Faith to Freedom Daily: Sarah Fitzpatrick
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 âNiggersâ hadâta havâva pass to go to church too. White foâks axed you whut church yaâ wanâna go to anâ dey issue ya a pass, write on dere de name ob de church anâ de smane ob de puâson anâ de time to git back home.  Coâse when âNiggersâ went to church wid deir white foâks dey didnât hafâta have no pass. Yaâsee, us âNiggersâ had our meetinâ in de white foâks Baptist Church in de town oâ Tuskegee. Derâs a place up in de loft dere now dat dey built fer de âNiggerâ slaves to âtend church wid de white foâks. White preacher he preach to de white foâks anâ when he get thuâ wid dem he preach some to de âNiggersâ. Tellâem to mind deir Marster anâ bâhave deyself anâ deyâll go to Hebben when dey die. âNiggersâ commenceâta wanna go to church by deâselves, even ef dey hadâta meet in de white church. So white foâks have deir service in de morninâ anâ âNiggeresâ have deirs in de evening,â aâter dey clean up, wash de dishes, anâ look aâter everâthing. Den de white foâks come back at night anâ have deir Church Service. âNigger preachers in dem times wuz mighty-nigh free, anâ we didnât have but er few uvâem.
