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

Joan Little defense poster (public domain)

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.

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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?

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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