The person I chose to write about was Mattie Aldridge of Hazen, Arkansas. She was interviewed by Miss Irene Robertson of the Federal Writers Project of Works Progress Administration for the State of Arkansas. It was found in Professor Karl’s link to the Library of Congress’ website and can be found in Volume II, Arkansas Narratives, Part I. Mattie Aldridge is listed as being 60 with a question mark. Her true age may not be known out of incomplete records. She was born in Tennessee but now resides in Hazen, Arkansas. Her account of slavery begins with her speaking about her families roots. Her mother was also born in Tennessee while her father was born in Mississippi. She proudly states that “that there aint nary drap of white blood in none of us” referring to her and her four brothers. Mattie also recollects her grandmother being a story teller and telling them …show more content…
Again, it was a point of pride for her that she had no white relations. This could be applied on a wider scale to slave society as a whole. She also talks about bad luck signs and death omens and admits that white people do not believe in them. Can we assume that slaves were more spiritual or into the occult than their white counterparts? In Ms. Aldridge’s mind at least they were. Ms. Aldridge’s memory seems to be hit or miss. Which is a shame because firsthand accounts are typically good sources for historical events. However, she herself admits that she cannot remember her grandmother’s stories. Add that to the fact that we do not know her exact age is another question that causes concern for her recall ability. On another note, perhaps there is some tension between interviewer and interviewee caused by race. We may not be able to gather reliable facts or narratives due to Mattie leaving certain details out or even skewing some of the details. She clearly states that some things are not to be told to white