Breakfast at Tiffany's – Because I Do Not Know

Helen Keller: Socialist, Activist

The Birmingham (Ala.) News published an interesting piece on the seldom-mentioned leftist stances of Helen Keller, the famous deaf and blind "favorite daughter of Alabama." Most people only know her inspirational story of learning to read and write, and she eventually became the first deaf-blind person to graduate from college. They are not aware, however, of her political leanings and activities.

Some historians have a slightly different take. They agree she was one of the country's most remarkable women, but say Alabama history tends to freeze her at age 7 or gloss over her adult complexities.

Most people have no clue she was a leftist.

"What we do is we sanitize people to make them heroes or heroines. ... And, frankly, I'm not sure that's a bad thing. Society needs more heroes and heroines," said Auburn University history professor Wayne Flynt, who described Keller as a "crusading socialist" in his latest tome, "Alabama in the 20th Century."

"She was very politically liberal for her time, and that's what makes her controversial in Alabama today," Flynt said. "Does Alabama really want an extremely liberal woman who was a suffragist, who was a pacifist and didn't want to go to war, who attacked big business for child labor?"

Not to digress, because I often like Dr. Flynt's observations about Southern social policy and history, but I am disturbed that a historian isn't bothered by "sanitizing" historical figures. Regardless, there's little doubt Ms. Keller would find almost zero popular support in Alabama for her anti-intervention (she opposed World War I) views and socialist economic ideas.

Yet as Dr. Flynt points out, Ms. Keller's strong opinions are rooted in her home state (she moved to Connecticut in her 50s) and its own cultural upbringing. He doesn't specifically mention the Scots-Irish, who were "born fighting," but their influence is implied.

The state's motto is "We dare defend our rights," and Keller defended the rights of the disabled, Flynt said. "Alabamians have a sort of pride in people, even with whom they disagree, who stand up for their rights," he said.

If I could ask Ms. Keller one question today, it would be: "How do you feel about your beloved ACLU fighting at every turn to keep your beloved Bible out of schools and other public institutions?" I'd like to know.

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