Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Humanities/2015 September 25

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September 25

a victim of racial violence, forgotten? Arthur Miller

Do the Right Thing is "Dedicated to the families of Eleanor Bumpers [sic], Michael Griffith, Arthur Miller, Edmund Perry, Yvonne Smallwood, Michael Stewart". Who was this Arthur Miller? (No likely candidates in Arthur Miller (disambiguation).) —Tamfang (talk) 07:47, 25 September 2015 (UTC)

"a black entrepreneur who was the victim of mistaken identities, unjustly arrested and beaten up, and, in 1978, died as a result of the beating. Arthur Miller's death prompted Reverend Herbert Daughtry, a neighborhood preacher, to found the Black United Front ..." (Spike Lee's Do the Right Thing, Cambridge Film Handbooks, Mark A. Reid, Cambridge University Press, 1997, p37). Also mentioned in Sept 1978's edition of Black Enterprise, for example. Or in "Commentary: The Black Liberation Movement and the ruling class’ move to the right": "Arthur Miller, a Black community leader in Brooklyn strangled to death by a dozen police, and the grand jury said no-crime was committed" ---Sluzzelin talk 07:58, 25 September 2015 (UTC)

Arthur Miller: Born in the Bahamas, moved to Brooklyn 18 years prior to death at 35 years old in 1978, married to Florence, caretaker of his building at 925 Prospect Place for 17 years (all page 1), which he kept graffiti-free and in good repair (p. 11), he owned his own construction company at 748 Nostrand Avenue, and "beautiful antique cars"; organizer of Four-Star Block Association, choked to death in restraining hold (all p. 12) by NYC police June 14, 1978 (page 11). Lots more background in:

Conason, Joe; Thomas, Ianthe (July 3, 1978). "Crown Heights: Who Controls the Streets?". The Village Voice. Vol. XXXIII, no. 27. pp. 1, 11–15. Retrieved 25 September 2015.
Could be used to update Black United Front, should be sufficient reliable sources to establish notability for article on the man himself. -- Paulscrawl (talk) 10:37, 25 September 2015 (UTC)

"Miller, a popular figure in Brooklyn's Crown Height's neighborhood, was choked to death by members of the NYPD in 1978. His murder ignited a community response led by two organizations — the Black United Front and the East, who organized a people’s patrol against local police. As a form of resistance dozens of disciplined members from the organizations stood outside of the 77th Precinct for weeks to simply say "No more!" One of the demands by organizers was the elimination of the chokehold responsible for Arthur Miller’s death."

Akinwole-Bandele, Lumumba (August 11, 2014). "The Right to Resist: How Will YOU Fight Police Brutality?". Ebony. Archived from the original on September 5, 2015. Retrieved 25 September 2015. -- Paulscrawl (talk) 10:54, 25 September 2015 (UTC)

@Tamfang: I've updated chokehold, adding section on Use in law enforcement; needs expansion as outlined in today's edit summaries and esp. its Talk page section: Use in law enforcement - new section needed) 03:03, 26 September 2015 (UTC)

Another tidbit that may inspire search for more reliable sources (the original, not the archived version, has comments by his children, Ty and Olivier Miller): "And our community’s struggle to specifically address the use of chokeholds dates back to the NYPD’s killing of Arthur Miller in Crown Heights in 1978. The organizing efforts led by the Black United Front (BUF) resulted in the Arthur Miller Community patrol in the 77th precinct area. BUF met with the police commissioner and demanded an end to the use of the chokehold."

Editors, NY People’s Self Defense Campaign of the Malcolm X Grassroots Movement. "MXGM People's Self Defense Campaign Statement on the Murder of Eric Garner by the NYPD". Malcolm X Grassroots Movement. Archived from the original on 2014-10-12. {{cite web}}: |author1= has generic name (help) -- Paulscrawl (talk) 17:01, 26 September 2015 (UTC)

@Tamfang: Added (experimental) link to this Q&A section on Talk:National Black United Front -- Paulscrawl (talk) 17:21, 26 September 2015 (UTC)

what is this film???

old film 60s70s I think and its a comedy got a cast there at the end several of them and theres a count down to an explosion and they running around tryina stop it and they dont and the ending of the film they are all dead angels hanging out on a cloud, what s the film called? Gleethorpe man 20202 (talk) 17:54, 25 September 2015 (UTC)

Casino Royale (the 1967 film)? See for example the "Film - Live Action" examples in TV Tropes' "Fluffy Cloud Heaven". ---Sluzzelin talk 18:02, 25 September 2015 (UTC)

Gathering of the Brig o' Turk

According to our article James Stirling (mathematician), "In 1715 he was expelled [from Oxford] on account of his correspondence with members of the Keir and Garden families, who were noted Jacobites, and had been accessory to the "Gathering of the Brig o' Turk" in 1708." This is impeccably sourced to the Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition, but I've not been able to find any other references to this particular Jacobite incident. More information would be very useful (and could be included in the relevant articles...) Tevildo (talk) 21:00, 25 September 2015 (UTC)

Wonder if this (1905) was Britannica's source. 184.147.131.85 (talk) 22:15, 25 September 2015 (UTC)

Some more info here, with a footnote: "State Trials, xiv., 1395". Which seems likely a reference to Cobbett's Complete Collection of State Trials (see State trials in Wikipedia) but I'm having trouble finding volume 14, will come back if I find it. 184.147.131.85 (talk) 22:33, 25 September 2015 (UTC)

Got it. Pages and pages, in great detail and wonderful language :) - enjoy. 184.147.131.85 (talk) 23:15, 25 September 2015 (UTC)

Thanks very much! The lairds in question were accused of assisting the Old Pretender's failed attempt to land at the Firth of Forth on March 23, "which invasion was the more formidable, that it was intended and carried on by Papists and French, and by Irish Papists, which are certainly the worst characters that can be apprehended in an enemy." See James Francis Edward Stuart#Jacobite rising. They were acquitted of treason as they had only drunk his health, and not taken any more active steps to overthrow the Hanoverian dynasty. Tevildo (talk) 10:27, 26 September 2015 (UTC)

I have added a brief para describing the event to our Brig o' Turk article, just in case antbody else wants to know. Alansplodge (talk) 12:55, 28 September 2015 (UTC)

Thanks! (Stewart or Stuart? James VI and I signed himself "Stuard", I believe, but "Stewart" isn't uncommon, and our article on his descendant is at "Stuart". I'm sure consensus will be reached in the usual manner.) Tevildo (talk) 17:09, 28 September 2015 (UTC)

The name originated from Steward, as in someone who attended someone else, a personal servant. --TammyMoet (talk) 19:13, 28 September 2015 (UTC)

D'oh! Perhaps I was subconsciously thinking of James Stewart! Now fixed. Alansplodge (talk) 20:02, 28 September 2015 (UTC)