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Hason, Arkansas
Age 82
"I was born in De Sota Courty, Mississippi. My parents' owners was Mars Hancock. Mana was a cook and field
hand. Papa milked and worked in the field. Mama had jes' one child, that me. I had six childern. I got five livin'.
They knowed they free. It went round from mouth to mouth. Mama said Mars Hancock was good er slave holder as
over lived she recken. I heard her come over that or good many times. But they wanted to be free. I jes' heard em
talk bout the Ku Klux. They said the Kn Klux made lot of om roamin' round go get a place to live and start workin'.
They tell how they would ride at night and how scarry lookin' they was. I heard on say if Mars Hancock didn't want
to give em meat they got tree a coon or possum. Out the tree down or climb it and then come home and cook it.
They had no guns. They had dogs or could get one. Game helps out lots.
"The women chewed for their children after they weaned on. They don't none of on do that way now. Woman
wouldn't out the baby's finger nails. They bite on off. They said if you cut its nails off he would steal. They bite its
too nails off, too. And if they wanted the children to have long pretty hair, they would trim the ends off on the new
of the moon. That would cause the hair to grow long. White folks and darkies both done than things.
"I been doin' whatever come to hand --- farmin', cookin', washin', ironin'.
"I never expects to vote neither. I sure ain't voted.
"Conditions pretty bad sometimes. I don't know what cause it. You got beyond me now. I don't know what going
become of the young folks, and they ain't studyin' it. They ain't kind. Got no raisin' I call it. I tried to raise em to
work and bahave. They work some. My son is takin' care of me now."
Interviewar Mrs. Bernice Bowden"
