A Portion of Fault

A Sea Island Prayer After The Civil War

Walter Rhett

Walter Rhett

A Portion of Fault

Chapter Four, From No Flo er!ed of "ase

Walter Rhett, Griot South Carolina Narratives and Notes #efore and After Freedom

Charleston, South Carolina Civil War Stereo$raph %a!ove&' ()*+' The ,i!rary of Con$ress %,-C&' Prints and Photo$raphs online' .eor$e N' #arnard, Ruins %/over&' Charleston photo$raph' ()*+' ,-C' 0orothea ,an$e, Cotton Pat/h %/over&' ,-C' FSA12ississippi' 3une (456' "thiopian Annun/iation I/on %!a/7 /over8 2ary, St' .a!riel&' -ri$in un7no n' For Charlie, Adil, and 2r' #la/7'

Griot Press and Walter Rhett, 2014.

Walter Rhett

A Portion of Fault

Step On The Cross and Your Soul Be Lost Reli$ion as neither for/ed on the slave nor a//epted naively' In fa/t, the idespread a//eptan/e of Christ !y the enslaved is the !i$$est /onversion e9perien/e in the history of Christianity after the !irth and death of 3esus' #y ri$hts, the enslaved should have re:e/ted the $od of the hite forei$n des/endants of "urope ho /reated the reli$ious institutions surroundin$ them' The a!undant fa/t that enslaved Afri/ans re:e/ted the re:e/tion is out of syn/ ith many standard e9planations of history' The same type of fla ed e9planations and assumptions pla$ue the understandin$ of the WPA narratives' The fla s stem from a orld vie that never /on/edes that Afri/ans had /hoi/es, ere a are of /hoi/es, and e9er/ised them a//ordin$ to their understandin$ and e9perien/es' For Afri/ans, reli$ion as not only faith and orship, !ut a !elief that rested on results' It as a pra/ti/e that provided en/ounters ith .od, revelations that revealed the presen/e of .od, $ifts that shined li$ht on his $lory and o!served a/ts that ere daily eviden/e of his ay ma7in$;a faith en$a$ed ith the stren$th, si$ns, and mer/y of his help' #ehind history<s veil, enslaved Afri/ans summoned a steadfast sour/e of aid= they en/ountered a $od ho stepped out of the shado s, out of the property holders< faith to offer a !alm for their sufferin$s and sorro s' This !afflin$ /ontradi/tion !ound a foundation rene ed in the :oy of surrender;a mysti/ $round revealed8 a spirit re/eived;!y a sa/rifi/e to $od not the hip;!y people livin$ in faith' Their $od atta/7ed the /hains and aporia men put in pla/e' With a faith filled ith inner resour/es of spirit, Afri/ans !uilt an inner stren$th, liftin$ meanin$s from /haos8 methods from /lashes and travail'

Walter Rhett

A Portion of Fault

>ate as !anished' Repla/ed !y $ra/e not ealth;!y $ifts8 patien/e, pardon8 the vision and ill to trans/end sufferin$ un!ro7en' ,ife too7 on the assuran/e of hat 0r' >o ard Thurman /alled the aitin$ moment' .od as a part of the /ontent of life' #ut the enslaved also 7ne = "vry!ody tal7 <!out >eaven ain<t $ ine dere' >i$h to lo , slavery furnished de/eption8 /ele!rated its /leverness' Property holders and the enslaved miti$ated its truth ith stories, !ut not so these tales su!:u$ated a /ommon faith' The enslaved 7ne .od set limits' One day, massa heard old slave praying by the big oak tree. Praying for freedom. Wasn't asking no harm, him just wanted to know what freedom like before he die. Pleading with God for deliverance. assa was impressed with the prayer's earnestness and decided to play a mean trick on the praying elder. !he ne"t day, he climbed the tree, and when the elder was deep along in his prayer, he answered him. #$ord,% the elder say, #is that you&% #Who else'% massa say. #( gonna to set you free.% #$ord, how so&% #)ome tomorrow* there will be +,- at the root of the tree. )ollect it and save it for your freedom.% When the elder came the ne"t day, he found +,-. (n his prayer, he thanked God and reminded God he needed +.- more* massa would sell him for +/-. !he ne"t day, at the root of the tree, he found +,- more. 0y the fourth day, he had gathered up +.-. 1s the elder began praying, massa spoke to him again from the tree and told him he was going to test his faith. #2lder,% he said, #tomorrow, come and bring the whole +.-. Put it at the root of the tree. !he ne"t day when you return, you'll find +/-. !he elder stopped praying and looked up. 3e cocked his head and dropped his ga4e. #$ord, ( thanks you kindly for the +.-,% he said, #0ut ('ll get the other +,- on my own.%

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A Portion of Fault

Fol7tales /ompanions ere the spirituals' Sterlin$ A' #ro n, >o ard ?niversity le$end, s/holar, riter, poet, fol7lorist rote= !he spirituals make an anthology of 0iblical heroes and tales, from Genesis where 1dam and 2ve are in the Garden, picking up leaves, to 5ohn's call in the roll in 6evelations. !here are numerous gaps, of course, and many repetitions. )ertain figures are seen in an unusual light* Paul, for instance, is generally bound in jail with 7ilas, to the e"clusion of the rest of his busy career. 8avored heroes are 9oah, chosen of God to ride down the flood* 7amson, who tore those buildings down* 5oshua, who caused the walls of 5ericho to fall :when the rams' lambs' sheephorns began to blow;* 5onah, symbol of hard luck changed at last* and 5ob, the man of tribulation who still would not curse his God. !hese are victors over odds. Alon$ the South Carolina1.eor$ia /oast, prayer, a /hief a/t of faith, as offered in .ullah' >arvard and ?niversity of Chi/a$o edu/ated, >o ard ?niversity lin$uist 0r' ,oren@o 0o Turner first studied .ullah as a lan$ua$e' In (45A, on St' >elena Island, the heart of soft spo7en, island .ullah, 65 years after the Civil War, he re/orded Ann S/ott<s prayer' T o trans/ripts of his audio tape follo ' In (4B4, 0r' Turner pu!lished the first !oo7 on .ullah, ta!lin$ West and Central Afri/a ords and names repli/ated in Ameri/a' >is e9tensive e9amples des/ri!ed ho Afri/an synta9 %the $rammar, usa$e, and lo$i/& retained forms that /rossed the Atlanti/' 2any Afri/an lan$ua$es la/7 prepositions8 in .ullah, they may sho de$ree or possession' -ne usa$e adapts for to sho possession of a superlative de$ree of spiritual $ifts' A oman for pray prays ; ith her $ifts !y .odC Its usa$e preserved in re$ional diale/ts, .ullah as indire/t, indu/tive, ei$hed ith ellipti/al /hoi/es' In .ullah, ver!s didn<t sho time throu$h tense' "n$lish ords !e/ome ne parts of spee/h= nouns a/t as ver!s, ver!s !e/ome nouns8 e9pandin$ meanin$s, /reatin$ ne asso/iations= ,i$ht hands for thief' #irds lod$e rather than land' Sun and rain, !asi/ to life, lay !eyond earth<s rea/h8 a si$n to fly a ay one !ri$ht mornin$' -thers sa an a/t' Afri/ans o!served a natural order'

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A Portion of Fault

-ne su/h /har$ed ord in Ann S/ott<s prayer /han$ed my o n faith' Pro!in$ 0r' Turner<s stati/ and hiss1filled, muffled re/ordin$ /onveyed a snippet of prayer' In$rained in its aural /ue, a ne hallmar7 of meanin$ !rou$ht forth a personal epiphany' Immediately, a sudden insi$ht !urst into the reality of .od from a /ommonpla/e ord, said in .ullah, in prayer' It spo7e to time, pla/e, and /han/e' It flooded throu$h me to set an/hor in mer/y;and the perple9in$ 7no led$e that its !ounty of !urdens made my life !etter' #orn in "li@a!eth City, North Carolina, 0r' Turner<s resear/h led him to the far /orners of the Afri/an diaspora, to #rasil8 Rio and espe/ially Salvador, the /enter of the vast #rasilian enslaved trade' >e traveled to the re$ion at the heart of the trade, Afri/a<s Atlanti/ /oast, visitin$ Sierra ,eone, .hana, To$o, Ni$eria, #enin' From Afri/a, he !rou$ht !a/7 more than ),DDD prover!s, (,*DD fol7 tales, /ountless son$s, hours of re/ordin$s' >is pioneerin$ !oo7 on .ullah /ontained referen/es to more than 5D Ni$er1Con$o lan$ua$es8 yet his or7 met ith s7epti/ism' 0espite its importan/e, meti/ulous resear/h and do/umentation of field sour/es, he as never a!le to pu!lish a se/ond !oo7' The ori$ins of slavery !e$in in another orld, on a /ontinent of mystery, a/ross an o/ean hose passa$es are filled ith the !ones of the dead' 0r' Turner !uilt a ord1!rid$e a/ross those !ones' The dread of slavery is part of the roman/e ith Afri/a' The enslaved 7ne $ra/e /onne/ted the t o ithout denial or fantasy' They trusted .od and their o n instin/ts' 2ort$a$ed and sold, they transformed the Carolina lands/ape, hidin$ hat the /ommunity held in /ommon= a mysti/ portion of $ra/e, outside of history<s lo$i/' The spirit of .ullah al ays reEuires the e9tra step, the lon$ ay around8 its lin7s fly in all dire/tions to /over tra/7s and open ne doors' .ullah /han$es dire/tions8 it !rea7s /onvention and sets up a ne order' It moves in /ir/les and in layers' It hides meanin$' It !orro s and /ites' It dips into other histories' It sei@es up' It sets up tension and manipulates tradition' It opens its arms' In the end, it /ites plenty of e9amples for hat it implies' It !rin$s the messa$e home'

Walter Rhett

A Portion of Fault

,an$ua$e in enslaved /ommunities shared a treasury of memories, insi$hts and e9perien/es /rafted, /olle/ted, intensively tuned, individuali@ed and shared8 e9panded, /ast ide, passed on' The /reative stories, son$s, and prayers ere alive, an alternative reality that min$led ith the demands slavery put on livin$' And they ere filled ith instru/tions and demonstrations of ho to al7 the fine ed$e !et een the enslaved, in the form of the person and /ommunity, and slavery, the administered institution and its authority, a!uses, and personalities' .ullah as spo7en here ri/e as $ro n' It as the default lan$ua$e of the Allstons, one of the most po erful and influential South Carolina planter families from the /olonial era throu$h the early t entieth /entury' They ere /onne/ted !y marria$e to the Pin/7neys, hose e9tended family in/luded a si$ner of the ?S Constitution, /andidates for President and Fi/eGPresident, am!assadors to "n$land, Fran/e, and Spain, senators and $overnors, and a oman ho introdu/ed indi$o to South Carolina planters, !e/omin$ the se/ond lar$est /ash /rop after ri/e' The Allstons ere on/e removed !y marria$e from the #re ton family hi/h in/luded a harf o ner and one of the lar$est enslaved sales mer/hants in Charleston !efore >enry ,aurens' The Allston e9tended family o ned Waverly, 2antan@a %later, Chi/ora Woods&, and in the nineteenth /entury, the lar$e family at different times /ounted #ates >ill, #rea7 ater, "9/han$e, >a$ley, >olly .roove, ,it/hfield, Ni$htin$ale >all % hose a ard innin$ ri/e sold at a premiumC&, Pipe 0o n % hi/h later !e/ame an Afri/anG Ameri/an /ommunity on Sandy Island&, Rose #an7 %0it/hford&, The -a7s, Sprin$field, True #lue, Tur7ey >ill, Waterford, Woodville, amon$ their ri/e and indi$o plantation holdin$s;alon$ ith #roo7$reen, no the site of Ameri/a<s premier s/ulptural $arden' The patriar/h Ro!ert F' W' Allston, his parents se/ond /ousins and !oth Allstons, as !orn in ()D(, $raduated West Point in ()A(, on medals for ri/e /ultivation at the ()++ and()+* Paris "9positions'

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A Portion of Fault

>e served as South Carolina<s $overnor from ()+* to ()+)' #y ()*D, he held over *DD enslaved and his /om!ined holdin$s produ/ed ('+ million pounds of ri/e' >is yields and effi/ien/y are amon$ the hi$hest on re/ord' A /ousin, 3oseph Alston, served as $overnor from ()(A to ()(B' Amon$ other 7in, Washin$ton Allston, a painter trained at ,ondon<s Royal A/ademy under #en:amin West, led the Romanti/ movement in Ameri/an paintin$' >is remains are interred in the -ld #uryin$ .round at >arvard SEuare' In a letter, Washin$ton Allston offered to sale his inheritan/e of one fifth of his $randmother<s (* enslaved at H(DD ea/h, ell !elo the estate pri/e of H++D ea/h, ith /redit on the !uyer<s terms, to a nei$h!orin$ property o ner to 7eep families to$ether ith /onne/tions !et een the plantations' >e rites to his friend and a$ent, in fa/t, I ould /onsider it no sa/rifi/e at all and it ould $ive me pea/e' Slavery as as a!surd as it as /ruel' Ima$ine $ivin$ your dau$hter a human !ein$ as a eddin$ presentC A daily $ift,a servant for life ho ould !e/ome a trusted /onfidant and domesti/ overseer, as /ommon pra/ti/e in the /olonial and ante!ellum eras' NinetyGseven year old 3ane >ollins /alls it to attention in her WPA narrative= <ou know what =aily Gift&>( was =aily Gift>massa give me to iss argaret, his daughter, when she was married to r. Gaillard>( give to iss argaret>( never was sold.? 2ariah >ey ood, !orn ()++, Allston la!or, as a !ridal present to Susan Alston !y her father, 0un/an Alston of 2id ay' In the inter, everyone moved to Charleston' After harvest, the led$ers ere !rimmin$ ith payments from ,ondon and else here and the hi$h so/ial season !e$an' With ni$htly parties, plays and /on/erts at the 0o/7 Street Theatre, and private and /lu! dinners in the homes and at the So/iety >alls, and ma$nifi/ent dan/es, /hur/h on Sunday at St' 2i/hael<s and St' Philip<s % here the or$an played for the /oronation of .eor$e II as installed&' The /ele!rations /ontinued until time to prepare the $round for the sprin$<s plantin$'

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A Portion of Fault

Some enslaved made ready for au/tions' The eepin$ time as Ameri/a<s lar$est pu!li/ au/tion of humans, held in Savannah, in the rain, 2ar/h ()+4, to pay $am!lin$ de!ts8 the B5* fa/es of heavy $rief, $iven a dollar /ons/ien/e money' The Ameri/an AntiGSlavery So/iety<s Tri!ute a//ount, ritten for readers ho opposed slavery, refle/ted the era<s /ultural thin7in$= 9o mulattoes in the whole lot, a point in favor of the buyers, for too liberal an infusion of the blood of the dominant race brings a larger intelligence, a more vigorous brain, which, anon, grows restless under the yoke.% #(n the 9orth, we do not necessarily sell the harness with the horse* why, in the 7outh, should the clothes go with the negro&% Charleston<s enslaved, /ontinued an a/tive orship and reli$ious life' St' Philip<s had t o Afri/an1Ameri/an Sunday s/hool leaders for its !la/7 /on$re$ants' An enslaved fisherman saved St' Philip<s from fire8 $ranted freedom, his efforts /anoni@ed in a poem ritten de/ades later in Indiana' For B4 years, St' 2i/hael<s famous !ells ere pealed !y the Afri/an1Ameri/an !ell rin$er, Washin$ton 2/,ean .adsden, rin$in$ Sunday orship;and the start and end of the Civil War' >e played afternoon /on/erts for the /ity' An Afri/an1Ameri/an 2ethodist leader, a /o!!ler, led the foundin$ of the South<s oldest Afri/an1Ameri/an 2ethodist "pis/opal %A2"& /hur/h in ()(4' A !la/7 2ethodist mem!er prayed for a $ravely ill !ishop ho promptly told his ife he felt !etter and 5 days later returned to his duties' #la/7 2ethodists protested !y letter a !arn !uilt on top of their family $raves' St' 3ohn ,utheran Chur/h sent the first Afri/an1Ameri/an to ,utheran seminary' The same /hur/h formed a orship servi/e in hi/h hites sat in the !al/ony and enslaved and free mem!ers sat !elo in the san/tuary' The Citadel SEuare #aptist Chur/h roll had more enslaved mem!ers than hite' A slaveholdin$ ?nitarian minister helped edu/ate the s/hool tea/her, first Afri/an1Ameri/an /olle$e president and A2" !ishop, 0aniel A' Payne' Se/ond Pres!yterian !uilt Iion Pres!yterian, the lar$est san/tuary in the /ity, for its Afri/an1Ameri/an mem!ers in ()B4' Iion hosted pu!li/ meetin$s durin$ Re/onstru/tion' All alon$, in An$ola, priests slin$in$ asper$illums !aptised /offles !oardin$ the ships'

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Original Transcript from the Library of Congress Intervie ith Ann S/ott, St' >elena Island, South Carolina %.ullah&, 3une (45A Ann S/ott= Jopenin$ in/omprehensi!le, very poor re/ordin$ until one minute si9teen se/ondsK LLL Collin$ton' The LLL ' LLL ' LLL ' LLL in the field' LLL in the ri$ht field' LLL ' JWe offer this LLL here %L&K' JLLL open and set up %L&K' I LLL ' Wish I had LLL ' I don<t have to LLL they don<t !other me' I $uess they didn<t !other me' #other me' They don<t !other me' LLL 2y father LLL one portion of LLL ' Jshe delivers a prayerK 2y former father ho $ave me Jhands %L&K for the Jdistan/e %L&K to !rin$ me over to here' 2y old father' They all dead !efore me and still my Jdrin7 is full %L&K' Then I as7ed her to tal7 to me, to pardon and for$ive me for my sins that I had' JAnd I say %L&K, I 7no Jdis/ s7ipsK I have Jpro!lems %L&K LLL you' Call your LLL my father should !e LLL for them' JWhen I as7 father to for$ive me no %L&K' -h, father I as7 that you Jfor$ive me %L&K' >ear the /han$e of hope' And I as7 you to Jsave %L&K me' -h, please !e LLL and LLL ' And I as7 of my father to remem!er the Jslave revolts %L&K' .ive them !etter Jprote/tion %L&K' ,et them 7no that you $oin$ LLL Jfor them %L&K' I as7in$ my people remem!er my people I leave' -h, $ive us LLL ' .ive them Jenou$h 7no led$e %L&K and honesty' -h, Jdis/ s7ipsK remem!er the LLL my father hose Jdis/ s7ipsK LLL ' -h, !less them LLL ' And I as7 you to spare the LLL your people' ,et me $et a lon$ LLL ' Jdis/ s7ipsK LLL #ut the one that do the Jdis/ s7ipsK LLL my father the same LLL ' All I as7 them $ive the ,ord to 3esus Christ and to all that<s out there' Jre/ordin$ $apK LLL ' And hen they don<t /ome, hat they do LLL for a manL I never ant them thin$s !ut she !e ith them and she reali@e' JpauseK LLL she reali@e' LLL ' Jre/ordin$ $apK LLL that as oman' Jre/ordin$ $apK 2y name' Ann S/ott after slavery' Ann S/ott from after slavery from St' >elena Island, South Carolina'

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My Transcript Ann S/ott, St' >elena Island, SC' (45A' %.ullah, Turner re/ordin$'& Ann S/ott= Jvery low volume until ,@,Asec., when the prayer begins.K #orn do n in Colleton County ' ' ' Mour le$s open' ' ' you al7 alon$ ' ' ' in the ri/e field' ' ' J K plantin$ in the ri/e fields ' ' ' le$ open ' ' ' in the ri/e field ' ' 'you al7 alon$' We offer this J K here ' ' ' open and set up ' ' ' Wish I had ' ' ' I don<t have to ' ' ' It don<t !other me' They see it ain<t !other every!ody, and it don<t !other me' JsilenceK J s. 7cott begins prayingK 2y father' >ere<s one portion of fault' 2y father8 I /all my father to $ave you than7s for the distan/e you !rin$ me over today' - father' The ,ord $o !efore me and spare my 7in$dom pla/e' Then I as7 that you so s eet, to pardon and for$ive me for my sins that I had and that I am thin7in$' I 7no Jdisc skips, distorting the soundK I had pro!lems ' ' ' Call your ord ' ' my father to !e spe/ial for them' And I as7 .od to for$ive me no ' ' ' -h, father I as7 that you for$ive my sins' Jloud skippingK - father I as7 you $o !efore me' >ear the /han$e of hope' And I as7 you to save me' -h, please !e J K and ma7e a ay for me too' And I as7 of my father to remem!er the /heerful $iver' %B@,/; .ive them !etter today' ,et them 7no that you $ot a s ord' I as7 in my sleep, remem!er my people I leave' .ive them 7no led$e, unlimited 7no led$e and understandin$' -h, JskippingK remem!er the si/7 and the shut1in father, ho too7 your testimony for dro nin$ /omfort' -h, !less them to rest in pea/e' ' ' And I as7 you to spare the dan$erous pla/es' ,et me $et alon$ ' ' ' #ut the one that do the JskippingK my father the same J K' All I as7 them is to !elon$ to the ,ord 3esus Christ and Jto all that<s out thereK' )lapping. Prayer ends.

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And hen they don<t /ome, hat they do for her manL I never ant them thin$s !ut she do them thin$s hen she !e alive' J K she reali@e J long gap K that she o n man' J static K 2y name, Ann S/ott' Thompson Pla/e' Ann S/ott, Thompson Pla/e' St' >elena Island, South Carolina' 1nn 7cott !hompson Place 7t. 3elena (sland, 7outh )arolina. 6ecorded audio interview. 5une BC, ,DEB. y transcription, 9ovember /FG, B-,E. H6$ and digital id@ Jhttp=NNhdl'lo/'$ovNlo/'af/Naf/4444DD('A+*+6!K

St. Helena Island Residents Leaving Work at an Island Cannery, June 1939. Mary Post Wol ott P!oto. "S#$L%C.

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Oppression creates two classes of victims, although one class suffers greater hardship. 0ut the oppressed must be careful not to overweigh the differences or else they follow their oppressors into creating rigid, unyielding views. (f they do, they split the world in absolutes, each pointing to the other as justification. What sets the oppressed apart is not their struggle, but their relentless humanity* not their victory or punishment or insistence on accountability, but their restoration of the rich Iuality of values and acts the oppressor destroyed. !his predicament pushes the oppressed to grace, to subdue the selfF interest of judgment by offering to others what they would reclaim. 1nn 7cott prays forgiveness for her #portion of fault.% 3er sin isn't singular or individual, it's part of a collective separation from a universal and eternal providence in which she finds comfort and pledges personal adoration as she asks forgiveness. (n 2lie Wiesel's #9ight,% oishe the 0eadle says to a young 2lie Wiesel that every Iuestion possessed a power that is lost in the answer. !he a"iom holds for acts. 1n act completed distributes power. 7ometimes, oppression means we only listen and grieve. !hose who were swept along in its hubris, who showed signs of trying but stumbled, should know the mercy of justice and our grief. !hey are victims by the same system. !he same mercy must be offered to those that created the conditions, even as mercy does not endorse their sin. Without contradiction or favor, God embraced the needs of the planters and the enslaved. God was an allFknowing judge for planter society. 8or enslaved communities, God was an allFwise defender. Planters sought God's sanction for their position of command* the enslaved looked to God for counsel and comfort. Planters looked for God's witness in their way of life. !he enslaved witnessed that God #would make a way.% 7eeking, a centuries old Gullah rite of praying alone in the house or woods unveiled God's vision* elders witnessed and confirmed its ageFlong purpose. 8rom a 7outh )arolina WP1 narrative@ 0ack in de house, down on her knees, she'd be aFprayin'. One night she say she been down on her knees aFprayin' and that when she got up, she looked out the door and there she saw comin' down out the elements a man,

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pure white and shining. 3e got right before her door, and come and stand right to her feet, and say, #7arah, 7arah, 7arah'% #<es, 7ir.% ?What is you frettin' bout so&? ?7ir. ('m a stranger here, parted from my husband, with five little chillun and not a morsel of bread.% #<ou say you're parted from your husband& <ou're not parted from your husband. <ou're jest over a little slash of water. 7uppose you had to undergo what ( had to. ( was nailed to the )ross of ount )alvary. 1nd here ( am today. Who do you put your trust in&% y mother say after dat, everything just flow along, just as easy. !he enslaved knew no victory lies above mercy. (t is universal and individual, both virtue and union. (t cannot be uncoupled from truth. (t reconciles our own destruction. (ts enduring mystery and knowledge are found in words of prayer. 1s 1nn 7cott asks for #better,% she is also asking for mercy to temper her works and passage of spirit and her prayers are blessed. Spirituals The enslaved 7ne .od poured out simple $ifts' >e tou/hed souls to inspire hope' Son$s ere sa/red praise' A Te9as WPA intervie de/lared, .od $ive us our son$s' The enslaved didn<t :ust dream and sin$ of es/ape or nostal$i/ return to Afri/a on /hariots /omin$ to /arry me home' Way up in the s7y, they sa /hariots in a !eatifi/ vision :ust li7e "@e7iel did' They 7ne the :oy of an open eternity8 a pla/e already #spared% as the mansion the enslaved or7ed on as they san$' Sterlin$ A' #ro n said the spirituals /ast a ide net ith messa$es and /ommands at ea/h turn of life' From a /all to steal a ay to a silen/e that do/umented !loody /ruelty ithout a mum!lin$ ord' From the :oyful ur$e to lay my !urdens do n in the tarry servi/e of the rin$ shout to the forest1ed$e !urials here the $rievin$ sun$ to inert remains, lay do n !ody8 lay do n a little hile'

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Freedom and faith $athered in the harvest lament, Sinner, Please 0on<t ,et This >arvest Pass, its tempo the for/eful ada$io, 6N) meter of the si/7le stri7in$ five1foot ri/e stal7s' -ften the !enefits of .od<s $ra/e /ome in /ertain seasons, as in the #ethesda pool re/alled !y Wade In The Water, or /ame ad ho/, for #drowning comfort.% In prayer, Ann S/ott and the faithful $athered to re/eive and deliver and memoriali@e $ifts of $ra/e' The $ood so er reaps the harvest of than7s$ivin$ if he or she so s strai$ht' .od does not rest in the midst of misery, and the faithful profit !y faith' A .eor$ia WPA narrative said of trou!le= .od didn<t let it last al ays' Draw Lebel .ullah is a lan$ua$e, a ay of thin7in$ and vie in$ the orld, and also the name used to identify the people and /ommunities ho spea7 it and share its traditions and outloo7' The trans/riptions of the ,i!rary of Con$ress ar/hived audio, the ori$inal and my o n, set ho important /ultural framin$ is to lo/atin$ its meanin$ and insi$ht, to listenin$ !eyond diale/t and a//ent;to at/h that star' Ann S/ott<s prayer /om!ined elements of the ,ord<s Prayer, the rd A5 Psalm, and inter/ession' Red hi$hli$hts mar7 the differen/es in trans/ripts' Perhaps her prayer invo7es endurin$ mer/y %Psalm (5*&8 the rise a!ove mali/e in ,u7e AB, or perhaps the di/tum of "//lesiastes 6= 61)= #Oppression makes a wise man mad* its gifts destroy the heart. 8inishing is better than starting* patience in spirit is better than pride.% Without 7no in$ .ullah<s forms, the tape<s lo volume and hi$h noise ma7e /apturin$ the phrases, #portion of fault,% #you got a sword,% or Ann S/ott<s home pla/e, #!hompson Place% %the ,-C trans/ri!ed it after slavery&, virtually impossi!le' ,on$er senten/es presented a formida!le /hallen$e= #!he $ord go before me and spare my kingdom place% reEuired a or7in$ 7no led$e of reli$ion and .ullah enun/iation, espe/ially the rise and fall of stressed and unstressed sylla!les'

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A Portion of Fault

Too many studies have read in outside values and /riti/i@ed those ho put .ullah dynami/s at the /enter of its o n story' Too little respe/t, too mu/h intrusion8 !oth ne$le/t the ei$hth day= hat the .ullah !uilt ithin an institution that turned their !etter efforts to the voi/e ithin' 2er/i<trustC the .ullah $reeted ea/h other' In thousands of voi/es lost and livin$, enslaved and free8 trust in the mer/ies of .od' Afterword 0ra ,e!el sun$ of the or7 preparin$ and levelin$ ri/e fields, reminded all of the need to prepare for 3ud$ment and stren$then their /hara/ter' The /horus told of the an$els /omin$ do n, /om!inin$ or7 and prayer in the /ompass of poetry to ur$e tireless effort= dra , dra , to the !rea7 of day' .ullah prayer and son$ :oined heaven and earth to or7 and faith, a/ross the separatin$ line of life and death' .ullah<s se/ret $lory as a sin$le, /onne/ted prin/iple= Creation is the revelation of livin$8 lan$ua$e a tool of /reation' In her WPA narrative, a (DDO year old Charleston oman shares ho ords of prayer and praise fit her formula= ?1ll you got to do is live right, you got to live the life. What is the life& Purity. What is Purity& 6ighteousness. What is 6ighteousness& !o do the right thing. Pray and praise. 0elieve on the delivering 7avior. !rust 3im. 3e lead you* 3e show you the way. !hat all you got to do. 0elieve>pray>praise.%
0orn in 7lavery@ 7lave 9arratives from the 8ederal Writers Project, ,DEAF,DEG. $O). 7terling 1. 0rown, 9egro 8olk 2"pressions@ 7pirituals, 7eculars, 0allards, and Work 7ongs, http@JJwww.english.illinois.eduJmapsJpoetsJaKfJbrownJfolke"pression.htm. 3oward !hurman. editations of the 3eart. 3arper L 6ow, 9ew <ork@ ,D/E.

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A Portion of Fault

"dited for spellin$ %e9/ept the .ullah ! for the "n$lish v&, a marvelous, outra$eous, hilarious "disto Island WPA alle$ory of temptation and po er8 divine $ifts and for$iveness, and identity' The Sharpest Ax 2i7e ,a ren/e as one of 2a:or William 2e$$ett 2urray<s Pfire !oysP ith the spe/ifi/ duty of !rin$in$ live /oals henever he anted to li$ht his pipe' The thin$s he tells a!out happened durin$ his /hildhood' #Old 5ohn =rayton was the smartest of them all. 3e work so hard sometime assa just got to stop him or he kill himself. ( nebber see such a man for work in all he life. assa think a lot of him 'cause he been a good field hand. 0esides, he know a lot about cutting wood and building fences. What been more, old 5ohn play for all the dances on the plantation. 3e fair make the fiddle talk. When assa gib a dance he always call 5ohn. <assa, that man sure could play' When he saw down on the fiddle and pull out that tune, #Oh, the onkey arry to the 0aboon 7ister,% he can make the parson dance' One day more then all, assa urray send word to Old 5ohn that the cow break out of the pasture, and he got to mend the fence Iuick. 0ut Old 5ohn done promise somebody on 8enwick (sland to play for a dance, and he steal past and go. !hat been 8riday night. assa say Old 5ohn got to finish the fence by sundown the ne"t day. When Old 5ohn ain't show up 7aturday morning, assa a" eb'body where he been& 1ll band together and tell assa they see him lebe in a boat to go fish. 1nd they ain't seen Old 5ohn since. assa been worry sure 'nough. 3e think Old 5ohn might hab drown. 3e send four men to shoot gun all ober the creek to make 5ohn body rise. $ater that day, they drag the bottom. assa gone bed with a heaby heart. 3e been fond of Old 5ohn. Old 5ohn come back from 8enwick (sland early morning, onday' 0efore day clean Mday lightJsunriseN, he in the woods cutting fence rails.

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One hundred rails been call a good day's work. 0ut Old 5ohn decide he going to do better then that. 3e find five tree close together. 3e cut piece out ob every one. !hen he chop at the biggest tree and that tree fall and knock all the rest ober with um. When all them tree fall together, it make such a noise old assa hear um in he bed. 3e get dress so he kin see what ruckus in the woods. assa saddle he horse and ride 'till he git to the noise. !here he see Old 5ohn cutting like he cra4y. assa been mad sure 'nough, but then he glad to see Old 5ohn ain't drown. 3e start to say some thing. 0ut Old 5ohn sing out@ #Go 'way massa, ( ain't got time to talk with you now.% Old 5ohn grab five maul, go to the five tree and drive a maul in every tree* then he grab the iron sledge. assa see Old 5ohn run from tree to tree with the sledge and Iuick as he hit a maul, the tree split wide open' assa start to say something, but 5ohn won't let him talk. #Go on home to missus, massa,% Old 5ohn say. #( too shame, great God* ( too shame' Go on, home.% assa turn round in he track and go home without a word. 3e see Old 5ohn ain't going to gib him no satisfaction 'bout 7aturday. When he go back in the wood that evening to check up on Old 5ohn, he find Old 5ohn cut five hundred rail' #O !hem been men in them day, ( tell you.%

Windo&s '(ot! )ages* in Ca)e Coast Castle, # ra, +!ana. %ne o, t!e !ig!est volu-e enslaved e.)orting ,a tories. /a-ali R!ett )!otos. July 0113. 'S!e re)orts )al)a(le anger )resent.*

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Job 3 ! " #" !hen the $ord answered 5ob out of the whirlwind@ #Who is this that darkens counsel by words without knowledge& Gird up your loins like a man, ( will Iuestion you, and you shall declare to me.% #Where were you when ( laid the foundation of the earth& !ell me, if you have understanding. Who determined its measurements>surely you know' Or who stretched the line upon it& On what were its bases sunk, or who laid its cornerstone when the morning stars sang together and all the children of God shouted for joy&% #Or who shut in the sea with doors when it burst out from the womb& When ( made the clouds its garment, and thick darkness its swaddling band, and prescribed bounds for it, and set bars and doors, and said, '!hus far shall you come, and no farther, and here shall your proud waves be stopped&'% #3ave you ever in your life commanded the morning, and shown the dawn its place, that it might take hold of the earth by its edges, and the wicked be shaken out of it& (t is changed like clay under the seal* and they stand forth like a garment. 8rom the wicked their light is withheld, and the uplifted arm is broken.% #3ave you entered into the springs of the sea, or walked in the recesses of the deep& 3ave the gates of death been revealed to you, or have you seen the gates of deep darkness& 3ave you comprehended the e"panse of the earth& =eclare, if you know all this.%

"thiopian I/on of the Annun/iation

A Portion of Fault
Gullah 8aith and Prayer

Walter Rhett