I WAS A SLAVE: Book 6: Slave Auctions

 
JENNY PROCTOR: “When he goes to sell a slave, he feed dat one good for a few days. Den when he goes to put ’em up on de auction block, he takes a meat skin and greases all ’round dat nigger’s mouth to make ’em look like dey been eatin’ plenty meat and sich like, and wuz good and strong and able to work. Sometimes he sell de babes from de breas’, and den again he sell de mothers from de babes, and de husbands and de wives, and so on. He wouldn’t let ’em holler [scream or cry loudly] much when de folks be sold away. He say, “I have you whooped if you don’t hush.” Dey [The slaveowners] sho’ loved deir six chillun, though [loved their own six white children, though]. Dey wouldn’ want nobody buyin’ dem.”