Obviously the results of this project can’t paint a complete picture of slavery, but this is such an incredible project. Besides the absolutely invaluable resource of the archived first-person accounts, can you imagine anything like this project happening today? Using public funds to pay out-of-work writers to collect the stories of people who have been systematically disenfranchised? More people should know about this, so that more people can access these first-person accounts of slavery, but also so that more people can imagine a world where strategies like this are used to combat unemployment and underemployment.
My professor George Rawick collecd them so they could be published in many volumes. Based on their content, he wrote the book "Slavery from Sundown to Sunup."
A few years ago a 100+ y/o woman addressed congress whose grandmother was a literal slave. She has memories of her grandmother and had conversations with her.
I did some further digging into your valid (if somewhat snarky) point - and the limitations are also addressed in the LOC. I found this to be a valuable read on the project: https://www.loc.gov/collections/slave-narratives-from-the-federal-writers-project-1936-to-1938/articles-and-essays/introduction-to-the-wpa-slave-narratives/limitations-of-the-slave-narrative-collection#:~:text=It%20is%20probable%20that%20the,of%20the%20former%20slaveholding%20families.
Ack! I didn't see your reply while I was typing mine, which had the same link.
Again, it's a *great* resource. Amazing. I've used it in work I've published. But it needs to be taken with a grain of salt.
I can't remember her name, but there was a black woman who worked on the project as well. Someone did some investigating and there's a *major* difference between what they'd tell white people vs her. With white people they'd be like "Oh, it was a difficult time, but we made it through" and with her they'd be like "Let me tell you about this POS. His son lives two blocks over and he's an POS too."
No, id say it's accurate. With a sample size of 2,000 you're getting an accurate representation of slave life. Though, depending on who was surveyed and how many people were included could change the results. Then there's potential biases of the writers themselves.
Someone living these experiences often only presents on part of a larger story. Often, it can be traumatic for the individual in question to talk about their story. It can feel shameful to have to talk about the day to day life. What they could have been subjected to.
It's pretty widely accepted that while it's a great resource, it's also flawed.
The project was carried out in the 1930s, 65-70 years after emancipation. Any former slave still alive would have been a teenager at the oldest. So the experience of the interviewees was confined to what slaves experienced in childhood.
They were giving their stories to white interviewers. After a long life of having to be careful, on pain of punishment or death, with what they said to white people, many if not most African Americans would naturally gloss over some details. Not to say there weren't some horrific stories. But the fact is they would have told different stories to Black interviewers.
> With a sample size of 2,000 you're getting an accurate representation of slave life.
That works out to around 2% of the available population of ex-slaves. Given the regional variations of the slave experience, as well as the variations of slave experiences even inside a single area, 2k isn't much.
> No, id say it's accurate.
The Library of Congress itself disagrees. Even the LoC admits the many problems:
https://www.loc.gov/collections/slave-narratives-from-the-federal-writers-project-1936-to-1938/articles-and-essays/introduction-to-the-wpa-slave-narratives/limitations-of-the-slave-narrative-collection
I'm sorry? What exactly does this have to do with the following above which takes place in the 1930s? Maybe you're referring to jim crow. But this is about slavery and the questions they asked about aren't about that.
Edit: that's on me I was sleep deprived when I wrote this
The History Makers is a modern day version of this, inspired by the original project. They are recording interviews with people who participated in the civil rights movement.
https://www.thehistorymakers.org
I don't think the US is capable of taking on a New Deal. I've read many books about the Depression and WW2 and it amazes me how people willingly accepted being drafted into agencies like the CCC and WPA, meatless Tuesdays, rationing books, restrictions on travel, etc.
I think more people are capable of it than you think. We already do a lot of that work because we love it and meatless Tuesdays because we're poor. 😭
I just think the small amount of people who wouldn't want to do it happen to be a lot louder than the majority who would.
Obviously the results of this project can’t paint a complete picture of slavery, but this is such an incredible project. Besides the absolutely invaluable resource of the archived first-person accounts, can you imagine anything like this project happening today? Using public funds to pay out-of-work writers to collect the stories of people who have been systematically disenfranchised? More people should know about this, so that more people can access these first-person accounts of slavery, but also so that more people can imagine a world where strategies like this are used to combat unemployment and underemployment.
Some of 'em are available as free audiobooks, read by volunteers: [https://librivox.org/group/677](https://librivox.org/group/677)
My professor George Rawick collecd them so they could be published in many volumes. Based on their content, he wrote the book "Slavery from Sundown to Sunup."
A few years ago a 100+ y/o woman addressed congress whose grandmother was a literal slave. She has memories of her grandmother and had conversations with her.
An invaluable resource for understanding what former slaves were willing to say to white government workers.
I did some further digging into your valid (if somewhat snarky) point - and the limitations are also addressed in the LOC. I found this to be a valuable read on the project: https://www.loc.gov/collections/slave-narratives-from-the-federal-writers-project-1936-to-1938/articles-and-essays/introduction-to-the-wpa-slave-narratives/limitations-of-the-slave-narrative-collection#:~:text=It%20is%20probable%20that%20the,of%20the%20former%20slaveholding%20families.
Ack! I didn't see your reply while I was typing mine, which had the same link. Again, it's a *great* resource. Amazing. I've used it in work I've published. But it needs to be taken with a grain of salt.
I can't remember her name, but there was a black woman who worked on the project as well. Someone did some investigating and there's a *major* difference between what they'd tell white people vs her. With white people they'd be like "Oh, it was a difficult time, but we made it through" and with her they'd be like "Let me tell you about this POS. His son lives two blocks over and he's an POS too."
Maybe so, but I just learned about it today 🤷♀️
No, id say it's accurate. With a sample size of 2,000 you're getting an accurate representation of slave life. Though, depending on who was surveyed and how many people were included could change the results. Then there's potential biases of the writers themselves. Someone living these experiences often only presents on part of a larger story. Often, it can be traumatic for the individual in question to talk about their story. It can feel shameful to have to talk about the day to day life. What they could have been subjected to.
It's pretty widely accepted that while it's a great resource, it's also flawed. The project was carried out in the 1930s, 65-70 years after emancipation. Any former slave still alive would have been a teenager at the oldest. So the experience of the interviewees was confined to what slaves experienced in childhood. They were giving their stories to white interviewers. After a long life of having to be careful, on pain of punishment or death, with what they said to white people, many if not most African Americans would naturally gloss over some details. Not to say there weren't some horrific stories. But the fact is they would have told different stories to Black interviewers. > With a sample size of 2,000 you're getting an accurate representation of slave life. That works out to around 2% of the available population of ex-slaves. Given the regional variations of the slave experience, as well as the variations of slave experiences even inside a single area, 2k isn't much. > No, id say it's accurate. The Library of Congress itself disagrees. Even the LoC admits the many problems: https://www.loc.gov/collections/slave-narratives-from-the-federal-writers-project-1936-to-1938/articles-and-essays/introduction-to-the-wpa-slave-narratives/limitations-of-the-slave-narrative-collection
Yeah that makes sense. I can't argue against that. That's my fault for not checking the year of the project.
If you know nothing about US history then sure! In 1930 a black person could be lynched in the South for more or less any reason.
I'm sorry? What exactly does this have to do with the following above which takes place in the 1930s? Maybe you're referring to jim crow. But this is about slavery and the questions they asked about aren't about that. Edit: that's on me I was sleep deprived when I wrote this
This project took place in the 1930s.
The History Makers is a modern day version of this, inspired by the original project. They are recording interviews with people who participated in the civil rights movement. https://www.thehistorymakers.org
Don't tell Ron DeSantis about this, he'll try to get it banned.
Remind me again why projects like this don't happen anymore?
Because slavery was abolished. 🥴 But in all seriousness, they do. They're just not funded by the government. Which is unfortunate.
I don't think the US is capable of taking on a New Deal. I've read many books about the Depression and WW2 and it amazes me how people willingly accepted being drafted into agencies like the CCC and WPA, meatless Tuesdays, rationing books, restrictions on travel, etc.
I think more people are capable of it than you think. We already do a lot of that work because we love it and meatless Tuesdays because we're poor. 😭 I just think the small amount of people who wouldn't want to do it happen to be a lot louder than the majority who would.