Joan Little
Who is this girl and what is she to you?
Hi all,
Thank you for joining me for today’s song, “Joan Little”, by Dr. Bernice Johnson Reagon, sung by Sweet Honey in the Rock, from the album Give Your Hands to Struggle ℗ 1997 Smithsonian Folkways Recordings. If you’d like to hear the song before you read about it, I’ve included a YouTube video below the article.
Below, you’ll find my interpretation of the lyrics which are written in italics. Comments and questions are welcome. For Japanese students, vocabulary words in bold are provided in Japanese below. TOEIC (PBT) 450+, Eiken 2, CEFR B1.
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Joan Little
(550 words)
Joan Little (pronounced "Jo Ann") was an important African-American woman who stood up against sexual assault and racial injustice in the 1970s.
In 1974, while she was in a prison in North Carolina, a white prison guard sexually attacked her. To protect herself, she fought back and ended up killing the guard. When she went to trial, it became a controversial issue that attracted a great deal of public attention across the country. Many people supported her, including feminists, civil rights activists, and those against the death penalty.
The singer begins by telling us a bit about her own background. She was taught to be a responsible, honest person, to choose her friends carefully, and to come home at an early hour. To “keep company with” someone means to have a social relationship or maybe a romantic relationship with someone. The “golden rule” means treating other people the way you want them to treat you.
I’ve always been told since the day I was born
Leave those no good women alone
Keep your nose clean
Keep your butt off the street
You gonna be judged by the company you keep
I always walked by the golden rule
Steered clear of controversy, I stayed real cool
Then something happened that shocked the singer. On the news, she heard about a woman who was being hunted for killing someone but had escaped.
Along came this woman not even five feet tall
Charged and jailed with breaking the law
And the next thing I heard as it came over the news
First degree murder, she was on the loose
…
Now I ain’t talking 'bout the roaring west
This is 1975 at its most oppressive best
North Carolina state, the pride of this land
Made her an outlaw, hunted on every hand
But when the singer learned more details about the woman, she felt quite differently. She found out that Joan Little had defended herself against rape. In the fight, Joan had killed her attacker. To “be fair game” means a person or thing that someone thinks is a good target to use or attack.
Tell me what did she do to deserve this name
Oh, she killed a man who thought she was fair game
The singer became angry (lost my cool) at how unjust the society is if it accuses the woman for protecting herself.
When I heard the news I screamed inside
Lost all my cool, my anger I could not hide
'Cause now Joan is you and Joan is me
Our prison is the whole society
'Cause we live in a land that’ll bring all pressure to bear
On the head of this woman whose position we share
In other words, the society will use any means to try to show that this woman was the person responsible for the situation. But every woman understands that she, too, could become a victim like Joan Little (this woman whose position we share).
Joan Little's case was important because she was the first woman in the U.S. to be found not guilty of murder after defending herself against sexual assault. Her victory changed how people thought about sexual assault and women's rights.
Her story became a sign of strength and hope for women, especially Black women, who face unfair treatment and violence.
Question
Why did the singer feel "quite differently" about the woman after learning more details?
What does the line "Our prison is the whole society" mean to the singer?
Vocabulary
injustice 不正
trial 裁判
controversial 物議を醸す
civil rights activist 公民権運動家
death penalty 死刑
steer clear of 避ける
charged 起訴
jailed 投獄
first degree murder 第一級殺人
on the loose 逃走中
oppressive 抑圧的
outlaw 無法者
deserve 値する
unjust 不当
accuse 告発
bring all pressure to bear あらゆる圧力をかける
not guilty 無罪
Source
Greene, C. (2021, November 16). The “Free Joan Little” campaign highlights familiar struggles. College of Letters & Science, University of Wisconsin-Madison. https://ls.wisc.edu/news/the-free-joan-little-campaign-highlights-familiar-struggles Accessed 13 Sept 2024.
Reston, J. (1975, April 6). The Joan Little Case. The New York Times. https://www.nytimes.com/1975/04/06/archives/the-joan-little-case-in-a-small-southern-town-the-night-jailer-is.html Accessed 13 Sept 2024.
Read “I am Joan”, written by Joan Little. https://www.facingsouth.org/i-am-joan
Thanks for this Louise. 😊
Still all too relevant today.