[320151]
| N.C. District: | No. 2 |
| Worker: | Mary A. Hicks |
| No. Words: | 733 |
| Subject: | EX-SLAVE STORY |
| Person Interviewed: | Charlie Barbour |
| Editor: | Daisy Bailey Waitt |
| Date Stamp: | "JUN 7 1937" |
A (circled)
EX-SLAVE STORY
An interview on May 20, 1937 with Charlie Barbour, 86 of Smithfield, N.C. Johnston County.
I belonged ter Mr. Bob Lumsford hyar in Smithfield from de time of my birth. My mammy wuz named Candice an' my pappy's name wuz Seth. My brothers wuz Rufus, William an' George, an' my sisters wuz Mary an' Laura.
I 'minds me of de days when as a youngin' I played marbles an' hide an' seek. Dar wuzn't many games den, case nobody ain't had no time fer 'em. De grown folkses had dances an' sometimes co'n shuckin's, an' de little niggers patted dere feets at de dances an' dey he'p ter shuck de co'n. At Christmas we had a big dinner, an' from den through New Year's Day we feast, an' we dance, an' we sing. De fust one what said Christmas gift ter anybody else got a gif', so of cou'se we all try ter ketch de marster.
On de night 'fore de first day of Jinuary we had a dance what lasts all night. At midnight when de New Year comes in marster makes a speech an' we is happy dat he thanks us fer our year's wuck an' says dat we is good, smart slaves.