The slave narratives compiled from interviews in the Works Projects Administration (WPA) files recorded eyewitness accounts of 19th century American slavery. Elderly ex-slaves recounted memories of their childhood during their enslaved period to convey a powerful image of their lives and daily activities. They describe work; games; food; clothing; thoughts about their situation and the Civil War; and what freedom gave to each one of them. These stories present brief glimpses into the lives and customs of enslaved children on North and South Carolina plantations. The stories are intimate; personal and go to the heart of the conflict and emotion that burned every moment of that day and time.
#3375475 in Books 2006-07-01Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 9.00 x .95 x 6.00l; 1.45 #File Name: 0875864376420 pages
Review
4 of 5 people found the following review helpful. MD in linguistics?By Ibrahim el HindiI agree with the author about linguistic racism and how it has influenced indopakistani politics and has resulted in a total division of the subcontinent. I would also agree with him on the false Aryan notion which has been firmly ingrained in the psyche of both Hindus and Muslims. However; the author -a pediatrician- is limited in his knowledge of linguistics as he has rightly admitted.On page 75; on Arabic; he writes: "Mah or Ma as a suffix became quite common in Arabic as well; ie. Fatimah (great conqueror)..."; where he erroneously assumes that the -mah ending means "great". He goes on to compare the name Salmah as having the same suffix -mah.Anybody with some basic knowledge of Arabic and its root system -commonly triliteral- would have to giggle and shake his head; asking; "Why do doctors think they know it all!".It reminds me of the shoddy linguistics of Ataturk in Geoffrey Lewis' TURKISH LANGUAGE REFORM: A CATASTROPHIC SUCCESS.Despite these mistakes I did enjoy reading the book and it did open my mind and make me reassess the theory I had always believed; that the North Indian languages -including Urdu- evolved directly from Sanskrit and naturally adopted vocabulary from Persian and other languages.It is difficult to write about linguistics and not makes mistakes; unless you are an expert on every language; so I would say that it was a good effort and deserves a read.I cannot see Subcontinent Muslims having major issues with this book -despite the authors secular worldview- and the reviews here confirm that; but I suspect the North Indian Aryocentric Hindus might trash this book as "Muslim" propaganda.4 of 5 people found the following review helpful. Revealing !By Ahmad SiddiqiThe book presents the science of the evolution of written language dating its origin some 6000 years ago to the Middle East/ Mesopotamia. The reader is guided through a wonderfully educational and eye-opening tour of the development of language and its migration and transformation as it traveled across continents. The early chapters are exquisitely detailed; defining a sound foundation on which the remainder of the book is developed. Moreover; by the time one traverses through these pages; the facts and messages become abundantly clear.The author; backed by meticulously researched historical facts; provides example after example of the dating of selected Urdu words as far back as 3000 years bc ! Furthermore; the reader is educated of the ugly interests of the ruling British empire; and how it manipulated the psyche of its subjects by lending religious and nationalistic identities to one language over another. The book is sprayed with countless examples of the ways in which the British used the politics of manipulating language to weaken the bonds of this integrated; religiously diverse society and divided the population and ultimately the subcontinent by labeling Urdu as Foreign and Muslim while Hindi being Patriotic and Hindu.The author boldly goes on to uncover and correctly describe how the British appealed to the psyche of the pseudoproud Indians by also claiming themselves as Aryan and thereby winning the hearts of their Indian Aryan "brethren." These energized fanatics pursued their agenda resulting in the loss of Urdu as the national language just after the tail end of British rule in 1947. The Phoenetic and Gene theories the author eloquently describes are also quite interesting and convincing.This tragic history of the Partition was a personal childhood ordeal that the author vividly describes and has wonderfully translated to tangible emotions that the reader can comprehend. As we move along through the later chapters; the author describes an ambitious revival of Urdu and related cultural activities not only in India through arts; cinema and poetry; but also through the emigrating populations throughout the Middle East; Europe and the West.The Politics of Language is a wonderfully articulate book that is both educational and a revealing commentary on the surreptitious manipulation by a foreign power to divide a once strong and unified society. The author should be congratulated for such a profound and elucidating piece of work.10 of 11 people found the following review helpful. An Impeccable GemBy Saulat MahmoodDr. Jamil Khan does not shy away from introducing a new theory: that the British Empire deliberately created an "artificial divide" in the language of the Indian Hindus and Muslims. Instead of going along with the masses; Dr.Khan painstakingly researches and questions what has been largely accepted for generations-and offers an answer that fits even better.He discusses how; contrary to what the British said at the time; that people of Indian/Pakistani/Bangladeshi heritage are the descendants of common ancestors and share the same culture. Dr. Khan says that despite what others believe; Urdu was not derived from Arabic/Farsi; rather Urdu words were already in existence even before the Arab conquests in India. He traces Sanskrit back to Syria and Turkey.Well-researched and well-written; the book gives in-depth information and creates a great deal of interest in a seemingly dry subject. Once begun; it is hard to put the book down. Simple; clear language and easy-to-read tables make the book even more enjoyable. This book is a gem for those who have even the remotest interest in history and linguistics: it is a must-read. The author must be congratulated and commended by linguists for his bold and unbiased effort to introduce a new-and perhaps more accurate-theory; challenging one that has been generally accepted for generations.
