Slavery Era: House Negroes vs. Field Negroes

Published 2025-05-12 · Duration 1:58 · Video file (6.1 MB)

Explore the nuanced distinctions between old house negroes and field negroes during slavery through historical perspectives and personal experiences.

Transcript
Back during slavery, when black people like me, talked to the slaves. They didn't kill him. They sent some old house negro along behind him. To undo what he said. You have to read the history of slavery. Don't understand this. There were two kind of negro. There was that old house negro and the bill negro. And the house negro always looked out for his mask. When the bill negro's got too much out of line, he held him back in check. He put him back on the plantation. The house negro could afford to do that because he lived better than the bill negro. He ate better, he dressed better, and he lived in a better house. He lived better next to his master in the attic. All the basement. He ate the same food as Master A and wore his same clothes. And he could cough just like his mask. The good addiction. And he loved his master more than his master loved himself. That's why he didn't want his master hurt. If the master got sick, he said, what's the matter, boss? We see it. When the master's house caught a fire, he'd try and put the fire out. He didn't want his master's house hurt. He never wanted his master's property threatened. And he was more defensive of it than the master. Whatever was the house negro. But then you had to feel negro who lived in a hut. Had nothing to lose. They wore the worth kind of clothes. They ate the worth food. And they caught hell. They felt the sting of the last. They hated their master. We got to do this. If the master got sick, they'd probably have to master that. If the master's house caught a fire, they'd pray for a strong wind to come along. This was the difference between the two. And today you still have house negroes and field negroes. I'm a field negro.
slavery historyold house negrofield negroesslaves