978-0-89587-323-1
0-89587-323-0
$11.95 paperback
5 x 7˝
200 pages
October
Drawing from interviews that the New Deal's Works Progress Administration conducted with former slaves in the 1930s, this book presents firsthand accounts of what life was like from the perspective of the enslaved women. Of the nearly 2500 narratives, approximately two thirds of them are from women. In searching for the most compelling stories, Minges discovered some common themes, which include witch/doctor, friends/families, mother/child, and Jezebel/Mammy. These stories contain dramatic images of life and death, pain and perseverance, devastation and deliverance—all related by the women whose memories serve as a record and reflection of this turbulent time in American history.
about the author
Patrick Minges worked for 17 years for Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch. He currently teaches social studies to gifted high-school students at Davidson Early College in Lexington, N.C. He lives in Salisbury, N.C. He is also the editor of Black Indian Slave Narratives.