Sarah Gudger Audio Reenactment: Slave Narrative from the Federal Writers Project of 1938

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Published 2013-03-15

Becky Stone brings the voice of former slave Sarah Gudger to life from the
Federal Writers Project Slave Narratives of 1937. Listen as she describes her personal experiences with her family, owners, slave speculators, the Civil War, thoughts on emancipation, and what life was like as a slave in Buncombe County.

This audio reenactment is part of the Forever Free: Slave Deeds of Buncombe County Exhibit. The Exhibit also features deeds and records showing the transactions of slaves as property, Last Will and Testaments of slave owners, and a video on slavery in Buncombe County.

Visit the exhibit:
Feb 1st - April 30th
at 35 Woodfin Street, Asheville NC

May 1st - July 31st
at Pack Memorial Library, Asheville NC

Watch the video here :: • Forever Free: Slave Deeds of Buncombe...

Read the original transcript here :: memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/ampage?collId=mesn&fileName…

Subscribe to stay up-to-date on all of our latest news & videos: youtube.com/user/bcgovtv.
For more information about Buncombe County Government, visit www.buncombecounty.org/.

All Comments (21)

@jef3603 4 years ago

i listened to this alone with noise cancelling headphones on...brought a tear to my eye. I love this. thank you for posting.
@alanmintz1514 1 year ago

So grateful for these re-enactments and to be able to hear these stories
@nazeemapolinario7485 4 years ago

1816 to 1947 rest in peace Sarah gubger
@PuffKitty 3 years ago

Now let's have a wedding on the plantation! /s obviously. Thank you for making this available to the uninformed and informed alike. She painted such mental images that really hit home. Thank goodness the historians of the time had the foresight to record the testimony of the slaves before they all passed away 🙏🙏
@chriscitizen5457 3 years ago

Wow she lived during the Civil War, WWI, and WWII.
@lifeofbella9246 1 year ago

Brings tears to my eyes!
@Newbeginning_ 8 months ago

You realize how bless you are after listening to this video. This is so hard to hear . I feel the pain in her voice.
@katzwhite5962 2 years ago

I was so happy to hear of
@bernadettev41 2 years ago

I could listen to her tell stories about her life all day ❤💞💛🤍
@RENA-lj8yi 4 years ago

THANK YOU .SHALOM
@pameladelmonte2418 3 years ago

Thats so sad... God bless you.... Rip🙏😇
@Beginnerreadsthebible 10 months ago

I love this, i hope everyone gets to hear all sides of history
@denisebranch4719 2 years ago

LOVE THIS❤️❤️
@bridamc3493 4 years ago

Marrianne Williamson is right. People need repair retrobutions these people suffered and the decendants need to Ask for this. Beautiful to hear the stories. Voices need to be heard. Xx
@gatheringleaves 8 months ago

Sarah Gudger was born in the infamous year without a summer, fitting considering her long but painful existence, it was a life without a summer
@sassymess 9 years ago

My God this woman was 121 at the time of this interview?!?!
@MrIrrepressible 2 years ago

They wouldn't even let her see her dying mother - what kind of monsters were those people?
@camionerosfurgoneros5915 8 months ago

I HOPE Ur LIFE IS BETTER IN THE OTHER DIMENSION OR LIFE U DESERVE IT STRONG WOMAN
@dominiqueechevarriaechevar77 4 years ago

IT ESCAPES ME HOW THE DICKENS PEOPLE COULD BE SO EVIL COLD NASTY AND EXPECT THE LORDS FAVOR ONCE THEY CROSS OVER!!!!! POOR SOULS THE LORD WILL TAKE CARE OF THESE POOR SLAVES
@sassymess7111 14 days ago

I was born on the same day...152 years later!