“My mother and father were born on the same plantation and I di’n’t have nothin’ to do ’sept play with the white children and have plenty to eat.  My mother and father were field han’s.  I learned to talk from the white children.”

ANNIE GAIL: 

Annie Gail, 1661 NW 6th Court, Miami, Florida, was four years old when “peace came.”

“I was borned on Faggott’s place near Greenville, Alabama.  My mother, she worked for Faggott.  He wuz her bossman.  When she’d go out to de fiel’s, I ’member I used to watch her, for somehow I wuz feared she would get away from me.

“Now I ’member dat jes ez good as ’twas yesterday.  I didn’t do anything.  I just runned ’round.

“We just ‘stayed on’ after de’ ‘Mancipation’.  My mother, she was hired then.  I guess I wuzn’t ‘fraid ob her leavin’ after dat.”

JESSIE ROWELL: 

Jessie Rowell, 331 NW 19th St., Miami, Florida was born in Mississippi, between Fossburg and Heidelberg, on the Gaddis plantation.

“My grandmother worked in the house, but my mother worked in the field hoeing or picking cotton or whatever there was to do.  I was too little to work.

“All that I can ’member is, that I was just a little tot running ’round, and I would always watch for my mother to come home.  I was always glad to see her, for the day was long and I knew she’d cook something for me to eat.  I can ’member dat es good as ’twas yestiday.

“We ‘stayed on’ after Freedom.  Mother was give wages then, but I don’t know how much.”

MARGARET WHITE: 

Margaret White, 6606 18th Ave., Liberty City, Miami.  Florida is one of those happy creatures who doesn’t look as if she ever had a care in the world.  She speaks good English: 

“I am now 84 years old, for I was 13 when the Emancipation Proclamation was made.  It didn’t make much difference to me.  I had a good home and was treated very nicely.

“My master was John Eckels.  He owned a large fruit place near Federal, N.C.

“My father was a tailor and made the clothes for his master and his servants.  I was never sold.  My master just kept me.  They liked me and wouldn’t let me be sold.  He never whipped me, for I was a slave, you know, and I had to do just as I was told.

“I worked around the house doing maid’s work.  I also helped to care for the children in the home.”

PRISCILLA MITCHELL: 

Priscilla Mitchell, 1614 NW 5th Ave., was born in Macon County, Alabama, March 17, 1858.

“Y’ see, ah wuz oney 7 years old when ah wuz ’mancipated.  I can ’member pickin’ cotton, but I didn’t work so hard, ah wuz too young.

“I wuz my Massy’s pet.  No, no he wouldn’t beat me.  Whenever ah’s bad or did little things that my mother didn’t want me to do and she’d go to whip me, all I needed to do was to run to my Massy and he’d take me up and not let my mother git me.”