “Dreams” ver-sion of “One Night Only” becomes a
nationwide hit. . . . One can make a direct comparison to the
plight of Clenora [whose] 1994 book, Emmett Till, a reprint of her
1988 Dissertation, “Emmett Till: The Impetus of the Modern Civil
Rights Movement,” [which] was published by a small Black press and
received limited dis-tribution and exposure.Robert Weems, Jr., PhD,
Prof. UMC, author, Desegregating the Dollar—From Preface
Black women seem to be predestined to plagiarism. Curiously, the
etymological meaning of the word plagiarism is “the keeper of
somebody’s slaves.” Th e amount of creativity stolen from Black
women, beginning with slavery (sexual creativity), down to Clenora
Hudson-Weems’ ordeal is historically phenomenon. Julia
Wright—International Human Rights Activist (Paris), daughter of
Richard Wright Appropriation of black women’s scholarship/creative
activity is not unique to the U. S. In Uruguay, S. America, a
leading critic sought to erase that country’s premier black poet of
the 20th Century, Virginia Brindis de Salas, from literary history
by attributing her writings to his friend. Th anks to the eff orts
of black scholars, their plan was unsuccessful. Where the line
between intertextuality and plagiarism is blurred, those in the
media need to be careful to distinguish between the two. Th is is
especially true in dealing with the fi gure of Emmett Till and the
original contributions of Hudson-Weems.Marvin A. Lewis, PhD—Prof.
Emeritus of African Diaspora Studies, Expert Consultant
Th is book, as well as Clenora’s other two Till books, are must
reads for the truth! Since the beginning of what has been portrayed
as history, “herstory” is too often excluded. Th ere have been many
instances when works have been absconded. When the facts are
disclosed, the source is deferred to invisibility by the
plagiarists and their cohorts. Th eft of works confi rms its value.
Jacquelyn Frazier-Lyde—Atty., 5 time World Champion Boxer, daughter
of Joe Frazier
Plagiarism- Physical & Intellectual LynchingsAn Emmett Till
ContinuumClenora Hudson-Weems, PhD
Clenora Hudson-Weems, PhD, Professor (UMC), received the PhD
degree in American/African-American World Studies, University of
Iowa; MA degree in English, Atlanta University; BA degree, LeMoyne
College; Certificate of French Studies, L’Université de Dijon,
France. She is the author of The Definitive Emmett Till: Passion
& Battle of a Woman for Truth & Intellectual Justice
(2006); Africana Womanist Literary Theory (2004); Emmett Till: The
Sacrificial Lamb of the Civil Rights Movement (1994; 2006); and
Africana Womanism: Reclaiming Ourselves (1993). Editor of
Contemporary Africana Theory, Thought and Action: A Guide to
Africana Studies (2007), she is co-author, with Wilfred D. Samuels,
of Toni Morrison (1990). In 1995, she was interviewed on two of her
books, Emmett Till and Africana Womanism, by The American Audio
Prose Library. A recipient of several national awards, she is also
author of numerous book chapters/articles. In the Fall, 2001, she
was guest editor for a special issue “Africana Womanism” for The
Western Journal of Black Studies. Her current work is a Till movie
script, with Barry Morrow, Oscar Award-Winning co-writer for Rain
Man. Her novel, Soul Mates, is forthcom-ing and her latest passion
is the Plight of Black Farmers and Land Owners: An Emmett Till
Continuum in the Aftermath of the Katrina Disaster., with the need
for Blacks to secure our land legacy in order to secure the future
of our children and our future generations.
Plagiarism--An Emmett Till Continuum: Physical and Intellectual
Lynchings is an edited book, consisting of contributions by an
array of established, respected people, all committed to exposing
the crime of plagiarism in hopes of calling it to a halt. This
book, surrounding the Till story, has evolved into a trilogy. Part
I of the trilogy, Emmett Till: Sacrificial Lamb of the Civil Rights
Movement (1994), is a reprint of the 1988 Ford Doctoral
Dissertation, “Emmett Till: The Impetus for the Modern Civil Rights
Movement.” Untainted, it serves as the definitive work resurrecting
and estab-lishing the lynching of 14-year-old Emmett Louis “Bobo”
Till as the true catalyst of the Civil Rights Movement. It was
written during a time when there was no competi-tion for taking
this unpopular, challenging stance about the role of this tragic
incident in igniting the Movement. In fact, many then shunned this
interpretation; however, since that time, many have latched on to
the idea and are now claiming, as one is described as doing, to be
“setting the record straight,” about the true catalyst of the
Movement. The documentation and findings are presented in the
second part of the Till trilogy, The Definitive Emmett Till:
Passion & Battle of a Woman for Truth & Intellectual
Justice (2006), wherein lies the whole truth.
Plagiarism--An Emmett Till Continuum: Physical and Intellectual
Lynchings, the third part of the Till trilogy, is a three part
edited book: Part I--A Decade of Early Till Publications
(1988-1998); Part II--Exposing Plagiarism: A Time to End; and Part
III--Common Grounds: Intellectual and Creative Lynchings. The
contributors in the volume, endorsers included, all col-lectively
objectify the attack on plagiarism, as messages for the most part
here, unlike those in the other two Till books, come from other
than the victim.
