“I tell you where I voted—­colored folks don’t vote now—­it was when I was on the Davis place.  I voted once or twice since I been up here.  I called myself votin’ Republican.  I member since I been up here you know they had a colored man in the courthouse.  When they had a grand jury they had em mixed, some colored and some white.  I say now they ain’t got no privilege.  If they don’t want em to vote ought not make em pay taxes.

“Up north they all sits together in the deppo but here in the south they got a ’tition between em.

“When I first went to farmin’ I rented the land and the cotton was all mine, but now you work on the shares and don’t have nothin’.

“If I keep a livin’, I’m goin’ away from here.  I’m goin’ up north.  I won’t go fore it gets warm though.  I seen the snow knee deep in Cleveland, Ohio.

“I was workin’ up north once.  I had a pretty good job in Detroit doin’ piece work, and doin’ well, but I come back here cause my wife’s mother was too old to move.  If I had stayed I might have done well.

“I own this property but I’m bout to lose it on account o’ taxes.

“I got grown boys and they ain’t no more help to me than the spit out o’ my mouth.  None of em has ever give me a dime in their life.  This younger generation is goin’ to nothin’.  They got a good education.  I got a boy can write six different kinds a hands.  Write enough to get in the pen.  I got him pardoned and he’s in Philadelphia now.  Never sends me a dime.

“I never went to any school but night school a little.  I was the oldest and it kep me knockin’ around to help take care of the little ones.

“I preach sometimes.  I’m not ordained—­I’m a floor preacher, just stands in front of the altar.”

Interviewer:  Miss Irene Robertson
Person interviewed:  Lizzie Dunn, Clarendon, Arkansas
Age:  88

“I was born close to Hernando, Mississippi.  My parents was Cassie Gillahm and Ely Gillahm.  My master was John Gillahm.  I fell to John Gillahm and Tim bought me from him so I could be with my mother.  I was a young baby.  Bill Gillahm was our old master.  He might had a big farm but I was raised on a small farm.  White folks raised me.  They put me to sewing young.  I sewed with my fingers.  I could sew mighty nice.  My mistress had a machine she screwed on a table.

“All the Gillahms went to Louisiana in war time and left the women with youngest white master.  They was trying to keep their slaves from scattering.  They were so sure that the War would be lost.

“The Yankees camped close to us but didn’t bother my white folks to hurt them.  They et them out time and ag’in.  I seen the Yankees every day.  I seen the cannons and cavalry a mile long.  The sound was like eternity had turned loose.  Everything shook like earthquakes day and night.  The light was bright and red and smoke terrible.

“Mother cooked and we et from our master’s table.