“Some of the people I belonged to was in the Klu Klux Klan.  Tolah had fo’ girls and fo’ boys.  Some of those boys belonged.  And I used to see them turn out.  They went aroun’ whippin’ niggahs.  They’d get young girls and strip ’em sta’k naked, and put ’em across barrels, and whip ’em till the blood run out of ’em, and then they would put salt in the raw pahts.  And ah seen it, and it was as bloody aroun’ em as if they’d stuck hogs.

“I sho’ is glad I ain’t no slave no moah.  Ah thank God that ah lived to pas the yeahs until the day of 1937.  Ah’m happy and satisfied now, and ah hopes ah see a million yeahs to come.”

Forest H. Lees
C.R.  McLean, Supervisor
June 10, 1937

Topic:  Folkways
Medina County, District #5

JULIA WILLIAMS, ex-slave

Julia Williams, born in Winepark, Chesterfield County near Richmond, Virginia.  Her age is estimated close to 100 years.  A little more or a little less, it is not known for sure.

Her memory is becoming faded.  She could remember her mothers name was Katharine but her father died when she was very small and she remembers not his name.

Julia had three sisters, Charlotte, Rose and Emoline Mack.  The last names of the first two, Charlotte and Rose she could not recall.

As her memory is becoming faded, her thoughts wander from one thing to another and her speech is not very plain, the following is what I heard and understood during the interview.

“All de slaves work with neighbors; or like neighbors now-adays.  I no work in de fiel, I slave in de house, maid to de mistress.”

“After Yankees come, one sister came to Ohio with me.”

“The slaves get a whippin if they run away.”

“After Yankees come, my ole mother come home and all chillun together.  I live with gramma and go home after work each day.  Hired out doin maid work.  All dis after Yankees come dat I live with gramma.”

“Someone yell, ‘Yankees are comin’,’ and de mistress tell me, she say ‘You mus learn to be good and hones’.’  I tole her, ’I am now’.”

“No I nevah get no money foh work.”

“I allways had good meals and was well taken care of.  De Mrs. she nevah let me be sold.”

“Sho we had a cook in de kichen and she was a slave too.”

“Plantashun slaves had gahdens but not de house slaves.  I allus had da bes clothes and bes meals, anyting I want to eat.  De Mrs. like me and she like me and she say effen you want sompin ask foh it, anytime you want sompin or haff to have, get it.  I didn suffer for enythin befoh dim Yankees come.”

“After de Yankees come even de house people, de white people didn get shoes.  But I hab some, I save.  I have some othah shoes I didn dare go in de house with.  Da had wood soles.  Oh Lawde how da hurt mah feet.  One day I come down stair too fas and slip an fall.  Right den I tile de Mrs. I couldn wear dem big heavy shoes and besides da makes mah feet so sore.”