Slave Narrative

Margarett Black

Interviewed at Alabama, Akron
Interviewer not identified
Age when interviewed: 95

Y'all must excuse for my memory. I've been dealin with a loss of ma memory for the past year. It aint that bad. I can recall memory in a day but the next I'll have forgotten what I've told y'all. I get ma glimpses the next day but for a short amount of time. I have tried writting down ma past but you see I am now paralized from ma hands.
Well let me start by tellin y'all I was a slave ar age 10, in 1851. My time was bein at ma mama's side then. Seeing every house hold duty she had did. Ma master, Williams, allowed each chillen to clean the house at age 11.My mama had 10 chillen older than me. I was the only one left to be part of the clean. Our master was a fair man but you get out of control you will see whats next.
I met all my brothers and sisters. Yet I also got too seem one by one leave. When each one left ma mama would pray for them. That's all we knew what to do. Two of ma brothers who werent sold stayed with us. Y'all see they was not like us, they was special. They knew not to clean, but to slobber on em'selves. They was 12 and 13 when they was killed. Ma master caught em eating the dinner. The food was for the white not for the black. That day ma brothers started yellin and pullin they hair. Ma mama did not knew what to do. They never acted this way. Ma master whip em out in the back. Yet ma brother, Marcus and Traver died by the third whipping. They was bleeding from em mouths. That was the end of em.
My mama and I cryed for days for the loss. Yet we stayed with the whites. We knew nothing about being free. We only knew our duties, clean and nurse the babies. We also did not knew how to readn, even if we did we has no time and no help.
At age 19, we hear some odd noises comin from out at front. It was men dressed up and yellin, "Y'ALL ARE FREE!" These men had to explain to ma mama what that meant. When they took us down with the rest f the Yankees, we knew we was really FREE. Ma mama died drinking and eating her 1st real meal that night. I belive ma mama waited until I was safe for her to leave me. The following week I had my papers ready for me. I waited in line for em and i met a young man, Roger. Ever since that day we have cared for eachother. We have 10 chillen like ma mama. Now I live happy, only takin care of ma own.

http://xroads.virginia.edu/~hyper/wpa/wpahome.html.


Reflections:
I still cant believe people lived like this. Having so much now and so less then. Overall i think we are all greatful that that era has ended. That we a re free and one.