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.
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