Deborah C. Hill interview with Amy Smith, Gene Mallery Jr., Bessie S. Moreland, and Carl Vincent Hill

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 recording contains a collection of twelve tales including scatological jokes, animal parables, personal recollections, and stories that the interviewees learned from their grandparents, presumably freed enslaved persons, about living under slavery. The audio starts with Amy Smith, who Deborah Hill calls granny, telling a couple of funny animal stories. The first is about Brer Rabbit, a trickster originally from African folklore who became popular in African American folklore, and Brer Bear. The second is about a parrot that tells on a cook. At about 5:17 minutes, Smith hesitates to tell a story about how the inhuman conditions of slavery forced enslaved African Americans to steal. Then at 5:49, Gene Mallery Jr. tells a story about a slaveholder, Old Master, deceiving an enslaved man named John. At 6:49, Smith tells a story about a snake that ate from a girls dinner plate. Then at 8:35, Mallery tells two racist, scatological jokes, one he calls White Man, Jew Man, Black Man, and the other,Old Master and Slave. Next at 11:24, Smith repeats the Homeric legend of the Cyclops. At 19:26, Deborah C. Hill, the interviewer, explains that slaveholders usually starved enslaved people or only gave them organs and animal remains to eat. Then she tells a story about a slaveholder who failed to identify a thief because he never found the meat that had been hidden under a large rock. At 21:17, Hill tells a short joke about an exchange between a Black man, who is a customer at Walgreens, and a white cashier. Then at 22:08, Bessie Moreland recounts a local legend from Pensacola, Florida, where she grew up, about theSoap Man who always carried a bag with him. She then claims that once she encountered the Soap Man, and when running away she got a gash on her leg. At the conclusion of the interview at 24:10, Carl Vincent Hill starts, but does not finish telling, a joke about a preacher man. Amy Smith was born and raised in Griffin, Georgia, one of 14 siblings. She received an Elementary school education and worked as a cook. She had at least one grandson, Gene Mallery Jr. (1947-2019), who lived in Atlanta, Georgia, and served in the military. Bessie S. Moreland was born in Pensacola, Florida, and lived in Atlanta, Georgia, for over 50 years. She had at least one granddaughter, Deborah C. Hill, the interviewer. Additional biographical information has not been determined. A PDF transcript exists for this recording. Please contact an archivist for access. 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.