Arabber

Arabber

An arabber (or a-rab) is a street merchant who sells fruits and vegetables from a colorful, horse-drawn cart. Once a common sight in American East Coast cities, only a handful of arabbers still walk the streets of Baltimore.

History of Arabbing

The term "arabber" is believed to derive from the 19th century British English slang term "street arabs" (perhaps because of the nomadic lifestyle of some Arab people [http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?search=arab] , see also street urchin). Arabbing began in the early 1800s, when access to ships and stables made it an easy form of entrepreneurship. African American men entered the trade following the Civil War. [http://www.nationaltrust.org/Magazine/archives/arch_story/110306p.htm] Brightly painted and artfully arranged, arabber carts became a common sight on the streets of Baltimore. To alert city dwellers to their arrival, arabbers developed distinctive calls:

"Holler, holler, holler, till my throat get sore."

"If it wasn't for the pretty girls, I wouldn't have to holler no more."

"I say, Watermelon! Watermelon!"

"Got 'em red to the rind, lady." [http://www.baltimoremd.com/arabber/arabbib.html]

During World War II, factory jobs opened to white laborers, leaving arabbing an exclusively African American vocation. [http://www.nationaltrust.org/Magazine/archives/arch_story/110306p.htm] By then arabbing was already in decline, threatened by the expansion of supermarkets and the dearth of public stables. In the later 20th century, arabbers faced additional challenges from city zoning and vending regulations, and from animal rights advocates concerned about the health and welfare of the horses.

In 1994, the Arabber Preservation Society was founded to help bring the Retreat Street stable, which had been condemned, up to city building codes. [http://www.baltimoremd.com/arabber/] The society continues to renovate and promote the preservation of the stables serving the remaining arabbers, who number fewer than a dozen. Besides providing a nostalgic glimpse of the past, arabbers still serve a practical purpose, bringing fresh produce and other goods to urban neighborhoods that are underserved by grocery stores.

Arabbing in the Media

*The documentary "We Are Arabbers" (2004) by filmmakers Scott Kecken and Joy Lusco Kecken profiles contemporary arabbers.

*Arabbers appear in the television series "The Wire", partly written by the documentary film-maker Joy Lusco Kecken.

*The first season of the television series "" featured a plotline about an arabber suspected of murdering a little girl.

*The Arabz led by Skarr Akbar are a Baltimore rap group named after the practice in honor of their hometown.

References

* [http://www.baltimoremd.com/arabber/ Arabber Preservation Society Home Page] , retrieved December 27, 2006.
* [http://www.nationaltrust.org/Magazine/archives/arch_story/110306p.htm "The Wanderers' Songs"] , Catherine Finn, "Preservation Online", November 3, 2006.
* [http://taxi-reg.home.att.net/baltmore.htm "Baltimore: No Harbor for Entrepreneurs"] DEAD LINK, Scott G. Bullock, retrieved December 26, 2006.


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем написать курсовую

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Duquan "Dukie" Weems — Duquan Weems First appearance Boys of Summer (episode 4.01) Last appearance –30– (episode 5.10) …   Wikipedia

  • Late Editions — Infobox The Wire episode caption = episode name = Late Editions episode no = 59 epigraph = Deserve got nuthin to do with it. Snoop teleplay = George Pelecanos story = David Simon and George Pelecanos writer = director = Joe Chappelle guest star …   Wikipedia

  • –30– (The Wire episode) — Infobox The Wire episode caption = episode name = ndash;30 ndash; episode no = 60 epigraph = ...the life of kings. H.L. Mencken teleplay = David Simon story = David Simon and Ed Burns writer = director = Clark Johnson guest star = see below prod… …   Wikipedia

  • Hollins Market — Infobox nrhp | name =Hollins Market nrhp type = hd caption = Hollins Market Facade location= Baltimore, Maryland area = built =1838 architect= architecture= Greek Revival, Italianate added = September 15, 1983 governing body = Local… …   Wikipedia

  • Clarifications — The Wire episode Episode no. Season 5 Episode 8 …   Wikipedia

  • Baltimore, Maryland — Infobox Settlement official name = City of Baltimore settlement type = City nickname = Charm City , [Popik, Barry. [http://www.barrypopik.com/index.php/new york city/entry/summary9/ Charm City (summary)] . The Big Apple. Nicknames of Other Places …   Wikipedia

  • Tim Bayliss — Infobox character name = Det. Tim Bayliss caption = Det. Tim Bayliss first = last = cause = Impromptu emotional leave gender = Male age = 38 born = death = family = Virginia (mother), George (uncle); Jim (cousin) spouse = episode = 119 ( ) 1 (… …   Wikipedia

  • That's Got His Own — Infobox The Wire episode caption = episode name = That s Got His Own episode no = 49 epigraph = That all there is to it? Bubbles teleplay = George Pelecanos story = Ed Burns and George Pelecanos writer = director = Joe Chappelle guest star = see… …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”