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Black Heritage in the Upper Piedmont of South Carolina

WilliamsM Cassette 1 Side 2

Media

Part of Interview: Williams, Maxie

Title

WilliamsM Cassette 1 Side 2

Source

Maxie Williams Interview

Date

1989-11-27

Description

Cassette 1

Side 2

00:00--Church--in mid-sentence, Mrs. Williams is discussing the situation whereby the congregation would donate food and money to the minister in order to complement his salary. Though camp meetings were Methodist (Bethel Grove), all denominations were welcome. When her mother was a little girl, people literally did "camp out" near the site of the services. The meetings often lasted a week, and a general festival atmosphere surrounded the event. Different ministers from around the area were involved with carrying out services. Williams states that whites have always enjoyed hearing black preaching, and occasionally attending black-sponsored church revivals. Before the establishment of all black churches, blacks would attend white churches where they had to sit in balconies upstairs; an example of this occurrence is at the local white Shiloh Church. Some of her favorite songs are: Swing Low Sweet Chariot, This Little Light of Mine, Jacob's Ladder, etc. Williams states that the trials and tribulations of slaves inspired beautiful music and lyrics. She goes on to explain how slaves communicate in code through song.

14:00--Slavery--Williams explains how, according to her relatives that experienced it, much of the brutality and violence against slaves were carried out by the overseer, not the master. She goes on to recall the living conditions of field slaves versus those who were cooks and domestics for the master.

22:10--Sunday school conventions were periodically organized in order to raise funds for the benefit of local black education, especially the Seneca Institute.

31:24--Audio ends.

Rights

Interviews may only be reproduced with permission from Clemson University Libraries Special Collections and Archives. All rights to the interviews, including but not restricted to legal title, copyrights and literary property rights, have been transferred to the Clemson University Libraries Special Collections and Archives.