Federal Writers' Project – Life Histories/2020/Fall/105/Section059/Mandy Long Robertson

Overview:

Mandy Long Robertson was born into slavery right before the Civil War began. In 1939 Robertson was interviewed for the Federal Writers Project by Clalee Dunnagan.

Personal Life:

Mandy Long Robertson was an African American who was born shortly before the Civil War in North Carolina. Mandy’s entire childhood she was enslaved, until after the war, when she was freed and was left to fend for herself. Mandy, a diligent worker, worked for the white families in her area, whether helping around the house or taking care of the children. Mandy was married three times in total, each ending in divorce. Mandy had two children, both who passed away throughout her life. After Mandy's second divorce, she packed up her belongings and moved to Atlanta to stay with her uncle. Her uncle passed away shortly after Mandy’s arrival, and then to her surprise she inherited his will. This left Mandy with all of his property. This property brought Mandy wealth and a relaxed lifestyle. However she fell lonely and exhausted by life after staying in Arkansas for quite some time. Mandy moved back home to Atlanta, after discovering that both of her children had passed away, feeling lost Mandy writes up her will leaving everything to her daughter and law and granddaughter. When Mandy was writing up her will, her lawyer scammed her. Mandy wanted to get away after this so she went to live at the “po’house” or the County House. At the County House Mandy spent the rest of her days, filled with sadness as she reflected on her life

Work:

Mandy worked as help in the house whether it was cooking, cleaning, or taking care of the children. During the post-civil war era it was uncommon for an African American female to be working in a “respected” job at the time. Mandy worked for wealthier white households. While Mandy was in high demand in her hometown, she still was treated with little respect and suffered through long hours of exhausting work with little pay. This type of treatment was standard for the time, where race impacted one's value to work and how one is treated more than their skills and themselves.

Social Issues:

What was like to be an ex-slave leading up to the Great Depression:

The end of slavery did not equally declare the end of raical bias and discrimination. After the Civil War, African Americans were deemed as free. However this definition of freedom neglected to turn into equality and equal opportunity. The vast financial discrimination that non-whites went through in this “antebellum” period led to a dramatic economic difference between races. This originated by the “decline of racialist explanations and by an increased sophistication in methodological techniques, social-scientific attention to race and African-American culture steadily increased throughout the twenties and thirties. The convergence of these several currents fostered a climate receptive to efforts to obtain personal testimonies concerning antebellum slave life, and it was from within this cultural milieu that interest in the collection of ex-slave narratives arose.” This new social structure that was implemented into society led to an economic, social, and racial gap that would further harm the African American community.

How did the Great Depression affect minorities:

When the Great Depression hit it struck those financially struggling prior to the stock market crash the hardest. This financial hit primarily affected minorities due to the limited financial opportunities the groups were presented with. This was clearly presented when, “approximately 150,000 African Americans left the state of Georgia in the decade of the 1920s to escape oppressive economic conditions as well as vigilante violence.” The depression hit hard for all of the United States but, “black workers lost their jobs at twice the rate of whites, and faced greater obstacles in their search for economic security.” This affected minority women in particular, especially the widowed because at the time the work of a man was prioritized over that of a woman.

What did the New Deal do to help minorities during the Great Depression?:

Franklin D. Roosevelt's efforts during the Great Depression are historically glorified, to the general public that he saved the United States. However in the process, “he shied away from aggressively promoting civil rights or an anti-lynching law, for fear of alienating Southern whites.” African Americans did not hold the positions that the New Deal aimed to save due to racial discrimination, positions such as farm laborers and domestic servants. The “New Deal legislation concerning old age pensions, unemployment insurance, and minimum wage.” neglected to help the general minority population, who had little access for jobs such as these.

The end of Mandy Robertson's life:

During the Great Depression, Mandy was financially struggling. No support from the government was provided to laborers like Mandy, such as domestic servants. This forced Mandy to move into a County Home, where shelter and food were provided for her. This isolation, alongside with the news of her child's death, sent Mandy into a deep depression, where she remained until the end of her days.

Works Cited:

“Amistad Digital Resource.” Amistad Digital Resource: The Great Depression. Accessed October 5, 2020. https://www.amistadresource.org/plantation_to_ghetto/the_great_depression.html

“FDR and The New Deal.” PBS. Public Broadcasting Service. Accessed October 5, 2020. https://www.pbs.org/tpt/slavery-by-another-name/themes/fdr/.

“Great Depression: American Social Policy.” 2018. Social Welfare History Project. February 26, 2018. https://socialwelfare.library.vcu.edu/eras/great-depression/american-social-policy-in-the-great-depression-and-wwii/.

Greenberg, Cheryl Lynn. 2009. To Ask for an Equal Chance : African Americans in the Great Depression. Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers. Accessed October 5, 2020. ProQuest Ebook Central.

“Slave Narratives from Slavery to the Great Depression  :  An Introduction to the WPA Slave

Narratives  :  Articles and Essays  :  Born in Slavery: Slave Narratives from the Federal Writers' Project, 1936-1938  :  Digital Collections  :  Library of Congress.” Accessed October 5, 2020. https://www.loc.gov/collections/slave-narratives-from-the-federal-writers-project-1936-to-1938/articles-and-essays/introduction-to-the-wpa-slave-narratives/slave-narratives-from-slavery-to-the-great-depression/.