Mr. Charlie Got Him One!

A phrase from the past resurfaces

I am still trying to wrap my head around the fact that I can’t recall why I entered a room, yet long-term memories from five or six decades ago return to me randomly, with clarity. Earlier today, I witnessed a state police officer pulling over a vehicle at a convenience store. As I observed the flashing lights, a phrase my grandmother used many moons ago, came to mind: “Mr. Charlie got him one.”

I haven't heard anyone use those words in over 50 years, but they were quite common in my neighborhood back in the 1960s and 1970s. I never questioned why state troopers were referred to as "Mr. Charlie." At one point, I assumed there was an officer named Charlie assigned to my area.

Misunderstanding the words

In the mid-1960s, my young mind thought that Charlie was the state police officer who came to serve Blue Ridge, in Botetourt County, Virginia. I had seen neighborhood police officers on television shows plus other men serving my hometown. There was Mr. Foster, the mailman; Mr. Lamb, who ran the post office; and Mr. Dooley, who owned a local store.

We had no police department, and the Sheriff was about 25 to 30 miles away in Fincastle. When we saw the state troopers, it was a rare but interesting sight. I have seen the state patrol many times in recent years and did not remember Mr. Charlie until today.

Beware of Mr. Charlie!

When my brothers and I began driving, our grandmother warned us not to speed because Mr. Charlie would pull us over. She would also warn us not to break the law and get into the hands of the brass buttons (another slang term for authorities).

When I was a child, the state police officers we saw from a distance appeared tall, large in stature, and menacing in their huge hats and with guns at their sides. I thought long and hard about my grandmother telling us not to get on the wrong side of the law.

The powers that be

According to Wikipedia, Cassell's Dictionary of Slang (2005) argues that in the 1920s, "Mister Charlie" meant "any white man," but by the 1970s it had evolved to mean "the man in power.

This moniker is believed to have originated in slavery and was used for plantation owners or other men who exploited or took advantage of slaves. The Grateful Dead had a song titled Mr. Charlie but it is unrelated to the usage within the African American community.

Varied interpretations

James Baldwin wrote a play titled Blues for Mr. Charlie which starred actors who later became household names:

In 1964 the Actors Studio staged the play's first production which ran from Apr 23, 1964 - Aug 29, at the ANTA Playhouse. It was directed by Burgess Meredith starring Al Freeman Jr., Rip Torn, Pat Hingle, Ann Wedgeworth and Ralph Waite among others in the cast, and received critical praise from The New York Times.

Mr. Charlie has varied meanings within the African American community, like "The man" or The establishment or those in authority over minorities. In today's world, this name might be seen by some as a form of racism, the way Aunt Jemima and Uncle Ben have become offensive to some in society.

No offense is intended

Others may consider the words to be negative against law enforcement like the names "The fuzz" or "Cops." For me, these words are reminders from my grandmother to obey speed limits and be a law-abiding citizen. This article is to inform and is not written with the purpose of offending anyone in law enforcement.