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(Interviewer Miss Irene Robertson. Hazen, Arkansas)
"My mother's old owner named Master Sanders. She born somewhere in Tennessee. I heard her say she lived in
Mississippi. I was born in Tennessee. My pa was born in Mississippi. I know he belong to the Duncans. His name
George Washington Duncan. There ain't nary drap white blood in none us. I got four brothers. I do remembers
grandma. She set and tell us tales bout old times like you want to know. Been so long I forgotten. Ma was a house
girl and pa a field hand. Way grandma talked it must of been hard to find out what white folks wanted em to do,
cause she couldn't tell whet you say some times. She never did talk plain.
"They was glad when freedom declared. They said they was hard on em. Whoop em. Pa was killed in Crittenden
County in Arkansas. He was clearin' new ground. A storm come up and a limb hit him. It killed him. Grandma and
ma allus say like if you build a house you want to put all the winders in you ever goin' to want. It bad luck to cut in
and put in nother one. Sign of a death. I ain't got no business tellin' you bout that. White folks don't believe in signs.
"I been raisin' up childern - 'dopted childern, washin', ironin', scourin', hoein', gatherin' corn, pickin' cotton, patchin',
cookin'. They ain't nothin' what I ain't done.
"No'm, I sure ain't voted. I don't believe in women votin'. They don't know who to vote for. The men don't know
neither. If folks visited they would care more bout the other an wouldn't be so much devilment goin' on."
