“I had a house and lot—this one, but I couldn’t pay taxes. We still living in it. We got a garden. No hog, no cow. We made our home when I cooked and my wife washed and ironed.
“I think this new generation of colored folks is awful. They can get work if they would do it. Times is gettin’ worse. They work some if the price suit ’em, if it don’t, they steal. They spend ’bout all they make for shows, whiskey and I don’t know whut all.
“The Social Welfare gives me $8 a month. My wife does all the washing and ironin’ she can get. We are doing very well.
“I don’t understand much ’bout votin’ and picking out canidates. It don’t hurt if the women want to vote.
“Only songs I ever heard was corn songs. I don’t remember none. They make ’em up out in the fields. Some folks good at making up songs. One I used to hear a whole heap was ‘It goiner be a hot time in the old time tonite.’ Another one ‘If you liker me liker I liker you. We both liker the same.’ I don’t remember no more them songs. I used to hear ’em a whole lots. Yes out in the fields.”
EDITOR’S NOTE: Pages 58 to 62 have been withdrawn after numbering.
Interviewer: Thomas Elmore Lucy
Person interviewed: George Govan
Russellville, Arkansas
Age: 52
“George Govan is my name, and I was born in Conway County somewheres in December 1886—I guess it was about de seventeenth of December. We lived there till 1911, when I come to Pope County. Both my parents was slaves on de plantation of a Mr. Govan near Charleston, South Carolina. Dat’s where we got our name. Folks come to Arkansas after dey was freed. No sir, I ain’t edicated—never had de chance. Parents been dead a good many years.