Sheran Tolan interview with Boyd Reese

The John Burrison Georgia Folklore Archive recordings contains unedited versions of all interviews. Some material may contain descriptions of violence, offensive language, or negative stereotypes reflecting the culture or language of a particular period or place. There are instances of racist language and description, particularly in regards to African Americans. These items are presented as part of the historical record. This project is a repository for the stories, accounts, and memories of those who chose to share their experiences for educational purposes. The viewpoints expressed in this project do not necessarily represent the viewpoints of the Atlanta History Center or any of its officers, agents, employees, or volunteers. The Atlanta History Center makes no warranty as to the accuracy or completeness of any information contained in the interviews and expressly disclaims any liability therefore. If you believe you are the copyright holder of any of the content published in this collection and do not want it publicly available, please contact the Kenan Research Center at the Atlanta History Center at 404-814-4040 or reference@atlantahistorycenter.com.
Note: This recording is available upon request. In this interview Boyd Reese plays folk songs on the banjo. In addition, he describes how he tunes his instrument by ear and about how he cannot sing while he picks. Boyd and Tolan relate music to medicine because it relaxes you, discuss Boyd and his brother playing music on the fiddle and banjo at square dances, and reminisce about playing music in Larned, Kansas. They also talk about folklore. Next, Reese gives advice on planting and details raising cattle and hogs. In regards to farm life, Reese focuses on the impact of the moon on the weather, planting, and cooking. The second half of the recording is a radio station playing classic rock and roll songs.
No biographical information information about Boyd Reese has been determined
Planting; Hogs
Tolans I'm tal king *i1:h Mr. Boyd Reese, who lives in Cross Roads, Georgia, near Elijay. The song he is playing is "Along the Pines." Mrs. Reese s I don't know how long ago thats bsen. Lupton.' Can you sing that one? Tolans Does it have words to it1 Loudermilks Do yo;" know the words to it1 Tolans Does he know any words 1 Loudermilk. Does it have any1 Reese s Well, I guess I oould sing about 'em , I'll see. 2 Tolans: Along the pines , neath the pines, Where the sun never shines, An' I shiVer when the cold wind blows IfI Had the wings of a turkle dove, Flies pine to a pine; Gonna furl my true love Like I want f~e.,...(t(~ ~. 1- ~CJo~) Eh, Lardy. I've sit around dawn't th'apple 'house 'til I'm give out. Been dawn there nearly all, day; I dn't got it good an' tuned yit. Sounds ,real good to me._:~:;V:;;~/rememberwhat that first one was you played? Was that ~Bumberland Gap" you were talkin~ about? Reesel "Cumberland Gap"' Loudermilks Do you know any words to that? Reese I I guess I do. Cumberland Gap , It ain't my home, I'm gonna leave ole Cumberland lone, (1) I oain't g.it out on it like some of 'um oan ... I'M goin' back to th' Cumberland Gap, See my granny an' my granpap Tolans Well, I think that's real good. Reeses That's an' 01' d'un--sure 'nuff 01' d'un. Tolans I think I've hes.rd that one before. Reese s I guess ya hs.ve. Tols.n. Somewhere. I don't Imow where. I'like that. Reeses Nearly ever body picks ths.t. Thare's different tunes. Luptons Doesn't it sound like the "BeYerly Hillbilly's" song? Tols.ns Yes.h. It does a little bit. Loudermilk, Do you ever ws.tch the "Beverly Hillbillies" on T. V'l Idn'~' ths.t the' song they pick out? Wooleys Ailittle bit. Tobu A little bit of it. Wooleys Similar. Reeses Well. they've changed these ole tunes a dozen times or more Tolen. Oh. yes.h. Reese. They've got some of it in there an then they've added SO!llll an they've got 2 or 3 mixed all together. but after s.ll it's the same tune. "Love somebody. reckon I dOl Think somebody might love me too." Loudermilk: Play ths.t one.~ Tols.ns Yeah. do you know that? Reese. Them's ail ole d'uns. I don't know any new ones just to tell you' the truth. hardly a'ts.l1. Tolan. What s.bout "Bls.ck~susan" you were going to sing-play? Loudermilk. ,You know the "ords to that? Reese.' Yeah. I guess I do "Ondt a week. twl6e eve~Tuesday. I go to see that black-eyed Susie." Tobns My mother used to sing that. Reese. You've heered that ain't ya? :5 "TollUll Yee.h. I remember walking through the woods looking e.t the nowers . e.n she'd show me which ones were the Ble.ck Eyed Suse.ns. She used to sing that e.round the house. Reesel It don't eound right e.'tall. Lupton I I thing it sounds gocd. Reese I See there? Tolan: If Jou just lee.rned how to play the.t e.11 by yourselt. how'd you know that we.s how it was supposed to be tuned-like I had a book: to follow. Reesel Well. I learned it by ee.r. listenin' to other folks.., I've lee.rnt lots watohing en lisning--right there (T.V.). an if it impresses me. I can git up the nex mornin' e.n git my banjer an piok it an if it don't. I oe.in't. Loudermilk I Well. how do you know if it's in tune or not? Reese I: Well Tole.n J By the way itsounds?l' Reese: Well. the.t's sumpiJ you jus' oe.in't tell e. feller. an you just Loudermilk: Have to piok it up? Reeses You jus' have te.-a feller _.OM piok. an piok e.bout e.nything on the se.me key--D'ja ever notioe these fellas? They don't ohange the key. Tolan: No. they just play in the s&me key all the time. Resses When you see a feUer-Whet's the ms1;ter now's this thing's de.mp todey. an it's been dry so long it he.s more effeot than if it'd been rainin' ell 'long. I oe.in't git the.t thumb string ju'--to quit where I want it to. Tole.nl Do you ever ple.y and sing? I mee.n. )ou know. together'? You know just ple.y and sing'? Reeses I never did-never did. Tolan: Reesel Just either pls.yed or sang? , Cs.use I thought I'se doin' purty well 6 just to do ths. piokin'. (~~) Tolsn: I know what you mean. Lupton: I. agree. I don't see how he oan do it. Reese: Well, it's uh, you've got til. les.rn it 8.11 together if' you ever do it ths.t ws.y. See, that don,,",sound right when I move it. Tols.n: I oouldn't tell if 1t's right or wrong. I don't hs.vo an es.r for it. o Cou~d you pls.y "Boil That Cabbage Down"? ~ Reesel Well, I Let ",e git over here an warm that a little. Sometimes that'll sed off the ds.mp. Clate Parker's got a banjer. a Gibson's, he give $450 fer it. Tolan: Oh, me. That's a lot of money, but I guess it's worth it. , Reese: Y &ah, it gives you satisfaotion jus' like lots a other things. Yo. git use to 'um , it's jus'~like one of ths fanUy. Wooley: Um huh. Reese: They ain't no fs.r in ths.t ole thing, I don't think. Eh, Ls.rdy. Naw I never did try to sang an piok 'oause--oan ya tell the difference? The strings are tighter. Tolan: Ths.t thing, you know. that goes aoross the f !lont of it is too. Reese: What about "Whipple Creek"? D'ja ever hear uv that 'un or hear uv it? Tolan: Cripple Creek or Whipple Creek? Reese: Goin' up Whipple Creek. Tolan: I know that. Reese I Yes.h. Reese: Tolan : Doya? ~ /". I do. You know the words to that? Tole.ti: That's the onel What's that about, goin' up Cripple Creek to see my 6 girl? Reese. Yeah, an have some fun. Tolan . Yeah, oould yo. sing it? Reese I Well, I oain't sing; That's my trouble. Tolan: All, yeah yo. oan too. Reese. I jus' never oould sing is my worse trouble--besides, to sing an' piok makes it two different tunes. You know that'un "Goin' Down't the Cro.wdad Hole" don't oha? Tolan. Don't you know that? Louliermilk. I don'.t know. How do the words go? Reese. "You git a line, I'll git a pole, We'll go down to the orawdad hole." ,~ Eh, Lardy. Loudermilk: Yeah, you can tell the differenoe it it. Tolan. Yeah, you oan. The tone is clearer. Reese. I usually do my piekin' in the morn in '. We git up early an' begin t'eat breakfast ~~ore day, an' I piek a little 'fcre I go to. feea , an~, that's it. Lupton: That'll keep you in praetioe, though--if you do it everyday. Reese. Yeah, you got to. keep-your hands gets out of praotioe ya know, an' I notieed that Jimmy Jenkins said that you had to have the educated hands to. make music, an' ya had to have edueated feet to. danoe, an' he's right. You ain't got educated feet, you jus' won't danee. Loudermilk: Now, oan you danoe? Reese. No,not now. ,Loudermilk: Have you ever buck danoed? Reese: Yeah, I've done all kinds, but i1;'s been a ,long time ~go. I'm 70 year old. ----_. ------- -------- --- sorta. Tolan: Sounds a little bit like that. Loudermilk. That's R. L.'Reeves. He lives out in Ch~blee. 7 my brother'ud have to me.ke the IIlUsio 'til we got ~~~ 'um alil wound up. You know, an' then I'd make somebody else piok party, an' me an' Lupton, Un-huh. Reese t I don't know it by that name. Tolan. Do you know "Pale Wildwood Flower"'? Reese. I don't bel ieve I can piok that. Lupton. How 'bout '"Rocky Road" Reeser ~Rocky Road~ in it can git through, then they'll soon ketoh on to it, an' I happened to be one uv them looks like. I oan pick "Ole Time Religion"' in my place, an' I'd help play. You know it never has been up in a-we tidied um singins-stead of soot (1) danoe. We'd end in a danoing. Lupton. Who's that! these mounte.ins that ever body oould go through a set, e. 16 he.nd Reese: I don't take the interist in it I used to. I used to when we 'j have set, they jus' couldn't git through it. But if you've got 2 or 3 Reese. That's an' old one too, shore 'nuft ddn't it? ~ Loudermilk. What was that1 Lupton: That's good. I like that. Reese I "This World's Notlly Home." Tolan: Oh, would you play that? ~ Reese. No, I don't. 'Loudermilk. I know this fella, he's about 73 or 4 and he's still buok 8 Lupton: I WIlS trying to figure out how it sounded. I, oan't remember it now either. Reese J' Y ou kn"" they's lots of 'em I find. by ~isnin' to television. they call 'U1Dl one thing an' I called 'em sompin' else 40 years II:go. with a banjer muoh wouldn~t\think the weather'd change the sound. Tolan: The names change. An' I ketch on to it finally. but That thang's still damp as it can , "~fkPv " to start off with. you're lost. .~ be. Anybody that ain't fooIDed ~ J j7"......n" but it will. It will a fiddle an' I guess it would a guital". Tol an: Uh-huh. Reese: An' when it's ~lear weather. good an' dry. that's when they ,sound the best. Tim laid his'n on the bed an' want off ta the ar~J sun shinin , in through a winda shined on it, an' split the head wide open. $450 banja. If I was a horsefly. An' you was an' 01 e gray mar"l You'd ,stand an' let m.. hit.. you, An' wouldn't mov" a hair. Lupton:, Oh. that's out... Tolan:' Is that "Old Gray Mare"1 Is that the nam.. of that1 Re"se, Un-huh. y ....h. you know I don't know what it do..s fer a f ..ller. but' pickin , a banjer or some folks sing. s..ems ta do th.. same thing. Hit. un. 'releases, th.. tension. I reokcn you'd oall it that. Loudermilk: Relaxes you1 Rees.. : T,olan: Yeah. relax..s. I, always feel better 'aft.. r I. you kn"". do ',sometllmn ' like that. Yeah, you oan eat too muoh and sit down ..nd piok: a banjer a while. an' it's better'n any m..dioine you ever had in your life. Tolan: That's right. r 9 Reese: Lesee. I used to could pick "Nine Pound Hammer," but I don't know if I could now or not. Loudermilk: You len"" how the words go to that? "Nine Pound Hammer"? Reese: Go take this hammer an' give it to thabossman, Oh, tell him that I'm gone, Lord tell him that I'm gone. This nine pound hammer's too heavy for my size, J.;..;r,,:.,J,~ o-..:t' This nine pound hamlJJ!lr' s too heavy for my size. ~ LT _. ,..,~ J I ha""n't tried that in years. Now you try it. You never learn without trying. You could watch me till yore ~O year old. Tolan: Is this the right way to hold it? Reese: Don't let it scoot dawn. It's uh, you've got nothin' to hold with that sliok fryin' pan on the bottom. Run yore ana right through hera. Tolan: Right here? Reese: No, right through there. Right this way. Tolan: Oh, this way. O.K. Reese: Now then. Tolan: It might falloff anyway. Reese: I see what's the matter. Yore too little forihe strang. Loudermilk: She's not quite as big as you ere. Reese: Haw, she lacks 10 or 1"5 pounds. Tolan: What do I do? Reese: Jus' go to whackin , away doin' somepW lVhat you do it wrong, you won't be the first'un ever did. Tolan: Well, do you play chorda on it? ReeS8, Oh, yeah. Biggest part of it's with 'em. Tolan: Show me how to m!I ke a chord Reese: Now that' a 8umpin' you oain't do. Tolan: Oh. Reese: You know I had th..t ole banjer ..bout a year an' a half 'fore I oould even st..rt a tune to save my life. One night I so.t down an' build me a far'. I set down an' said I'm gonna learn sumpun or I'm gonna throw it a....y one. An' I,jus' oould start one little tune at 2.00 next mornin'. Lupton. Good night. Reese, But it takes that kind of ,grit that'll do it. But e~r you git where you kin start one tune you're done g,one, I'm tellin' ya you kin go from there then all right. First you got to. git som.pun in yore mind up here., Tolan: I don't know any songs though. Reese: An' then you've got to make this say it. I'se about seventeen when I began to piok a tune or two. An' my brother bought .. fiddle, an' ole fiddle. An' I mean got it fer $5. As good a one as I ever heered in my 1 ife. ,11;" ...asoa hunderd year old. An' he had it when he died as fur as I know. I reokon his Howard's got it yet's fur as I know. An' he had, he bought him .. banjo. too. An Howard sorter sawed around a little or so, but he oouldn't never piok it like his ,daddy. Tolan: ,I'd never learn how to play this. Reeser An' when you learn to piok with a fiddle it's, uh, it's a littler differnt 'oause you have to oome in there with that fiddle all the time;hhere, you see. Tolan: Yeah. Reese: I ooulda le..rnt to play the fiddle easier'un that if I'da got a fiddle t. start with. Lupton: That seems like the hardest thing in the world to play. Reese. I'll is.' 10 " Tolan.' Becaus. your fingers go so fastt R..... Well, that'll jus' take care of itselflwhen you git in the habit u:f the strings. Tolan. I'll let you play it. LoudermilkI I fe11 the same way. Tolan. Wish I had one of 'em. Reese. Well, I've picked as muoh an' more as I've hardly ever picked at at one time. aus' pick enough to sorter relax me, an' be enough sometimes for 3 or 4 days, and again I pick a litre ever day. When Itcain't git out, it's bad weather or sumpin, 'I pick it more. Tolan. This is a good day for it. Reewe I How 'b3l>ut you a-dane in '1 (to wife) Tolan. Can you dsnoe1 WUS' No. Loudermilk. Can she danoe1 Ree.e. No. Naw, she oain~t danoe, nor make no musio either. Loudermilk I I bet she oan make some good bisouits though. Reese I I eat lots of 'em anyhow. Wife I He looks pretty well fed doslln't hs1 ~ Reese. That was "Sweet Little Birdie." Tolan. What kin!! of musio did you use to play when you played with your brother1 Did you play at dances1 Reesel I played the banja, he used to ~ the fiddle. Tolan. Did you play at danoes though and things like that1 Reese. Yeah, an' we could git 'um to play an' danoe when nobody else oou~an't. Lupton. I bet so. Reese. But then there's so nany that didn't know how to git through a set you know. n f.olan: What's a set1 Reese: Square dance--uses 8 boys an' 8 girls and they swang in a room an' if you a in't got 2' or :3 that knows how to git through thers why they'll jus' ball up and just stand there. I never had been to there an' I was just about 16 year old. An' me an' a neighbor boy left an' we~uz standing up at ths ~ar watchin' and they's a'girl, oh. she was 35 or 40 year old, May Davis. shs just grabbed me by the arm an' saystold her partner to git out of there--an' led me in then an' I says, "I cain't do this." She says, "You can,'. I can jus' ue it in you.". She just tuck me on through there just pushing me through.and swangin'. an I I'll be durned. before we played that set. I caught on. Loudermilk: They have any arouni! here now? Reeset . I don't thin; so. I don't think there's anyone around this country oould git through a set to save their life. Lupton: Where were you. out west? Resser I went to Larnard. Kansas. Tolan r. Do you know any songs .from out there? Did they playa lot and sing? Reese: No, I didn't see any out there. I don't know why. They's a few girls could playa piano just a little, but not muoh. That looks ;~ easy don't it? Tolan: Oh. yeah. It looks ea.y. Reese. I've seen folks set and watch me. They tliink they oan jus' do tlD.t too, me a-doin' it slow. but th~y oouldn't do it to save their lives. Tolan: I'll tell you. You oan just .it there and hold it ahd you Dan see how hard it is Lo"-udermilka Have you ever heard of stioking nails in your msat to make it tsnder? 12 Reese, Well, thoy git hot an' that'll oook ,it. Loudermilk I She stioks, she puts nails what it is, in a beef roa.t or something. Tolan: I g~ Loudermilk I Big long nails. Reeser Yeah. Loudermilka And it make. it .tender she says. And she told me if the ~er I . . oookli out of your beans fast, it' s a sign it's gonna rain. Re.esel Well, there's a lot of them .old signs just a heap truer'an what they tell you on television. T.olanl I tell you that's true. You know I looked out the other night and the moon had a ring aroun~ it. Wooley. Last night. I Tolan I No, the night baf'ore last it did, and that means two days. It was a little teeny ring. That m.ans two days later it'll rain, and last night th.re was a big old rintiaTound it, and it's rainin' today. " 13 Just things like that. Reesel Now, I a~ays heerd it thisaway, ~ If there'. a oirole arO\lJ1(1.!tlJl moon, and there's a s~ar,l 2 or 3 ~tars in.ide the cirole, it'll be that many days before there'd be fallin' weather. If' thoore wadn't no stars, it'd be n.xt day. ~ Tolan I There was a star in it last night. What does that meant Reese. One? Tolan I One. Ree.e. Well, it'd be n..xt day then, ....? Tolan. What happ.ns? You lllean like that would moan today it would be raining? Ree.e. That'd be the next day wouldn't it? On. star means tomorrow, an' ~-~-~ 2 st..rs me ..ns the next d..y ..n' on down. ,An' you h..rdly ever 8eeoh, I don't th:llDk I've seed over 2' or 3. Tolo. There ""8 just one in the re l ..st night. Reese. I'se tryin' to pick 8omethin' slaw so you could ketoh ~t. Tol..n. Wh..t " ..s that? Wooley. You've gott.. piok it slower'n that for us to o..tch it. Loudermilk. I don't think you ou piok th&1: sl"". Tolan. I might learn the top part, but I'd~nev.r learn the bottom part. Reese. Well, there's no use to know the strangs if you ..in't pioked it. The one's you hit are the one's you've got to hit up here. The ohords, you see. Resse. Pu.ty :I,1ttle girl in orinolin gown. Loudermilk. That looks 110 easy Reese. Well, it is e..sy if you git yore huds tro.1ned. You -.1""ys h..ve to to work "ith 'um of cour you h&ve to pat chure foot to keep time. I never s.ed nobody oould make music without po.ttin' thur foot, oould 'you? Loudermilk. N..". Reess. Now a ."eet littl~ birdie. Just "8 sweet ..s they c.n be. Gonn. build my nest upon ..~weeping "ill. tree, Where the b~d boys o..in't bother me. LOlidermilk. Wh..t's the no.me of th..t one? Reese. Well, th..t' ...11 I know. I don't know wh..t you 0&11 it. "Sweet Little Birdie." Th..t's "h.t'is,or what it used to be o&1hd. Reese. Eh L..rdy. You 1'I~n .. try it SOIlU> more? Tolo.n. No Reese. Do y~ Lupton. No th.n~ you. 14 Reese. Airy one of you boys? Wooley. No thank you. aeeso: That sounds right smart.bsttor'n before I warmed it. linda d.ad. It didn't sound right a'tall. I don't know why I oain't think of no-tunes a'tall tonight. Tolan. Can you thinlc of any? Any o.ld songs. Rees,e. "ClUl you play musio," sho said'! Wife: She lay oan 1 think of any longs'! Naw, I oain't. Reese. I heerd the LeFleveu sing OIle day an' I was able to learn to piok in the mornin ' I oa in I t even think of the song now. Loudllrmilk. Now, seems 1 ike I heard somewhere there 's Som" way you oan tell - if it's gonna snow or sumpin'. Reese: Well, lUl' old sayin' was when the far'. burnin' and a-gain' like you're walkin' in the snow-you've hoors it do that ain't ya-it'. aorta Wooley. A orushing sound? Loudermilk. Kind of popping? Reose. Poppin' l1ke it dOllS when you walk in tho snow. flhen a far dOllS that you 'know it's gonna snow. -Somewheres, not so here, but they'll be some somewhere. -\'/hen I oarried the mail from out here at Cross Roads to Amioaloly , 2 miles outside of Amioaloly Falls, way baok yonder in buggy an' a mulll, an' ole Miu Fauoett, Susie Fauoett, said;'" Sun s.t behind the oloud on Sunday night, it'd rain botwelln thlln and Wadtie~d.y night, and if it set behinp a oloud on WednosdAy night, it'd rain 'twixt then and Sunday night. Well, I'so oarryin' the na il, an out-in it liko a hog ever day, tuia' every bit of it, I got to watohin' and hit proved out. 15 r Tolant It doe Re... t A heap b.tter'n thi. weath.rman. ,Loud"rmUiu They dmn't lenQW what thty're talkin' about. R"ot I' down't tha .tor. th'other dayan' I told .om. uv 'em th~t I thought purty well of Elinor Knight t til ah" got ta lyin 'me about the "e..ther. I hGpe she ain't no kin to nono of ,ya'll, an', tickled '.m ta death. Clyde said, "Ha. she gotta lyin' you about the w.ath.r1" I saya, "Y.ahGm.tima h.'ll .ay it'll rain and it won't for 3 or 4 day Ray Moore, h"'d kid h.r about the w.ather. Sh.'d sa~ it wouldn't rain an' maybe it waa rainin' then. An' this pGU~ oem. a big,rain one night in Atlanta~ an' h. kidd.d h.r the next night. YGU know and add .hhGuld t.ll the ".ather. Telant Do you farm or rai." oattl.1 Re t 'No, I rai.e a few cattle. but juat raia. hay. K.rmit outs it on the half and put. mnough ill. the barn and t ..kes the rut. LGud.rmillct NGW~iddtt th.re o.rtain thing. to tell YGU wh.n's the bt time to plant ar not? R.... I Y.ah. I lile.ta' plant oorn on tho old of the moon. If you plant it Gn th" ne., of the moon. I'll bet yau'v. notio.d thi., You 'v. s.ed Oarn gr"" way ull high wh.re the .ar'd be up way up next t. the talhup1 (1) Laud.rmilkt Y.~. R.es That'. plant.d on the n ., of the maan,. And if it oome. Gut dGtm h.re 'bout where it aught ta, it'. planted on tho old. and it ""'n't git ea ;high in the first plane. and'th. ear'll o01l.e out tram tb middle up. An' I 1 ike it lot. b.tter plantod on the sId moon, otherwlllrda. when the maon '. a-ahrinkin '. Am' I try to kill my hogs ,a11.ay. l.arn.d it from my daddy and mother, .,h.n the mGon'. 16 ..-ehrinlein'. I love to tin it ..t the last qu..rter ..n,......ys ...nd it'll give up the gr....e wh.n you put it in the pan. an' l ..y fl ..t and fry. And if you 'vver s..~ it roll up in the pan wh.n it g.t_ hot. it W"s lei1led in the wrong moon, ..n' you o.. in't ooole it'll just bow up 'in the pan. And hit ..i. 't on the pan. Y0U bum 10m' of it, ..nd 10m' of it'. raw. Loudermille. y...h. I've oeoked me..t like th..t. R.es., You'~v. not io.d that? Loud.rmille, Yeah. I hav.. I didn't kn"" wh..t o..used it. Re.se,' We used to burn steve w00d in .. wood ItoV' to ooole with...n' we'd out dswn s..p popl..rs or pine and .plit it up ..n' haul it up in .. big pil. 10 w. wouldn't h..v. ta quit worle so e..rly in th...v.nin'. And if y0u'1l ,out dGWn your treel on the n.w of the moonow this 11 the new ef th.. moon. "hen the moon's in .. oirol th.. t stove wood'll dry ClUt just as bright and ... light...nd when you thr_ it off your'w..gen it'll just,r..ttl And "h.n yeu out it on the old moon, it'll turn blue, and you throw it off it's ju.t lile. you got lit out of a orIe. And it won't bl..t., it'll jUlt melt in the Iteve. But th.y's .. lot ef f.lles ...ys th.y ..in't nethin' t. the moen. But the Bibl. S",.8 th.re's sign. and we'll bow o.rt..,in thing. by these .ign T.l..n, That'. right. Re.s., Don't it? Tolan, Ye..h 17
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Professor John Burrison founded the Atlanta Folklore Archive Project in 1967 at Georgia State University. He trained undergraduates and graduate students enrolled in his folklore curriculum to conduct oral history interviews. Students interviewed men, women, and children of various demographics in Georgia and across the southeast on crafts, storytelling, music, religion, rural life, and traditions.
As archivists, we acknowledge our role as stewards of information, which places us inaposition to choose how individuals and organizations are represented and described in our archives. We are not neutral, andbias isreflected in our descriptions, whichmay not convey the racist or offensive aspects of collection materialsaccurately.Archivists make mistakes and might use poor judgment.We often re-use language used by the former owners and creators, which provides context but also includes bias and prejudices of the time it was created.Additionally,our work to use reparative languagewhereLibrary of Congress subject termsareinaccurate and obsolete isongoing. Kenan Research Center welcomes feedback and questions regarding our archival descriptions. If you encounter harmful, offensive, or insensitive terminology or description please let us know by emailingreference@atlantahistorycenter.com. Your comments are essential to our work to create inclusive and thoughtful description.