Portrait: artist's interpretation. No photograph of Dave White is known.
Dave White
Recorded in St. Simons Island, Georgia, July 26, 1933
Their Story
Dave White was born and raised on St. Simons Island, Georgia, on a plantation where his people were enslaved. He called himself "an old slave from the St. Simons." He did not know his own age. He said only that he was born in slavery, not after freedom, and that he did not like to talk much about it.
His recording opens with a long chanted prayer based on the Lord's Prayer, asking for God's mercy. Asked about his past, he said he had worked down in the fields and that he loved the old times, but he added that he did not know much more to tell. Much of the second part of the recording is too poor to understand.
He was recorded on St. Simons Island on July 26, 1933, by Dr. Lorenzo Dow Turner.
The Recordings & Transcripts
Part 1 of 2 St. Simons Island, Georgia, July 26, 1933
Transcript
Dave White[interview begins with a prayer like the Lord's Prayer] Our father who art in heaven. [Hallowed(?)] be thy name. Thy kingdom come. [Begins intoning] Thy will be done. Give us this day our daily bread. Just like in that day. Deliver us not only from temptation but deliver us from ??? sinning or and forever dying. Oh, calling on our God this afternoon. Where as old time days. [Calling down (?)] and all of you this afternoon. Calling on you holy. ??? holy ??? days. Oh a, Lord have mercy. ??? . [Your mercy keeps us going (?)]. Sometime up. Sometime we are down Lord. Oh, Lord. [Prophet give me. We are poor, tore down (?)], ??? . Oh, Lord. King ??? round and round about way ??? . ??? this evening ??? for Jesus. Oh, Lord, have mercy. ??? . Your mercy give us ??? . Oh, calling on our Lord God this afternoon. Oh, Lord. ??? up there on the cross. Oh, Lord. ??? . Take us there oh Lord. We don't want to ??? these ??? . Oh, what you need, put it in the ??? . ??? the same God. [end of prayer]
Dr. Lorenzo Dow Turner??? ?
Dave White??? I born on, on ah, on slavery [plantation we were in Hempstead (?)]. I was born on ??? plantate [plantation]. I was on Hempstead. My people was under slavery. That's the place I born at. [But anyway (?)], I ain't born nowhere but there. I could tell you, that's all I could tell you about that. But now—
Dr. Lorenzo Dow TurnerYour full name?
Dave WhiteMy full name? Dave White. Dave White. Born and raised on the St. Simons Island. An old slave from the St. Simons. Hmm?
Dr. Lorenzo Dow TurnerHow old are you?
Dave WhiteI really don't know. I born in slavery. Now I can't tell you my own age. Hmm? You know why I say, I don't really like to talk [big (?)] about it. I don't know my own age, but I was born in slavery. I didn't born since freedom. I born in the old slavery. That's the time I come up. [recording speeds up]
END OF SIDE A
Part 2 of 2 St. Simons Island, Georgia, July 26, 1933
Captions open at the bottom of the screen when you press play. Click any transcript line to jump to it.
Transcript
NoteThe audio recording from which this transcript was based is of very poor quality.
Dr. Lorenzo Turner (?): ???
Dave WhiteYes sir. Down in the fields. ??? [that's dirt (?)] look down. ??? That's what you told me ???
Dr. Lorenzo Turner (?): ???
Dave White??? I ain't got none. I got to ??? a whole length of time. ??? Old slavery time. I love [it (?)]. Yeah. I love the old time. ???
Dr. Lorenzo Turner (?): ???
Dave WhiteYeah. [I ain't got no length of time (?)] ??? I like to do what the Lord [say (?)] ??? .
Dr. Lorenzo Turner (?): ???
Dave White??? . Some men ??? length of time. I tell you I don't ??? I don't know it. ??? I'm coming down. That is what all I know of about this point. ??? I don't know all of it ??? I don't know nothing about that. ??? Slave days is where I come from, but now I don't know nothing about it. I'm ???
END OF SIDE B
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Recorded by Dr. L. Turner, St. Simons Island, Georgia (Gullah), July 26, 1933. From Voices Remembering Slavery: Freed People Tell Their Stories. Bracketed notes and question marks in the transcripts mark sounds or words that are hard to hear.