{"id":1785,"date":"2016-06-23T10:06:46","date_gmt":"2016-06-23T14:06:46","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/floridanewsline.com\/Clone2\/?p=1785"},"modified":"2016-06-23T10:06:46","modified_gmt":"2016-06-23T14:06:46","slug":"celebrating-stetson-kennedy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/floridanewsline.com\/Clone2\/creekline-st-johns\/celebrating-stetson-kennedy\/","title":{"rendered":"Celebrating Stetson Kennedy"},"content":{"rendered":"

By Susan D. Brandenburg
\nmail@floridanewsline.com<\/span><\/p>\n

Back in October 1916, a baby boy was born to the Kennedy family of Jacksonville, Fla. \u2013 a boy who was destined to become an iconic, globally-recognized champion of civil rights, environmental and cultural preservation. Stetson Kennedy devoted his life to making the world a better place and when he died in 2011 at age 94, he left an impressive legacy that lives on today. In this year marking a century since Stetson Kennedy\u2019s birth, the foundation that bears his name is celebrating his memory and his accomplishments at every opportunity.<\/span><\/p>\n

One celebratory event, Second Sunday at Stetson\u2019s, occurs monthly at Beluthahatchee, where Kennedy lived and worked for many years. His picturesque cedar cottage and its surroundings, just off State Road 13 in Fruit Cove, are now a Florida Heritage Park owned by St. Johns County, and Second Sunday at Stetson\u2019s is a folk music fest that happens there on the second Sunday of each month from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.<\/span><\/p>\n

As a result of the collaboration between the Stetson Kennedy Foundation, the North Florida Folk Network and St. Johns County, Second Sunday at Stetson\u2019s regularly features some of the best folk singers on the First Coast, all of whom hold Kennedy\u2019s memories and values close to their hearts.<\/span><\/p>\n

In addition to enjoying excellent musical performances, visitors are treated to a tour of Kennedy\u2019s historic cottage, which has received two national literary landmark designations \u2013 one for author and activist Stetson Kennedy and one for his buddy, folksinger Woody Guthrie, who, while \u201changing out\u201d at Beluthahatchee in the 1950s, wrote his autobiography \u201cSeeds of Man\u201d and more than 80 songs.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNothing would please Stetson more than to see this place attracting folksingers of this caliber to come and perform the \u2018words of the people\u2019 for like-minded audiences,\u201d said Kennedy\u2019s widow, Sandra Parks, following a stellar concert, Songs for Stetson, performed on June 12 by three of North Florida\u2019s finest folksinger\/songwriters, Al Poindexter, Paul Garfinkel and Larry Mangum.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cStetson loved to hold soirees here with musicians, philosophers, activists, artists and educators,\u201d said Parks. \u201cThese three talented men standing here with me today fit all of those categories admirably.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Among the many powerful songs performed in the round by the three musicians, Poindexter sang a song entitled \u201cBeluthahatchee Bill,\u201d (lyrics by Woody Guthrie, music by local folksinger Alvah Allen) explaining to the audience that Kennedy\u2019s given name was William Stetson Kennedy, thus Guthrie\u2019s alliterative use of \u201cBill\u201d in his song. Guthrie\u2019s song describes Kennedy\u2019s legendary run-ins with the \u201cKluxers\u201d (Ku Klux Klan) and promises, \u201cYou\u2019ll never slack my speed none \u2026 not Beluthahatchee Bill!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Poindexter, who is slated to receive the Stetson Kennedy Foundation\u2019s Fellow Man and Mother Earth award at Kennedy\u2019s 100th Birthday Bash on October 5 at the Wilson Center, Florida State College Jacksonville, has been called a \u201cFlorida Folksinger\u2019s Folksinger.\u201d In addition to writing songs that honor the environment and culture of Florida, such as \u201cSt. Johns House Boat,\u201d \u201cAlligator Hole,\u201d \u201cSweet Back Roads,\u201d and \u201cOrange Pickers Lament,\u201d Poindexter performs in elementary schools throughout the First Coast and teaches a class at the University of North Florida\u2019s Osher Lifelong Learning Institute based on the late Ron Johnson\u2019s book, \u201cNorth Florida Folk Music \u2013 History and Tradition.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

So inspired was he when he first visited Kennedy\u2019s home place, that Poindexter wrote his own original song titled \u201cBeluthahatchee.\u201d He notes that as a folksinger and songwriter, he cares about folklore, folk music, the environment and human rights, as well as Florida history, its land, water and wildlife.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cNo place I\u2019ve ever been holds all these things as dear at one time as Beluthahatchee does,\u201d said Poindexter. \u201cYou just can\u2019t separate the man, Stetson Kennedy, from the place, Beluthahatchee. They are one and the same.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

As Stetson Kennedy\u2019s centennial year celebrations continue, watch The CreekLine for articles about the Stetson Kennedy Foundation\u2019s Songwriter in Residence program, the Reader\u2019s Theater \u201cBlack Super-Heroes,\u201d performances, pop-up history events, the 100th Birthday Bash on October 5 and more.<\/span><\/p>\n

Visit <\/span>www.stetsonkennedy.com<\/span><\/a> for detailed information on upcoming events celebrating Kennedy\u2019s centennial.<\/span><\/p>\n

On June 12, Second Sunday at Stetson\u2019s was a sold out performance. Second Sunday on July 10 at Beluthahatchee, 1523 State Road 13, Fruit Cove, will be a tribute to Woody Guthrie performed by folksinger\/songwriters David Milam, Cindy Bear and Jeff Parker. Space is limited space and the recommended donation is $10. Call (904) 206-8304 for reservations.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Photo courtesy Susan D. Brandenburg<\/em><\/p>\n

Second Sunday at Stetson\u2019s, June 12, 2016: Paul Garfinkel, Larry Mangum, Sandra Parks and Al Poindexter (with Stetson Kennedy portrait by graffiti artist Chip Southworth)<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Susan D. Brandenburg mail@floridanewsline.com Back in October 1916, a baby boy was born to the Kennedy family of Jacksonville, Fla. \u2013 a boy who was destined to become an iconic, globally-recognized champion of civil rights, environmental and cultural preservation. Stetson Kennedy devoted his life to making the world a better place and when he […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1786,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-1785","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-creekline-st-johns"},"yoast_head":"\nCelebrating Stetson Kennedy - Florida NewsLine<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"CreekLineBy Susan D. 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