Just so you know, you’ve been an inspiration to me ever since I read about you sewing standing up so you could be creative in the midst of raising your kids. Thanks!

I still, however, cannot feel that it is sugar coated and yes, I do understand that we can’t always judge the past by today’s cultural morals. We glamorize the life of the plantation owners and their “accomplishments.” And yes – emancipation was little better than slavery for many if not most blacks in America. The South did go from being rich to poor – although that is a misnomer. Only some of the white slave owners were rich to begin with. The “south” consisted of of mostly enslaved African Americans and many poor whites as well. I wouldn’t call that rich. That would be like saying our national economy right now is doing fabulously well – because wall street bankers are still pulling in their millions.

I’ve read several books since the trip – I love history – especially first person narratives. I love to try and get as close to original sources as possible. The slave narratives I read were WPA oral history projects transcribed in the 1930’s. Most of the surviving former slaves were in their 80’s and 90’s and they had been quite young when emancipated – usually under ten. The forward of the book pointed out several facts. 1 – The interviews were completed during the great depression when the sharecroppers interviewed were living under near starvation conditions so yes, looking back to a time when they were mostly fed and clothed looked better. 2 – The former slaves were still uneducated, and few had ever travelled to see what life was like outside of their immediate environment. It was their “kind” masters who made sure they were uneducated and unequipped for any life other than slavery. 3 – The interviewers were white. During slave times telling anyone that your master was unkind was grounds for whipping, or being sold away from your family. I can’t imagine it was much better around whites after the war. Especially considering that the 1920’s is when the KKK really ramped up their overtly violent activities. Just looking the wrong way at a white could get you lynched. In the interviews the former slaves would say their master was good – and in the same interview mention being whipped. Remember, they were young children at the time. Their “good” masters sanctioned the whipping of children.

I’ve also just read Frederick Douglass’ first memoir. The conditions it recounts were horrifying. Children under ten mostly naked with no blankets in the winter. Feeding the children mush out of troughs with no utensils and competing with the dogs. Women purchased as breeding stock – often raped by the master. He does an interesting thing and points out many specific ways in which the institution of slavery degrades the white owners as well.

So – I am humbled and truly amazed at those who survived this and many times kept their faith and their humanity intact. You mentioned that the South is still mostly poor today and part of that is the destruction of an economy based on the enslavement of others. We don’t look at Hitler’s capture and enslavement of the Jews and say that we have to understand it through the lens of today’s wisdom, education, and understanding of our day. We call it out for what it was. Pure evil. I see the two cultures as very much alike.

Look at it another way – African Americans STILL have lower education levels and income levels than whites do. Why?

We still have work to do and until we question and learn about and understand our WHOLE history it’s going to be difficult to grow and learn from it.

Thanks again Patty for your wonderful comments!