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.
This interview begins with Benjamin Franklin Reid telling a humorous story about a preacher delivering a sermon. At 4:30, he narrates three hunting stories. Afterwards, at 9:20, he tells a few more humorous stories; one is about travelers catching a train, and another about his hunting dog getting mutilated and subsequently reconstructed incorrectly. And at 16:50, he explains how he predicted a large snowstorm based on the behavior of his cattle. Next at 22:00, Reid tells a story about a man attempting to catch a train, followed by one about a camping family reunion. Then at 33:00 tells a traveling story about wrangling a steer. Afterward he retells two racist stories, one about Black men becoming surprised when lowering a coffin, and one about a miscommunication pertaining to travel directions. At 43:06 he recalls death and funeral rites at; specifically, they did not have funeral homes. In a derogatory tone, he further explains that African Americans had separate funerary practices such as waiting to bury a body because they needed to raise adequate burial funds. Reid ends the recording with another hunting story at 41:00.
Frank Reid (1890-1973) was born to Joseph E. (1860-1940) and Mary (1860-1942) Reid in White County, Georgia. In 1916 he married Pearl Clark (1895-1980), and a year later he was drafted into the United States Armed Services. He and Pearl had two children, Lillie Bell Reid (1916-1996) and Albert Reid (1923-1979).
There is no transcript for this recording
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.