Haunted
by Elouise
Haunted by a slave market photo taken
On our way to summer Bible camp
To be indoctrinated directly and
Indirectly with the ‘good’ news of
White Christianity posing as the answer
To every question we might have
Including how slaves are to behave
And not behave toward their masters
And mistresses and white folk
Deep south heat rises from the ashes
Of lynchings, cross burnings and beatings
No water of baptism or gorgeous lake
Could ever quench the flaming seed planted
Fertilized and watered daily in us
We were God’s children
We were special
We were white
We were privileged
We were better
We belonged
Sit up straight little children
Hold very still and look into the camera
Not every child gets to visit a cleaned-up
Slave market in cleaned-up Sunday go to
Meeting clothes and live to tell about it
In this enlightened age of freedom
And justice for all
Was this the first slave market in the USA? It claimed to be. But does it really matter? Here it is, kept alive in the middle of this small Georgia town. A daily reminder to all inhabitants of who they are and are not.
The photo was taken in 1958 on a bus trip from Savannah, Georgia, to a summer Bible camp we attended regularly. I’m in the very back, tall, with glasses. Sister #2 is standing directly in front of me. Sister #3 (Diane) is sitting on the front row, second from the right. My father made this a regular stop on the way to camp, and loved taking photos of us on the market steps.
This was one small cog in the machinery that kept us in line. Good little white girls and boys obediently lining up for a photo op. Relieved to have our superior status, even though we knew something wasn’t right and that we’d done nothing to earn white skin.
Our nation is coming apart at the seams. High time? Yes. Dangerous? Yes. Can we get through this and emerge stronger, wiser and more compassionate? I wish I knew.
© Elouise Renich Fraser, 22 August 2019
Photo taken by JERenich, 1958, in Louisville, Georgia
Telling the Truth 
Hi, I’m Carolyn and wanted to pass this info on to you. I know you care about our friend LordBeariOfBow.
The latest update from Sarah on her Dad (Lord Bof B)
Hi, Carolyn,
Thank you for your email. Dad appreciated it. He hasn’t had the energy to reply this past week. He has taken a turn. His heart is failing. He has not been well.
Mum, my brother Nathan and I are hoping they can make him comfortable and get him home. To his own bed, to coco and to his online friends in the coming week.
Thank you for your kind words and caring.
Dad says hi.
I will keep in touch
Cheers
Sarah
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Thanks so much for this info, Carolyn. 🙏🏻
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You’re welcome!
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I can’t help but wonder what my thoughts might have been if I’d been raised in my parents east Texas homeland. Instead I grew up with a largely absent knowledge of or contact with African Americans. I’ve often wondered how my folks seem to have shed the attitude of their families. What was the role of less obvious opportunity and what was a different attitude?
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Thanks for your comments, Penny. I know that in my case, living in Savannah (beginning age 7) — about 15 miles from the city, and only 1/2 mile (max) from what we called ‘colored town’ — there was no way to avoid the harsh realities of the Deep South. This included segregated churches. And of course, all schools were segregated at that time. I think your question about your folks is interesting. Perhaps it had to do with their church environment?
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Hello Elouise – I am a Black woman born and raised in Louisville Ga where this slave market still sits in the middle of our downtown. A group of Black citizens and local groups are currently challenging our city officials to have it removed from the downtown area. This slave market has held a stigma over our hometown for so many years and even with our plight to have it removed, it has caused even more division among the races. Can you believe that there are even some folks who refuse to acknowledge that slaves were actually sold there? I was doing some googling about the old structure and was led to “Haunted”. I really appreciate your truth and was wondering if I could post “Haunted” on my FB page? I would also love to perhaps have a conversation one day with you because it seems that perhaps I have finally found that one White person that may have experienced the same feeling that we do when seeing that old slave market, that Haunted feeling. Thank you.
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Dear Cynthia, I would be honored to have this posted on your FB. A conversation with you would be wonderful. This is more than I ever dreamed might come of that post. I just got up, and feel as though I’m still dreaming. More later….
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Dear Cynthia,
I’m back! I just read about the debate that’s been going on this year in Louisville, Georgia. I can’t think of anything good coming out of the ‘worship’ of slave trade markets. It grieves me that Savannah, where I lived as a child and teenager, turned its old slave holding facilities into part of a lucrative downtown entertainment area on the waterfront. A place for photo ops. Sadly, I can believe there are folks who don’t believe slaves were sold there.
On a related note, I also have an old photo taken another year (during our annual summer trip to camp). It won’t see the light of day. This time, three of my teenage friends from church are standing there with the noose draped around their necks. They’re smiling into my father’s camera. That my father (a preacher) was on the other end of the camera haunts me. Not just because of that photo, but because of others he took. Reminders of how little power I had as a child or teenager.
If you ever want to talk, let me know with a comment, and I’ll get in touch with you at your email address.
Elouise
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Thank you so much Mrs. Elouise. I would love to have a conversation with you and thank you so much for your truth.
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