"I come to Little Rock in 1918 and been here ever since. I worked 'round
here in town first one thing and then another. Worked at the railroad
and on like that.

"We used to vote right smart in Mississippi. Had a little trouble
sometimes but it would soon die down. I haven't voted since I been here.
Do no good nohow. Can't vote in none of these primary elections. Vote
for the President. And that won't do no good. They can throw your ballot
out if they want to.

"I believe in the right thing. I wouldn't believe in anything else. I
try to be loyal to the state and the city. But colored folks don't have
much show. Work for a man four or five years and go back to him and he
don't know nothin' about you. They soon forget you and a white man's
word goes far.

"I was able to work as late as 1930, but I ain't been no 'count since to
do much work. I get a pension for old age from the Welfare and
commodities and I depend on that for a living. Whatever they want to
give me, I'll take it and make out with it. If there's any chance for me
to git a slave's pension, I wish they would send it to me. For I need it
awful bad. They done cut me way down now. I got heart trouble and high
blood pressure but I don't give up.

"My mother sure used to make good ash cake. When she made it for my
daddy, she would put a piece of paper on it on top and another on the
bottom. That would keep it clean. She made it extra good. When he would
git through, she would give us the rest. Sometimes, she wouldn't put the
paper on it because she would be mad. He would ask, 'No paper today?'