Document text
May 23, 1939
Mattiel-Jamison (Negro)
622 E. 4th St. Alley
Charlotte, N.C.
Washerwoman
Mary Brown, writer
Mary Northrop, reviser
I USED TO BE A BAD NIGGER
Original Names Changed Names
Mattie
Mrs. L. S. Croxton
Elk's Club
Bishop Grace
Odessa
Mrs. C. T. Turner
Manufacturers? Club
Bishop Judah
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I USED TO BE A BAD NIGER
°amiss's houso in the alley was one of the type
known locally as 'shotgun houses" because they are said
to be a stack of boards held together with nails shot hap-
hazard from a gun, but the room were clean and neat.
She pulled up a chair and said, *Set right down here, lady,
and rest ye' hat*" The rocker was comfortable but she put
me to close to the laundry heater and I had to move. The
room was stifling with the odors of sweat and ironing.
Odessa went back to work, glad to talk*
*I been livin' right hers in dis same house nigh
onto sixteen years, workinl out cookin' and don takin° in
washin'. I don't make much because I's gittin' old and
de younger niggers kin git about a heap me' betteen I kin
and dey gits de work.
KI ain't now, but I uso-ta be a bad nigger. I use-ta
work for Miz C. J. Turner and some time when I'd go to work
I'd be so drunk I couldn't do nothin' but go to sloop.
Miz Turner was good to me and never said nothin0. She'd
gismo sumpon to eat and tell me I ought to ack better'n
dat.
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"But I got so bad the had to let me go. I went down
to d* Manufacturors' Club to cook, and de reason wasn't
nothire but bath'. able to git all de liquor I wanted. Day
liked my cookin' 4nd didn't car* What I don* long as I
cooked good. Day like to filva-ked me to death. Could git
liquor there and could git it at home, die alley Nan'
right behind de po-lice station.
"On* day whilst I was workin1 at de Ciub one cam
nigger men said, 'Odessa, you manta go hear bishop Judah?
wash des* dishes if you does.' dell, I had cu'rosstmy
'bolt de Bishop and wanted somebody else do dem dishes
anyhow, so out I good.
"I got down to de tent and peoples was lined up in
front de stage to be prayed fur, colored gal white. Bishop
had a big yells woman up waitini on him and he tole her to
dat little bottle outen his suitcase. Two gals a -setting
on di bench whisperin'. One says, 'What dat he got in dat
bottle?' Other says, iSumpon to fool de peoples wid.'
Bishop heard 'em and he says, 'No, tain't. It's olive ile
de same day use-ta 'noint de savior wid. And you better be
careful or somebody'll hafts tote you outs dis tent.' to
sooner he said dat den kerflopi Day bofe fell over and had
to be toted outen de tent.
put some dat ile on his hands and rub it on us
fate. Us all fall over like de lightnin' had struck us.
I was piled up in people waist nigh. Colored and white,
all out flat."
Odessa pointed to a picture of the Bishop in ceremon-
ial clothes.
'You see dat picture? I don't never hafta go to ma
doctor when I'd sick. I goes and stands in front o' de
picture and tells Daddy all about it and he heals me.
Other day I was washinl under den trees and I tuck sick
in my stummick. I tried to git froo 'fore I come in di
house but de No' I waited de muss it got. I come in de
house and stand in front o' dut picture o' Daddy Judah
and said, IC God o' Hebin, God o' de yearth, heal ma
froo grace so I kin git dis washin° done.'
"I went on (roc de house and I didn't feel no better.
I got cute n de house and laid down or de ground and talked
to de Lawd Hiese'f, and I was healed. Dees here is di same
clothes I was washin° dat day.
"I don't git such for dia work. All comes up to 'bout
to' dollars a week. ;)eas 'nough to take care me and ny
ole man. He's sick all time. I declare, a pa' nigger has
one hard time. But I got my religion and dat's wort de
*hole won'.
*Peoples tells stories on Daddy Judah. aays he takes
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all de niggers' money, but dat ain't so. Ev'y penny he
gits goes into dat buildin' and is expenses. Got to have
lights and coal and a heap o' things. iometime a man gits
up and says, 'Milian? us got to have Daddy's ear fixed.
He got to rids and spread de Gospil.' Den we collects
do money to git de car fixed so Daddy kin travel. 'Cause
he's got to got
"One day we was shoutin' and I says, 'Daddy, how
come mg don't shout?' He says, 'Chile, I can't shout.
Alen I shouts I goes right on up to hebin.' One day us
had a picnic for him and tole him to come on and le's eat.
He says, 'Y'all go on and eat mine. I got to go to hobin
a little while.' He ;goes up to beben ev'y oncet in a
while. Look at his feats in dat picture. Day ain't like
men's feetts. You kin look at 'am and see dey's angel
feats.*
The ishop's feet were in sandals.
"One day dey had Daddy in court. (=fine den other
preachers had him up 'cause he said Daddy had done took
all his people. ne jedge set there and look at Daddy and
be look at de preacher, and he ast de man how come he had
Daddy 'rested. De man say, 'HA done bruck up my church.
He done tuck all my members.'
*Jedge says, 'Did Judah go down to yo' church and walk
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out wid all de members?' Man says, 'Maw.' io jedge says,
'vela, if yo' members doss up and let' yo' church and went
to hison, it shows he's a better preacherin you is, so don't
you bring him up lers ajin. If you does I'll clap 1,22 in
jail!'
"I tTt to it Daddy to pray for my test. I got to git
'em worked on and ain't lot no money. My to' dollars a week
pays de rent and gits us sump'n to eat but dat is sure all.
It looks like it could be some other way to „,it money but
just by work, beceuse work don't begin to brine in much as
you needs.
"But I trusts in de Lewd. I's 'umble. People is got
to be tumble i.e de Lewd whatever else dey is. De yearth
is sumblo. You digs a ditch and it stays dug, 'cuss de
yearth is 'amble. yearth is 'umble 'cause de Lawd's
little body vris laid in it when He died fur us. Al yearth
smells sweet 'cause He had p'fume on Him when Ho was buried
in it. Take a axe and go out and chop down a tree Lind it
won't do nothinl but lay still and rot --'cause it's 'omble.
'Umble 'cause he made it wid His little hands.
"Jonah won't 'umble and look what happen. God says,
'Jonah,' and Jonah sr4s, 'Here I is, Lawd.' 'You go to de
city o' Nineveh and preachti 'Yes, Lawd.' He knowed all
time he won't „...;cin'. He knowed he was Join' to git on dat
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boat quick as it left town. He knowad it was a moan town
and he was 'trod he'd git mean too.
"'Well, he got on de boat and he went dmn to de injin
room and he laid down by de fires —Odessa lay down on the
floor by the laundry heater. "De mans on d* boat seed do
whale a-follerin° and day tailed do Cap,n. He says to
frow off some planks. But dat didn't do no good and de
whale kap' right on behine 'em. So de Cap'n says, 'Day's
aump'n els*. Go see what it is.'
"Day comes down to de b' tier room and finds Jonah and
troves him off de boat. DO whale mailers him and heads
right back where Jonah left from and spews him up. Jonah
was real sick and laid down right out in de hot sun.
'De Lawd looks at him and says, 'Come 'ire, angel.
Go down yonder and plant is gourd seed so Jonah'll have
some shads on him whilst he's sick.'
"Well, de vina sprung up so quick and so tall Jonah
stan, up in di shade. It was real nice and cool and when
he got well he wouldn't budge outen dat shade.
"Lewd looks at him and den looks around. 'Come 'ere,
inchworm,' Ha says. You know what a inchworm is --you've
sited 'am on collards many's de time. 'Go down yonder and
cut dat shade offs Jonah.' 30 de inchworm cut de stem 0
do gourd vine and it died. Den de Limed stood by Jonah and
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says, 'Jonah, Jonah, ain't you gonna preach?' Jonah said,
I doe know what to say.' So de Lawd says, 'Go on
anyhow. I'll speak fur you.'
"De people thought it was Jonah preaching and all
time it was de Lewd. Dat shows if you don't DO 'umble
first, you will sure be tumble last.
,.ow I gwine tell you what de Lewd has done and showed
me 'bout de sun. You gits up in de mornin' and you see de
sun a -shining. 1;at's Jesus' ftce shinial down cn you. Al
sun is Jesus, de mLon is V.ary, Uis !.4ther. Cne dens mornin's
de sun is vin' to rise and it's goint to slide right 'croft
de sky and turn 'round and coma right buck to de 6ust. uen
do Lewd will come down from hebin in Lis golden front and de
angels *ill play 'em harps in de air. I am oin' to put on
my wings and shout wid 'em. Glory to ".;odi
"Le's have a cup o' coffee. It'll make us feel mo'
better."
The coffee was tood and we drank it without talking.
Odessa was considering something.
)11ss," she said at last. '4"You seems nice, but --is
you saved the way i is7'
I vimitted thst my religion is not like Lers. the
was concerned.
'You better had it on de Glory Train," she warned.
I never lets a unsaved person leave my house till I prays
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fur tem. Bay down.
itCh Lawd„ help me to git fro° die prayer. I CQ1044
befo' You yid a Levi heart. Die white lad: ain't aaved•
strike her Lown frith Yo' powert" She hit h4r tAgh with
all Ler strength to show how He must strike.
"Make her shed tears from her Learti
She is a nice lwly hut You know how it is. We wants to ride
in do, Chariot but if we can't ride in de Chariot, try tug out
wid a Air o' wings' 31ory to Uodl Take her in de inalm
ol yo, hand and save and guide her. .40 ask in Judah fro*
*Testis nnme. Am.
"Moo I got to git back to my &ruin' 'cause l's gonna
need all de money I kin it tomorra. rent's due. Ain't
you zot none you kin give me a little? I cone beped you
so you oughta he'p me.
'Thank you, honey. And oon't you forgit to pray."