Letters to the Editor October 2019

The Dreaded D-word To the Editor: Your editorial on the term “Dixieland” was right on. I have been lobbying the Portland Dixieland Jazz Society to change its name back to Traditional Jazz Society, with no success. In my attempts to reach out to high school and college music educators, I learned that the word “Dixieland” is a definite turn-off. If we are going to reach a younger generation, we had better brand ourselves with terms that are acceptable to our target audience. Otherwise, it is like going to bat with two strikes against you. That is simply pragmatic marketing. But like you, I hate what the PC crowd is doing to our language. For me, the irony is that during the “Jazz Age” of the 1920s, young women in flapper dresses where liberated—drinking, smoking, discarding their girdles, rolling down their hose. And in the honky-tonks, there was considerable mixing of the races. I’ve always thought that hedonistic spirit was suited to our modern era, so perhaps I’m too old to understand. Excellent issue as always! Rick Campbell Tigard, Oregon Ed: Thank you so much for your kind note—and for understanding my dilemma as publisher. The fact is, trying to be ecumenical and all-inclusive is giving me a headache, and one that I don’t see going away any time soon. I absolutely do get the objections to “Dixieland” on racist grounds, thoug