f us home. Yes
suh.

My first two teachers was two white men, and dem Klans shot in de
hotel what dey lived in, but dey had school for us niggers jest de
same. After dat, dose Klans got so bad Uncle Sam sent soljers down
dere to keep peace.

After de soljers come and run de Klans out we worked hard dat fall and
made good crops. 'Bout three years later I came to Indian Territory in
search of educating my kids.

I landed here 46 years ago on a farm not far from now Oklahoma City. I
got to be a prosperous farmer. My bale of cotton amongst 5,000 bales
won the blue ribbon at Guthrie, Oklahoma, and dat bale of cotton and
being a good democrat won for me a good job as a clerk on the
Agriculture Board at the State Capitol. All de white folks liked me
and still like me and called me "cotton king."

I have jest three chillun living. Walter is parcel post clerk here at
de post office downtown. Delia Jenkins, my daughter is a housewife and
Cleo Luckett, my other daughter, a common laborer.

Have been a christian 20 years. Jest got sorry for my wicked ways. I
am a member of the Church of God. My wife is a member of the Church of
Christ. I'm a good democrat and she is a good republican.

My fav'rite songs is: "Dark Was the Nite, and Cold the Ground" and
"Couldn't Hear Nobody Pray."

I'm glad slavery is over, but I don't think dem white folks was
fighting to free us niggers. God freed us. Of course, Abraham Lincoln
was a pretty fine man. Don't know much about Jeff Davis. Never seen
him. Yes, and Booker T. Washington. He was one of the Negro leaders.
The first Negro to represent the Negroes in Washington. He was a great
leader.

During slavery time never heerd of a cullud man committing 'sault on a
white woman. The white and cullud all went to church together too.
Niggers and white shouted alike.

I remember some of the little games we played now: "Fox in the wall",
"Mollie, Mollie Bride", and "Hide and go seek."

Oklahoma Writers' Project
Ex-Slaves
[Date stamp: AUG 19 1937]

STEPHEN McCRAY
Age 88 yrs.
Oklahoma City, Okla.

I was born in Huntsville County, Alabama, right where the Scottsboro
boys was in jail, in 1850.

My parents was Wash and Winnie McCray. They was the mother and father
of 22 chillun. Jest five lived to be grown and the rest died at baby
age. My father's mother and father was named Mandy and Peter McCray,
and my mother's mother and father was Ruthie and Charlie McCray. They
all had the sa