February 7 • 2019 13
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On Thursday, Jan. 31, we at the Dearborn Historical Commission adopted a resolution objecting to
Mayor O’
Reilly’
s refusal to allow the distribution of the new edition of The Dearborn Historian, an issue
featuring an article by Bill McGraw entitled “Henry Ford and The International Jew.
” The issue was set to
be released upon the 100th anniversary of Henry Ford’
s acquisition of the Dearborn Independent, a sad but
important milestone in our city’
s history.
We believe that remembering and discussing the history of our city
serves a vital civic purpose, and it is to Dearborn’
s credit that we dedi-
cate a few of our tax dollars to having a museum that strives to do that.
Remembering history is not always an easy or enjoyable task, however.
History is complex because it’
s about people, and people are complex.
We often have an urge to impose simplicity, where notable people are
either heroes or villains, one thing or the other. That’
s not real life or real
people, however, and it’
s not real history.
When we engage history, we must consider the whole story, not just
the positive parts. Dearborn is rightly proud of our favorite son, Henry
Ford. Ford is a figure of world-historical significance for his role as an
industrialist and innovator. He not only put Dearborn on the map, he
also put the world on wheels. He left behind Ford Motor Company, a
business and a brand that’
s beloved around the world. Ford Motor con-
tinues to be an essential partner to its hometown. Henry Ford’
s histor-
ical association with anti-Semitism does not in any way implicate Ford
Motor or the Ford family. In fact, Mr. McGraw’
s article describes how the Fords have distinguished them-
selves in the fight against anti-Semitism.
These good stories are all true, but they can’
t change the shameful legacy of the Dearborn Independent.
The Independent had been a sleepy weekly newspaper until Ford and his lieutenants transformed it into a
font of anti-Semitic bigotry. With the vast resources of Henry Ford’
s fame and fortune behind it, the newspa-
per and its content that was republished in The International Jew gained a worldwide audience.
The hateful ideas spread by these publications had consequences. And as the Historian’
s reporting
explained, this isn’
t just dusty trivia from a hundred years ago that doesn’
t matter today. These ideas still
benefit from their association with Henry Ford’
s name, and these ideas are still hurting people. That’
s why
it’
s so important to remember and to discuss history. History has weight.
If we only talk about the parts of the past that make us feel good or proud, and neglect to talk about
the parts that might cause us introspection or humility, then what we are doing is not history — it’
s some-
thing else. We also know that silence concerning anti-Semitism carries a particular weight. That’
s why the
Historical Commission feels so strongly about the decision to try to kill this article. We believe that this
decision is profoundly wrong.
In statements to the media, the city’
s director of public information, Mary Laundroche, has explained the
mayor’
s decision as motivated by a desire to protect the city’
s reputation for diversity and inclusion. Our city
has indeed made great strides in this regard under Mayor O’
Reilly’
s leadership, and we don’
t doubt that his
desire is coming from a place of good faith.
However, the mayor’
s communications team has gotten the perception question precisely backwards. An
inclusive and diverse community is honest and proactive in co
nfronting the darker sides of its history. To
the extent that we act like we’
re afraid to confront our history, that shows that we still have some work to do.
We urge the mayor to reconsider his decision and to allow the museum staff to distribute the Historian.
We urge him to allow the museum the freedom to pursue its duty to historical truth, including the parts that
are uncomfortable.
In the meantime, I’
d encourage everyone to look up “Henry Ford and The International Jew” on
DeadlineDetroit.com. Bill McGraw wrote an exceptional article, and we at the Dearborn Historical
Commission are proud to stand behind it.
— Jonathon Stanton,
chairman of the Dearborn
Historical Commission
31 to express disapproval of the
cancellation of this issue of The
Dearborn Historian and McGraw’
s
firing. For McGraw, the editor’
s
position was a part-time retirement
job and he says it’
s not a big deal
to lose it, but he is upset about the
mayor’
s suppression of the issue.
Robert Sedler, distinguished
professor at the Wayne State
University Law School and a con-
stitutional expert, says the city of
Dearborn can do whatever it wants
in terms of publishing an article or
magazine. However, he says that
ending McGraw’
s contract in this
situation “does raise a first amend-
ment issue” because he was fired
for a “bad reason” — the article he
wrote about Ford.
A contract employee can be fired
for any reason, Sedler says, but not
“because he published a story.”
The Society of Professional
Journalists (SPJ) Detroit Chapter
condemns the actions of Dearborn
Mayor O’
Reilly. “
Any effort to sup-
press the dissemination of factual
information is an act of censorship
and goes against our country’
s long
tradition of freedom of the press,”
SPJ Detroit Chapter President Beth
Konrad said in a statement.
CIVIL RIGHTS ISSUE?
Agustin V. Arbulu, executive
director of the Michigan Civil
Rights Commission, was disturbed
to hear the magazine’
s distribution
was cancelled.
“This is part of his [Ford’
s] leg-
acy — he was well-known as an
anti-Semite,” Arbulu said. “You
have to take the good with the bad.
It’
s important to talk about these
areas of bias — racism, anti-Sem-
itism, anti-LGBT views openly.
When we talk about it, we’
re edu-
cating people. We have to face up to
our history. It’
s a part of our legacy
and that’
s very important — other-
wise history repeats itself.”
Arbulu said McGraw may have
the basis to file a complaint against
the city of Dearborn under the
Elliot-Larsen Civil Rights Act. “He
was discriminated against because
of what he wrote about. It was a
retaliatory act.” ■
continued on page 14
The Dearborn Historical
Commission Responds
LAUREN ANN DAVIES