this post was submitted on 08 Oct 2024
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"[The industrialist Henry Ford] believed that Jews invented jazz as a plot to corrupt society. [...] As a result, he used his wealth to promote square dancing, through books and square dancing events. Ford also promoted square dance classes in public school, which were present in half of all American schools in 1928 as part of the standard physical education curriculum."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Modern_Western_square_dance#History_of_modern_western_square_dance

via https://noc.social/@todayilearned/113273481758370176

#TIL #history #antisemitism #SquareDancing #HenryFord

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[–] [email protected] 1 points 4 weeks ago

(I mean I knew what kind of a person Henry Ford was, just not about this particular instance of it.)

[–] [email protected] 1 points 4 weeks ago (1 children)

@[email protected] Ford also employed, as top PR exec, the antisemitic conspiracy leader, William J. Cameron, founder of the Anglo-Saxon Federation of America.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 4 weeks ago (1 children)

@[email protected] Yeah, I knew a bit about Ford's antisemitism, but this story is, well, maybe not a new low, but certainly something.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 4 weeks ago

@[email protected] Ford was directly responsible for introducing the antisemitic tract, the 'Protocols of the Elders of Zion,' to America. He even used his dealerships to do it.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 4 weeks ago

Also from the original source:

"Like Hitler, who greatly admired Ford and even mentioned him approvingly in Mein Kampf"

Huh, okay.

https://qz.com/1153516/americas-wholesome-square-dancing-tradition-is-a-tool-of-white-supremacy

[–] [email protected] 1 points 3 weeks ago

@[email protected]

Still going, I sprained my ankle in hs during a square dance class (not mentioning the year because I am old)