A Mayor's Effort to Play Down Henry Ford's Anti-Semitism Backfires

[Behind the Aegis]

DEARBORN, Mich. — Henry Ford is everywhere in Dearborn, Mich., his hometown, where more than 70 years after the famed industrialist’s death, his name or likeness graces everything from the performing arts center to the manhole covers.

But Bill McGraw, editor of a local quarterly journal published by the city’s historical commission, felt that residents could stand to learn more about the unflattering side of the man who founded Ford Motor Company and pioneered assembly line production in his factories. During the 1920s, Mr. Ford spread virulent anti-Semitism in his weekly newspaper The Dearborn Independent.

“In general, metro Detroit and its institutions tend to treat Mr. Ford gently when it comes to his dark sides,” he wrote. “But his anti-Semitism is much more than a personal failing.”

And so when the latest issue of Mr. McGraw’s quarterly, The Dearborn Historian, arrived off the presses, it contained a special report on the extraordinary efforts by Mr. Ford to spread hate.

That’s when the mayor of Dearborn, John B. O’Reilly, decided to bar the city-financed journal from distribution. Mr. McGraw’s contract to edit the magazine was terminated.

more...

[Dennis Donovan]

1. I'm glad the story met more eyes than it would've had the mayor *not* done what he did

HF, while a brilliant industrialist, was a RAGING anti-Semite and that part of his legacy should never be buried.

Thanks for posting this!

[TheBlackAdder]

2. Interesting that Henry Ford was of Irish roots, during a time when the Irish were persecuted too.

.

It's almost like being the persecuted and picking a fight with another, to try to not only distract from your own persecution, but in a perverse way, show that you have commonality with the non-Irish Christians. Perhaps this was a way to gain acceptance.

.

[Mr. Quackers]

3. When there's no "Other" or black/brown/red/yellow to go after

white people will turn on other white people the same way.

[TheBlackAdder]

5. Many Christians like to blame the Jews for Christ's death, to distract from Emperor's actions.

.

He made the crowd choose from an unknown versus a national celebrity. The outcome was inevitable.

The emperor could have spared both, but chose not to. This Christian guilt further fuels Jewish persecution.

===

But, as was in France, when the bourgeoisie led the masses to overthrown the royalty, without having a plan as to how to govern their nation in the aftermath--sending France into over 100 years of turmoil, wealthy people always try to convert their wealth into political power, in one form or another. Henry Ford was doing just that, using his wealth and power to drive his religious narrative of antisemitism.

.

[leftynyc]

4. Thanks for posting this

You hear about Ford's hatred of Jews almost in passing but trying to cover it up only led to a wider recognition. Coverup is almost always worse than the original "sin".