In this column, the author unpacks the history of the song "Jump Jim Crow/Joe" with particular attention paid to the exclusionary practices often found within the categorization of an American folk-music canon. "Jump Jim Crow" is an example of appropriation that makes people invisible. Yet, appropriation can also create bias against an ethnic or racial group, perpetuate an "us versus them" dynamic by creating enemies, or simply dismiss an entire culture as not being important or relevant. The author argues that the body of American folk music that has become standard repertoire within elementary music classrooms is narrowly reflective of society as a whole, both from an ethnic/racial perspective and with regard to popular music.