Question

During the Great Depression, the United States government sponsored a project to record the histories of the last generation of those who had lived as slaves in the antebellum South. The results are one of the largest collections of stories from the era of slavery. Since literacy was banned among slaves, many had little opportunity to record their experiences. The narrative by Aunt Adeline is one example of these testimonies. Read from Images 16 to 21 (or pages 11 to 16).

https://www.loc.gov/resource/mesn.021/?sp=16

Many critics of this collection have pointed out that it would have been difficult for former slaves still living in the segregated South to speak freely to white interviewers. Does this make the narratives less believable? Explain your answer.

I really need help please thank you very much

Answer 1

I don’t think that narrative is unbelievable; I actually think it is accurate. Since it was confirmed by Mr. Parker himself. But I see why they would create a story like this, so that it creates a scenery as though slavery was not that bad,

Answer 2

I don't think it necessarily makes the narratives less believable, but it does present certain challenges in terms of accuracy and completeness. For example, some of the stories may have been embellished or simplified in order to make them more palatable to a white audience. Additionally, the fact that many of the interviewees were literate suggests that they were more likely to have been educated and/or privileged in some way, which may not be representative of the experiences of most slaves.

Step-by-step explanation: