Verlene Cobb interview with Ethel Mae Henry and Clifford Lanier Cobb

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 begins with Ethel Mae Henry describing how to kill, clean, and butcher hogs. She also lists products and food made from swine carcasses, including cracklins, lard, lye soap, and liver pudding. At 7:03, Henry recalls curing and salting different cuts and preparing sausages with salt, hot pepper, and sage. Then at 11:37, Henry describes the difficulty of storing meat before refrigeration; to prevent spoilage from skipper flies, they would disjoint carcasses to clean the blood. At 14:12, she discusses other food preparation and preservation methods such as using a wood stove, using springhouses, and making buttermilk. At 19:57, she remembers animal products and crops grown including watermelon and tomatoes on her familys farm, and the necessity of canning and drying foods to preserve them. Next at 27:19, Henry recalls catching squirrels and rabbits to make rabbit stew, fried rabbit, and rabbit dumplings as well as her recipe for poke salad, which she claims is a blood-purifier. At 32:44, she discusses additional foods she prepared, including muscadine jelly, sauerkraut, cucumber pickles, sweet potato custard, and soup mix. The conversation becomes intelligible at 41:06, but based on the transcript and partial audio, Henry remembers the importance of singing to her family, fiddlers, and square dancing until the end of the audio. Ethel Mae Henry (1902-1991) was born in Whitfield, Georgia, to Elvira Price Brown (1885-1958) and Samuel Houston Henty (1882-1937). Her family moved to Decatur, Georgia, in 1911. She attended Wesley Chapel Elementary School through sixth grade, after which she worked on her familys farm. In approximately 1921, Henry married John Mercer McWilliams (1900-1946), and they had two children, Pauline Artie McWilliams (1922-2008) and Ruby Irene McWilliams Mize (1924-2023). Pauline McWilliams married Charles Wesley Cobb (1916-1969) and had a son, Clifford Lanier Cobb (1942- ). Clifford Cobb married Verlene Pruitt (1946- ) and lived in Lithonia, Georgia, before moving to Gadsden, Alabama. I A DIALOGUE WITH SAMUEL W. CRUSE by STEVE LECKAR for Dr. Burrison Georgia State College December 1, 1967 Social commentators and theologians alike have bewailed the mid-twentieth century as a time of moral decay and the "death of God," at least in the form of religion. If thii:s be true in urban areas, a flat contradletion exists among the people of the countryside. Certainly they are no longer the rustic, peaceful folk idyllically 'fOrking in isolation. They are a,rare of the progress of technology, science, and society; and since the end of the last world war, their lives have been irrevocably changed. Yet in one thing they are still united--their religion. In the State of Georgia the country people have resisted change; they cling stubbornly to the early Baptist and Methodist religions. Essentially they still view Catholicism with suspicion, see people outside their church as sinners, adhere to fundamentalism, categorically accept Christ's diVinity, and see God as an omniscient power who desires that all people follOw a life of virtue; albeit such items as dancing, smoking, and movies are not shunned as before. Certainly liquor has never presented any problems. The author is fortunate to have e.s a friend lr. SWiluel Cru 6 of ou lz.sVllle, Georgia, ~;r. Crn~e presents a variegated character-- he is Scotch by ancestr , rural by birth end childhood, and thoroughly familiar rdth Atlanta by fiint. o~:~s. father's occupation and his home's proximity to the city. The ,~iter has visited }lr. Cruse's family in Winston ~orffiship and has been shorffi firsthand glimpses of life-down-on-the-far . lL is grandparents, living on an entirely self-sufficient farm, are leaders in the .ethodist Church in that area; and Sam has a position of youth director at a church outside of Commerce, Georgia. He is a humorous combination of ole-timey religion flavored y~th just a pinon of modern iconoclasm. he area 0 Winston TOI'ffiship: -Douglasville is a dairy-based economy, with milk, eggs, etc. being shipped to Atlanta daily. It is also fertile for corn and truck-gardening. The people are not hostile to the tourists--they are off the Birmingham Highway. Yet the area still showS traces of an earlier era when it waS just another whistle-stop, the railroad still runs regularly in the count~yside. The Methodist. and Baptist. Churches are small but well cared for. T' e life of the community in no small way revolves around the the church, lnth its Sunday services, fellowship clubs, dinners, get-togethers, and feasts. I travelled Blacktop Road on a Sunday night after visitin ~. Cruse's relatives; and when passing the portion of the road where the Baptist and ethodist Churches face each other, one has been treated to a "symphony of religious fervor." The 1ethodists in the rural areas like to use a type of music called 'shaped-note singing," which is merely regular music Iiith the notes shaped for easy recognition and added accent. The following is a conversation with Sam Cruse regarding shaped-note singing. ~l---_-------------' L: S. Cruse: Well, my name is Samuel Cruse, and I live in Atlanta, GeorGia, now, but I used to live in ~ Villa Rica, Georgia, and 1 ' m from Villa Rica I q \f'" originally. Are your kinfolk from there? C: Yes, my mother was born in Villa Rica, my father was born in \Vhitesburg, Georgia. L: C: Mr. Cruse, \'/hat what, uh, did your father do, does he do ,d~en you lived in Villa Rica, Georgia, ,d~at was thoir occupation, I mean, has the family always been merchants, farmers, or could you tell us? Well, my father did welding jobs on tractors and my mother worked in the school cafeteria. L: C: Um, at present, where do you reside, Mr. Cruse? I live in Douglasvill~, but I came to Atlanta every day. L: Um, are you familiar with the type music kno,rn as shaped-note music? C: L: Yes, we use that at our church, Powell's Chapel Methodist Church, located at Villa Rica, Georgia, just a few miles out of the city limits we use that type of music al~ vtime. tk Could you briefly tell us what kind of music that is, Mr. Cruse? C: Well it's the type of music commonly referred to as "old hynms",. IUused in the church, well it's been used~ver Slnce I can remember, and it's been used in a lot of churches_ in the community in, uh, rural areas like my O\7n. ~~~~~ Well, the only diffcrence~is in the shape of notes and usually it's just meant for a little more accent than the round notes. Could you tell us, uh, what exactly shapednote music is, I mean, uh, just what, what is it composed of? L: C: L: Mr. Cruse, would you or could you be so kind as to give us some exan~les of this music? 1 ~---- ---l C: Well, I have a song here, "Ortonville" it's called. It's in one of the song books ~ On published by Hens'on Music Company, Atlanta, Georgia. Here's how it goes: Body of Song See Index # 1 L: Thank you. L~. Cruse, can you tell us something about the oriGin of this song? C: Well, "Ortonville" is a pretty old song. It's been used for well over a century now in the church. It comes down from the original hymnal that John Wesley brought over here in America and it was from his ideas in England. L: 1~. Cruse, do you have, uh, another selection we could use? C: Well, I've got one that's about the same. It's, uh, ,"Ia use it, too. It's called "Hold to God's Unchanging Hand". Do you want me to sing it? L: Um, }~. Cruse, could you tell us where it, uh, could you give us some more background, information on the song? I mean, like possibly who vITote it, how old it is, how it has come down to us? C: Yes, F. L. Ellen VIas the one Ylho Ylrote it and arranged it. He worked for the Methodist Church. Well, I guass it was at the end of the last century and, uh, back here in. that time, wall, th~y, tlh, had circuit riders and their purpose was to brang the good neVIs to the churches that weren't able to have any ministers, and so they wont across country with their Bible in hand and preached to the people that couldn't afford a regulro' preacher, and then this is still used in the Methodist Church in the form of circuits \"Ihere one preacher covers three churches and that's how Powell's Chapel is. There's one minister, and he preaches to three churches, and he alternates Sundays because these churches in the outer areas can't afford a regular minister, and that's how this thing has been handed dovrn, and I imagine it will be used till the end of the church because these areaS never will become, \"Ie11, . so dense with people that they'll be able to afford a regular minister like the chu~ches in the cities. L: Where in the service do you use, uh, such songs as "Ortonville", and this one, l,ir. Cruse? C: '[{ell, usually \'Ie start the service off with songs and we have about three or four and thon the minister gets up and says a prayer, and then we have another song. The music, the choir director has a solo, if he sings one, and if he doesn't, it's a congregational song with the people standing, and then the minister takes an offering, and he goes into his sermon; after that he rna ces tho announcements. z. L: Could you sing this one right here for u~ i,ir. Cruse? C: This is a very odd medley. It's, uh, got an odd beat to it, but I'll try. L: Thank you. Body of Song See Index if2 C: It's got three more verses, but I'll just sing that one for you. L: h~. Cruse, uh, where is this song found? Is it generally known or do you only find it in one or two books? C: You usually find this song in all of the boolcs. It IS a good song to close the service with. I forgot to tell you a \'Ihile ago, we usually close the service with a song, the Invitational Hymn, and the minister gives an altar call, and, uh, it's used this way, and it's found in most books. This book is Bells of Salvati on this is from the Henson Music COmpanY;- too, and lt I S number fifty-five in the book. I think thery'r e about one hundred thirty to one hundred fourty soUbs, and, 1.1...1-1, well, I don't Imoi"1 many of these songs. Some are so old I've never heard them before, but these thinss like "Gathered Home", that type thing, "Precious I,emories", 'Iell, i"le use them all the ti e. These songs are used a lot, and ~e still use them, but every once in a while I even come across one that I haven't heard before, and they've been using these songs pretty regular, like "Jesus's Only ...ay"and "A Prayer From Mother". L: \'lould you sing "Jesus's Only ay", C: ell I don't lenNI that one, that I s my try to find one I, I can sing for y~. It's , um, I know everybody kno"ws th.ls it's a real grcat song. It's Amazlng in our book, Bells of Salvation. Cruse? problem. I'll Um, here's one. song. This is, Grace" It's ~'---------- L: Do you knou anythin about the origin of that, 1w. Cruse? C: Sure, uh, it was v~itten by JolLn Newton, and John Newton worked with Wesley way back there, and I don't know how long ago that vas, but Illl try to sing some of this song for you. L: r Cruse, Uln, didn't the Wesley brothers come to America about a century or two aGo? C: Well, I donlt know how much you know about the Methodist Church, but they came bac{ early, it was back at the end, well it was about two centuries ago. No, no, no, I won't say that, it was less than two centuries ago, it was about a century and a half. ~ell, do you want me to sing this song? L: Yes, but may I ask you a question? Ub, j,w. Cruse, did a lot of these songs come into vogue into being at the time of the great revivals at the beginning of the ninteenth century? C: Well, I donlt know what you mean in vogue of in being, but, uh, it I S well, do you, do you mean vlhen did they start being used? L; Yes, ahah. C: Well, vie started using them, I mean, I Vlon l t say "we" but my great grandfather was using them, and it was mostly by word of mouth, uh, my great grandfather was Scotch and he came over, and uh, he, he was living in Villa Rica, Georgia. His name was Lan ston, 1~. James Langston, and, uh, he came over and he settled and was a farmer, and that, uh, well, he owned part of that land which is now my grandfather's, and he lives below Villa Rica, outside Villa Rica in the Flatrock Community, and uh, well, uh, do you want me to sing this song for YQ~? L: Yes, please. Body of Song See Index il3 C: Uh, that's one verse of the song. Itls got four of them. Well, I III go ahead and sing the second one. Second Verse See Index #3 ____________________1 4. C: Main thing about these songs is that they all carry the same ideas in them, and it's mainly the Grace of God and ho~ great, I mean ho~ nice He is and everything that's great about him, and, ub, most of the songs are aimed at converting those that are lost, and, uh, I guess this is the main thing of all these son3s really and all the hymns. L: In other words, ttt. Cruse, these songs which basically have a theme of converting the, shall we say, the non, the non-be leivel'S to the Methodist vay ~ould in all probability have come in, then) in the times of the great revivals in the hope of making or establishing a larger church. Am I not correct? C: ~ell, yes, it's not really a larger church, it's just in a community. There are those that are lost, I mean they never come to church; it's main thing, if you get 'em to church, get their foot in the door, then you can talk to them, and, ub, the main idea of these, ub, songs YIaS and is to convert these people that well, they may beleive in God or the ideas of the church, but they, ub, they don't attend church regularly and this type thing; but the main purpose is just for those that are lost to bring them in and for those who are Christians and backsliding, ITell, ub, Methodists don't use that term; the Baptists use it more than ve do-- but it's mainly to bring those that backslide closer to the church. L: Will you find these songs used in Methodist Churches allover or will they generally be confined to one certain area of a country, I.Ir. Cruse? C: L: Y I think yOU'll find this type song in any of the rural areas, It's different like in the Atlanta or city churches. It's, ub, there's such a difference that it's, ub, unbelievable. To try listening to the minister, you have to update yourself about a hundred or so years in the ideas of the church because you'll find that most of the rural churches have the Puritan idea. The really stern church people, the church first above everything, but it seems so different, not like in the city, because, ub, in the city seems like you go to church just to see ~hat your neighbor has on, to see how they're dressed, and really I don't see any purpose in it. The rural churches are more Christian in that area. Tnen, !~. Cruse, you feel that the ultimate truth in Christianity. that it's found among the people themselves, and people like me, or even you, a~suming you'd lived ~l.- -=---- in the city and you'd never been exposed to this type livin3 are actually just lost and w~1dering? 1 1 mean, do you feel then that, uh, the basic elements of Christianity are only going to be found in the rUl'al churches? C: 7ell, I think that if the rural churches die you never going to have, oU're never goin& to have the church that TIas the main idea of John ~esley. It vas his plan, and his ideas to, uh, have thc church stern, it went back to the Puritan ideas that vere when Wesley lived; but in the city churches it loses it's meaning and all the ideas that ~esley, Wosley dreamed of in his starting of tho ohurch. Is there anything else I can do for you? L: Yes, Mr. Cruse. Do you have another song you could possibly siUG for us if I wouldn't be imposing on you? C: Well, I don't, I don't like to sing I can't sing very well. L: Well, lUI'. Cruse, you've been, you lcnow, doing a pretty good job. Would you consent, really, to doing about t\/o more please? C: Well, if you w~~t me to, I will. Uh, I'll try, try another one. This is out of, TIe have three books, tp~ee song books in our church, mainly. This one is Uppor Room Hymns, and uh, it, well, uh, 'lIe have another song book, it's called Favorite Songs and ffymns, but I'll mng out of this Upper Room. It's "Guido ,Ie Over 0 Great Jehovah". It's by Thomas HastinGs. Body of Sone; See Index #1+ Here's another song that TIe usually close with, like on a night service TIhere TIe don't have an invitational hymn. It's called "Blessed Be The Tie". L: Do you have any idea of, uh, the age of this song, Aw. Cruse? C: Ho, I sure don't, lID; they don't have the dates of these songs. Usually just tho ones I've heard of, I've heard 5, the most. to sing it I know this one los old too, but I'll try for you. Body of Song See Indox 115 L: Thank you, ,lr. Cruse. C: t sound so strange Well, I've got o~e here tha~ma~e~~ when I went over to you. I know lot's sung, ,v '- 's '"Ie11 it's to Peachtree Road ~ethodist Church. ;,t ~t' I~'; really a big church, I must say tx;.at "or ~'~e h~ard ~ really big churCx;.t BUlt t : s~~lt~~s Il~~~erful Words oefore, they sang). O ~ - f .. ....2:..~. Body of Song See Index #6 L: Thank you very much, Llr. Cruse. ],lay I ask you a question? These songs all seem to be dedicated solely to the religious aspect. Are there any songs that tell of the people of the life of the people, anything like in shaped-note religious people or are they concerned only with heavenly subjects? C: Well, not really. It's just mainly these songs just try to convert the people, those that are lost in sin and that's the main purpose of them, that's all they really carry ever. "~ Shall Be Shewers of Bless~". It's, uh, it's a shower of love. I'll show you hon t ..at goes. It's in the Same book as t e last one. It's number fourty-three. Body of Song See Index #7 L; C: Thank you very much, ].11'. Cruse.flDo you use that any? :tt's .,o.\\...'i -\"he..' 'o~tl Il.U(>ClE:O ~""""5". Yeah, well, you know it's mainly an Easter song. We sing it, well, you kno\"l, the year 'round. Mainly, I mean, \"Ie don't just sing it at Easter. It goes kinda like this. Well, it \"Ias I'll tell you something about it--it was Rev. GeorGe Bernard \"IaJ the one w~o ,~ote the song, and this song is fairly old. Goes lcinda lilte this. Oh, it's got, it's I'Iritten in flats. Got t\"lO flats. I took some peanner and, uh, I know TIell, I can tell you TIhat the song is v~itten in. It's six-eight time. I'm not sure TIhat the six and the eight are for, but I kno\'/ what four-four time is. Body of Song See Index #8 L: Thank you very much, Mr. Cruse. C: Thank you'. 7. . c- , ." -----0 . . I ~- , . --l " - u: -- , . I l\J DE: 'J: r 0 _SOI\lG:.S - f --- r- 4 ~ - t . - . .. . ~ 1-' .' ~ , .' , , , -, ~ , L ~ - - '." - - - ~.. . . - - - - - - -- . - N - - -- ------- - - - - --- -- - - , - ---- - -- - - - ---_. -,---- - . -- -- - - - - - - -- - - - - - - --- - - - l - - - - - @ 1"- . - . - -- - --- --- -- - - -- .,. - - .. -- -~ - - _. - - I - - -- - 'C' - IIY 3' ( . . ., j,1O t' ' .. ..;;..' l.,,:,,r~ "\ HOlT !Watt the name of J~-~na IlOunds In' bo-lie.-er'e eart It IoO?thes 'b!J' .':.j" , It motes tho wonndedlplNtwholo,Andealmltbetronbladbreasti'TlImanna -J ~ J.~ Dl Him mypray'nececptaneo gaiD;A1-tbo' with !to. de -med, Sa tau c.c-' .1.":. _;p.~... '.~.', ..f.~,,:):\.. J'. f1W\ _ :~;;.. 11 1. ( ( rfI ------l-~:ir tV G-'1Lz, ., I - -' I 'r- I ._\ t. ? 1- Amazini Grace _.Walke. -li-- :g-. =-.:~- -. -..- ~ - ... 1. A ... mn-Iog grace,bow sweet tho 8oond,Tbatla'fcd a metch Iiko mel 2, 'Twu grBC6tbU taogb'my bearUOrCllr,Andgrllco my lcaN te-liond; 3. Thra' many dan-ger9,toils and In:ne,. IllllVO 01 read y come; t. Wbeo W,'VD been tbere len-tbouliand yeari,Drightlbining as the 100; 1..,1. I I I I ~ -&1\-- - g- -..-.- .-- ':!l:- ~-.r:::. "'_ -== ~~ ~....~ .... 1 oncr- We! lost bot DOW I'm found,Was blind bot DOW ID'ow pre ... ciOU3 did tbd craco up-pear l'he hour 1 fitd: believod. La grace bas brought mo lafe tlJua far, And grace 1I'ill Icad mo bom ",'vo no lea days to owg God'Br,rlliso ThtlD when wo drn be-gua. ~kb~ .. -~--- - / UPPER ROOM HYMNS q. .> .~ 2 Guide Me, 0 Thou Great Jehovah \VIt.LIAV \V,LLTA1U TliOWAS llUTl:CCS .:~~ ~~m=btJ 1. Ouide me, 0 Thou great Je - ho - vab, Pit grim tbro' this bar - rCD 2. 0 - pen now the crjs - tal foun tain Whence the healjog wa - ters 3. When I tread the "ergo of Jor - daD, Bid my aDI - ious fears sob- Jo-~Jo- Jo- Jo- Jo- I :lI~==-St-' ~ cr.D_~=~ri .~~~.: F ~ R lj E E3 I ~~ ~ t> ~_~ ~-~~==fuF~2: u=:g land; I am weak, but ThoD art might-y, Hold me with Thy pow'r-fol flow; Let the fi - ery, cloud - y pH lar Lead me all my jour. Dey side; Bear me tbro' the swell.jog cur - rent, Land me safe on Ca-naan's ...... ...... ...A.. ..A... ....It... ..A. I --+.- ,-.-.. --*----- -----. . - "~==:;-'- - more, Shield. Thee. -'- Jo-, of heav en, De Jiv .' 'rer, of praia es Jo- Bread Strong Songs ~#:jl~F~'l~~j~)~=i~B~~:1~:"ll:i ~ ~~ f: f/i;j= ~_ 1': ~q a ilT hand; Bread of heav - en. Feed me till I want no morCi tbro'; Strong De liv - 'rer, De ThoD still my Strength and 'Shield; side: Soogs of prais - es I will ev er give to Thee; ~ ~~ ~'~. d~ ~ p~(F4-----s~~ j ap ,*a==m-==i-..-'~~.R~~J~F20 - ... Feed me till I want no Be Thon still my Strength and I will' cv er give to ~ c SOrli6 /I 5. _.:..----- - - 'L I I 'I, 1--- "1-- J ~. P. P. DLISS tl'~ ~ i . . -"- ~T' of Lifo. of Lifo. of Lifo. 1>--, ~~ f '! ~94f&j l' : lt me morc of their beau - ty see, Won-der - fut words Sin - ncr, list to tho lov .. ing call, Won-der - luI words Of - fer par - don and Jl"aco to all, Won-dor - fn! words s~--L .l' t=ot- ,-"-~ =t:= '=oJ':::=;;' i' 36 Wonderful Words of Life I P. P. B. t-- ~f+fJ it d l' ~j 4' ~ Z8E9 \\JZ~ ~ ~ ~ -"~C-"" I ~- ~ 1. Sin~ them 0 - vcr a - gain to me, Won-der - fn! words.f Life; 2. Chnst, the hless-ed Ono, gives to all, Won-der- fnI words of Life; 3. Swoet -ly oeh - 0 tho gos - Jl"! call, Won-der., fnI words of Life; 1---- _ ~==4=fJ-~ ! F: Words of lifo and bean .A11 SO freo - !y giv Jc BUS, on .. ly Sav I~ gg=@~E1 ty, Teach mo faith and du - ty: en, "TOO" iug os to heav - cn: iOl, Sane .. ti .. fy for - ev .. er: ~~Rm~UlN~:1\~~~~~~~~.~~~~j.l~Jll~t'p-~~l~EDI~i:O2i~1 I~ I ~~ --r~ ...:.-r Beau-Ii-In! words, won-der-fn! words, Won-der - ful words of Life. Lifo. ~.fI~--'--~.L5-'--~~~"- ~-IL~-'--~'kWJw~~ I c J. There Shall Be Showers of Blessing ~. JAVES McGu:unA~ 1. "Thcrosball be sbow-erB of bless-ing:"This Is tb. prom-Iso of love; 2. "Tberesball be sbow-erB of blcss-ing"-Pre-ciousr. - viv-ing a - gainj 3. "Therosball be sbow-erB of bl.69-ing:"Sendtbemnp-on 09, 0 Lonl; 4. "Ther.shall be show-erB of blC69-ing:"Oh, tbat to-daytbeymigbtfall, "'1.. .. .: Thereshallbo 6ea-SODS re-flesh-ingt Sent from thr Sav-ior a - bove. o - vcr tb. bills and tbe val -Ieys, Sennd of a - bnn-dance of rain. Grantto 09 now a ,,-fresb-ing, Come, and now bon - or Tby Won!. Now as to God we'r con-fess-ing, Now as on J. - S09 w. calli -~. CoOSDS Show erB of bless - ing, Show- 61'S of bless- ing we Deed: Show - erst sho" era of blcsa mg, Il !ler-cy-drcpsronnd09 are L I I I 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.