Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Portland observer. (Portland, Or.) 1970-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 15, 1982)
Portland Observer, December 15, 1982, Section II Page 11 Christmas in slavery M y term o f service with Edward Covey expired on Christmas Day, 1834. I gladiy-enough left him, a l though he was by this time as gentle as a lam b. M y home for the year ■ 835 was already secured, my next master selected. There was always more or less excitement about the changing hands, but determined to fight my way, I had become some what reckless and cared little into whose hands I fell. The report got abroad that I was hard to whip; that I was guilty o f kicking back, and that, though generally a good-na tured Negro, I sometimes “ got the devil in m e ." These sayings were rife in T alb o t County and distin guished me among my servile brethren. Slaves would sometimes fight with each other, and even die at each other's hands, but there were very few who were not held in awe by a white man Trained from the cradle up to think and feel that their masters were superiors, and in vested with a sort o f sacredness, there were few who could rise above the control which that sentiment ex ercised. I had freed myself from it, and the thing was known. One bad sheep will spoil a whole flock. I was a bad sheep. I hated slavery, slave holders. and all pertaining to them; and I did not fail to inspire others with the same feeling whereeser and whenever opportunity was present ed. This made me a marked lad among the slaves, and a suspected one among slaveholders. A know ledge also of my ability to read and write got pretty widely spread, which was very much against me. The days between Christmas Day and New Year's were allowed the slaves as holidays. D uring these days all regular work was sus pended, and there was nothing to do but keep fires and look after the stock. We regarded this time as our own by the grace o f our masters, and we therefore used it 01 abused it as we pleased. Those who had fam ilies at a distance were expected to visit them and spend with them the entire week. The younger slaves or the unmarried ones were expected to see to the animals and attend to inci dental duties at home. The holidays were variously spent. The sober, thinking, industrious ones would employ themselves in manufactur ing corn-brooms, mats, horse-col lars, and baskets, and some of these were very well made. Another class spent their time in hunting opos sums. coons, rabbits, and other game. But the m ajority spent the holidays in sports, ball-playing, wrestling, boxing, running, fo o t races, dancing, and drinking whis key; and this latter mode was gener ally most agreeable to their masters. A slave who would work during the holidays was thought by his master undeserving of holidays. There was in this simple act of continued work an accusation against slaves, and a slave could not help thinking that if he made three dollars during (he holidays he might make three hundred during the year. Not to be drunk during the holidays was dis graceful. The fiddling, dancing, and "ju b i lee beating" was carried on in all di rections. This latter performance was strictly southern. It supplied the place of violin or other musical in struments and was played so easily that almost every farm had its " J u b a " beater. The perform er improvised as he beat the instru ment, marking the words as he sang so as to have them fall pat with the movement o f his hands. Once in a while among a mass o f nonsense and wild fro lic , a sharp hit was given to the meanness of slavehold e rs - Take the following for example: We raise de wheal. Dev gib us de com: We bake de bread. Dey gib us de crust; We S(f de meal. Dey gib us de buss; We peal de meat. Dey gib us de skin; And dot's de way Dey lake us in. This is not a bad summary of the palpable injustice and fraud of sla very, giving, as it does, to the lazy and idle the comforts which God de signed should be given solely to the honest laborer. But to the holidays. Judging from my own observation and experience, I believe those holi days were among the most effective means in the hands of slaveholders of keeping down the spirit of insur rection among the slaves. Kwanza ■ In the beginning before the beginning of all Baba and Mama Muumba, the C reato r.. .lived in Weusi, Blackness, darkness with love and peace. One night he created a big, big, light and named it >un.(Jua) And the sun, Jua was hot, hot, hot, hot. So Muumba created wet, wet water and named it rain. (Mvua) and in Umoja (Unity) the sun shined and the rain rained on a "spinning ball" named Mother Earth. Land of trees, fruits and vegetables. Happy, happy were the sun and rain as they did Ujima (Collective Work and Responsibility) for Mother Earth. But poor, poor. Mother Earth was sad not glad. . . She had no one to share with—she was lonesome. So Muumba created Mtu (Man) and Mke (Woman) A Baba and Mama who shared together and had 100's of watoto (children) And good Mother Earth gave them her food to eat it all up___ Baba and Mama was so “ happy" they made a promise, "one hand to receive, one hand to give" So Baba and Mama and watoto gave the seeds back to Mother Earth. They planted the seeds in the land and more and more fruits and vegetables grew, again. "Come and help." It's Ujima time. Come and harvest the food. And everyone did. With joy and praises they are and had a feast___a very special feast An Afrikan Least. With each one bringing something special, too. Sun became a bright, bright, yellow light Rain became waterdrops and a beautiful rainbow. Mother Earth filled the land with fruits. Baba and Mama and Watoto worked, danced and Sang with Imani (Faith), and gave thanks (Asante) and Praises (Sifa) to Muumba, the Creator. And this was Kwanza, the First Fruits in an Afrikan Feast (Karamu). —Frederick Douglas We wish you a Happy Holiday Season. » I I ♦
