"In most of us colored folks was the great desire to [be] able to read and write. We took advantage of every opportunity to educate ourselves. The greater part of the plantation owners were very harsh if we were caught trying to learn or write. It was the law that if a white man was caught trying to educate a negro slave, he was liable to prosecution entailing a fine of fifty dollars and a jail sentence. We were never allowed to go to town and it was not until after I ran away that I knew that they sold anything but slaves, tobacco, and wiskey. Our ignorance was the greatest hold the South had on us. We knew we could run away, but what then?"
John W. Fields
The collection
"Born in Slavery: Slave Narratives from the Federal Writers' Project, 1936 to 1938" has preserved hundreds of life stories of former slaves
"that would otherwise have been lost" (
via). It is digitised and can be accessed
online.
- - - - - - -
photograph of John W. Fields taken between 1936 and 1938
via
Not so long ago.
ReplyDeleteYes, sigh.
DeleteThank you for passing by, Kenneth!
ReplyDeleteThank you, M. Laura Moazedi!
ReplyDeletehttps://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-49842601
Long time no see! I really miss our g+ connection... I read about the site years ago but didn't come across it for a while. Many thanks for reminding me of it and for the update - the questions asked there are just unbelievable. Again, thanks for sharing!
DeleteHi, It was so great to see your post. This is my great-great grandfather. I discovered his slave narrative a few years ago. So many people had written about him around 2012 and he was one of the featured formerly enslaved for educational lessons in the Library of Congress. His open heart and success against all odds is so inspiring to me, family and it appears to others too. I have a blog about him and I am planning to do research on his journey after running away and his life. https://www.kimbettie.com/blog
ReplyDeleteHi Kim, it's really exciting to meet you. Thank you so much for sharing this information. I wish you all the best for your blog and research!
Delete