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Faith to Freedom Daily: Sarah Fitzpatrick

Posted on August 9th, 2010 by Chris McMahon

Sarah Fitzpatrick was interviewed in 1938 in Alabama at age ninety. She was enslaved as a house servant in Alabama by Thomas Campbell.  In her own words she states that: In dem times “Niggers” had’ta hav’va pass to go to church too.  White fo’ks axed you whut church ya’ wan’na go to an’ dey issue ya a pass, write on dere de name ob de church an’ de smane ob de pu’son an’ de time to git back home.   Co’se when “Niggers” went to church wid deir white fo’ks dey didn’t haf’ta have no pass.  Ya’see, us “Niggers” had our meetin’ in de white fo’ks Baptist Church in de town o’ Tuskegee.  Der’s a place up in de loft dere now dat dey built fer de “Nigger” slaves to ‘tend church wid de white fo’ks.  White preacher he preach to de white fo’ks an’ when he get thu’ wid dem he preach some to de “Niggers”.  Tell’em to mind deir Marster an’ b’have deyself an’ dey’ll go to Hebben when dey die.  “Niggers” commence’ta wanna go to church by de’selves, even ef dey had’ta meet in de white church.  So white fo’ks have deir service in de mornin’ an’ “Niggeres” have deirs in de evening,’ a’ter dey clean up, wash de dishes, an’ look a’ter ever’thing.  Den de white fo’ks come back at night an’ have deir Church Service.  “Nigger preachers in dem times wuz mighty-nigh free, an’ we didn’t have but er few uv’em.

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