♪♪ Welcome to ALL ARTS' presentation of the 2022 "Artist in Residence" program.

I'm James King.

"The Roll Call: The Roots To Strange Fruit" looks at weaving together auction-block fugitive and find-your-family notices from the peculiar institution of slavery.

Conceived and directed by Jonathan McCrory, this work features an immersive chorus of voices reading those notices in a soundscape that unsettles and pulls us into this experience.

Anchored by a solo dance performance by LaWanda Hopkins and choreographed by Rickey Tripp, the film looks at historical documents as a space of reclamation, healing, and as an intervention to unearth the indelible impact of the journey of Black people on this foreign, stolen soil.

♪♪ ♪♪ [ Soft, dramatic music plays ] ♪♪ ♪♪ Woman: 178 sugar and cotton plantation...

Chorus: Slaves!

In the succession of Wm.

M. Lambeth, and... Man: ...for a partition by G.A.

Beard & Man, G.A.

Beard, auctioneer, Tuesday and Wednesday, 13th and 14th March, 1855... at 12:00... on each day, will be sold at auction on Banks Arcade, Magazine Street, in the city of... New Orleans, by and in pursuance of the Honorable J.N.

Lee, Judge of the 2nd District Court of New Orleans.

The slaves, comprising the gangs of Waverly and Meredith Plantations, belong to the succession of William M. Lambeth, deceased.

Terms.

One-third cash, and the remainder at 12 months... credit, for approved city paper, bearing vendor's lien and mortgage on the slaves, and eventual interest of eight percent.

In case of nonpayment at maturity... all sales to be completed within 10 days... from adjudication... or the slaves will be... resold... for account and risk of former purchaser... after 10 days'... advertisement in one city paper without further notice or putting in default.

Catalog.

Slaves from the Waverly Plantation, to wit.

1, Frank Bond, 45 years good tea master and field hand.

2, Eliza, 35 years, choice field hand.

3, Sarah, infant.

4, Louisa, 4 years.

5, Harriet, 6 years.

One family, excellent.

6, Mary Jane, 9 years.

Well disposed and conditioned in every respect.

Washington, 11 years.

Adam, 40 years, number-one field hand.

Caroline, 14 years.

11, Kitty Adams, 34 years.

9, Margaret, 16 years, choice field hand.

13, Westley, 4 years.

14, Sidney, 8 years.

15, Charlotte, 10 years, sprightly little girl.

Man #2: One family.

25, Jack Turner, about 40.

Splendid teamster and field hand, slightly affected with gleet.

26, Susan, 35 years, good field hand.

27, infant, 3 months.

28, Basil, 2 years.

29, Rachel, 5 years.

30, Spencer, 8 years.

Joe Davis, about 40 years, first-rate teamster, good field hand and sawyer, number-one man.

33, Cely, about 30 years, assistant plantation cook, sickly.

34, Winfield Scott, about 6 years.

One family.

41, Solomon White, 40 years, and number-one field hand and fine filterer.

42, Cloe, 42 years, good servant and nurse, manager of trash gang.

Woman #2: One family.

43, Joe T., 24 years, fine field hand and axe man, slightly lame from cut on heel.

She has been used as a farm hand.

39, Letta, 2 years.

One family.

Adeline, 4 years, handsome child.

Terms and conditions -- all sums of $10 and under payable at one half on the 1st of April, 1862, and the remaining half on the 1st of April following, 1863, with interest at the rate of 8 percent interest per annum, from maturity until paid.

Purchasers furnishing their notes with goods... Negroes for sale.

I will sell by public auction on Tuesday of next fort, being the 29th of November.

Eight loyal family servants, consisting of: one Negro man, a first-rate field hand; one number-one boy, 17 years of age, trusty house servant; one excellent cook; one house maid; one seamstress.

The balance are under 12 years of age.

They are sold for no fault, but in consequence [Inaudible].

Also, a quantity of household kitchen furniture, stable lot, terms accommodating.

Man: One family.

One family.

Chorus: Catalogue of Waverly Plantation slaves, continued.

One family.

One family.

Man: Jane Fox, 37 years, 5 children.

37, excellent field hand.

[ Overlapping voices ] Woman: One family.

No better family.

62, William Morris, 29, fine teamster, field hand, faithful, good servant.

63, Cely (Aley), 27 years.

Good field hand in every respect.

64, Lucy, one year.

65, Henrietta, 4 years.

66, Rose.

Woman #2: One family.

No better family.

68, James, 48 years.

Splendid plantation blacksmith, sickly at times.

69, Kitty, 45 years, sickly.

70, Humphrey, 6 years.

71, Edward, 10 years.

One family.

75, Philip, 32 years.

Excellent vacuum-pan sugar maker, good cooper, fine field hand, axe man, and excellent servant.

76, Doll.

Man #2: 81, Barbara Ann, 17 years, good field hand.

82, Virginia, infant.

80, John Henry, 23 years.

Mike, 43 years, field hand, well disposed.

84, Julia Ann, 17 years, stout field hand.

85, Samuel, infant.

One family.

94, Morgana, 19 years.

91, Tracy Ann, 14 years.

89, Jacob, 50 years, good driver.

90, Elizabeth, 60 years, plantation seamstress.

97, Mary Simmons, 28 years, good field hand.

Sarah, one year.

One family.

One family.

One family.

One family.

One family.

One family.

One family.

One family.

One family.

One family.

One family.

Chorus: To be sold... onboard the ship on Tuesday, the 6th of May, next, on Ashley Ferry.

A choice cargo of about... 250... fine, healthy Negroes... just arrived.

The utmost care has already been taken and shall be continued... to keep them free... from the least danger of being infected with smallpox.

♪♪ 1730-1865, An estimated... 200,000 fugitive-slave ads appear in U.S. newspapers.

$300 reward.

Ran away from the subscriber, on Saturday night, the 30th.

Two Negro boys by the names of Lindsey and Ben.

Lindsey is a copper color, about 24 years old, 5'9' or 5'10" high.

$50 reward.

Ran away from the subscriber about the 14th of May.

And about the same height as Lindsey, but heavier and stouter, and 18 or 19 years old.

Clothing not recollected.

They took satchels and blankets with them.

Ben had a pair of new, brown jean pants, and probably wore them off.

He was raised in northwest Virginia.

I will give you a reward for the apprehension and delivery to me, or their confinement so that I can get them both.

Or $150... $100 reward.

Ran away from my store.

On Tuesday, March 17th, my Negro boy Louis Washington.

He's a bright mulatto, thickset, about 5 feet high, 15 years old.

Had on, when last seen, a brown sack coat, brown pants, and a military cap.

The above reward of $100 will be paid for his delivery to me.

$50 reward.

$50 reward.

Ran away from the subscriber on the 12th of October.

Negro boy Wes.

...who absconded about the 11th of November, or for her confinement in any jail in the state, so that I can get her again.

Said Negro is of bright mulatto complexion, speaks clearly and more properly than Negroes usually do, and is rather below the medium size.

It is supposed that she is lurking about the vicinity of Fayetteville, aided by the celebrated Simon Blue of harboring notoriety.

She may attempt to pass as a free person among the numerous free mulattos about Fayetteville.

Alex McMillan, April 26, 1854.

Louie is 28 years, about 5'11" high.

A copper by trade and has a villainous-looking countenance, with high shoulders and wide blue eyes.

$20 reward.

Lost on Friday night from a wagon between the Danville depot and Camp Blue.

A yellow trunk, handle on each end broken off.

My name is on the end and near the lock, also with my number of my regiment.

Has two overcoats opened on the top, with two leather straps, and a rope in the center.

Woman #2: Stop the runaway.

$75 reward.

Run away from the subscriber Monday night, the 27th April last.

Henry, a mulatto boy, aged about 18 years and weighing 140 or 150 pounds.

He wore a low-crowned white hat and a thick outside woolen shirt.

He is riding a large, fine bay horse, 16 hands high, about 7 years old, taken from my stable, and is evidently making his way back to Richmond, Virginia, where the subscriber bought him last November.

Aaron, a mulatto man, about 43 years old, left the city of Washington early in October and was seen on the road leading from Alexandria to Leesburg, companied with a Black woman, who I am informed is the property of some person in the vicinity of this place.

He is about 5 feet, 10 inches high, has straight hair, very bald, and one of his eyebrows -- I think it is the left -- near his nose, there is an indent on his face, by a stroke he received, which fractured the bone in that place.

And whenever he has it in his power, never fails to drink to excess.

It's probably that he has gone to Jefferson or Berkeley County, Virginia, where he formerly resided, and from there will endeavor to go to Kentucky.

The above reward will be paid to any person who will have him committed to jail and give information thereof to the subscriber in Georgetown, District of Columbia.

Edward Gatt, November.

$200 reward.

Ran away from the subscriber about 13th of October, my Negro boy Webster.

He's about 23 years old, about 5 feet, 6 inches high.

Square built and very likely has a scar on his head.

$200 reward, lost pocketbook.

The above reward will be paid for a black Morocco pocketbook containing about $1,000, believed to be $1,005; a letter from Messrs. J.R. Anderson & Co. of the city of Richmond; a letter of protection from the secretary of war; a letter from Colonel R.L.

Owens to Colonel Fogson; and sundry other papers, all indicating they are my property.

Ran away from a point in Virginia.

About the 26th, two small mulatto boys Forrest and Aaron, Tawny fellow, red eyes, downcast look.

[ Overlapping voices ] Jacob W. Atley, November 6, 1863. Who left the same place at the same time.

Stupid gingerbread mulatto...

Considerably below ordinary height.

$20 reward.

Stolen from my house on Friday night, the 18th, two gold lockets.

[ Overlapping voices ] Runaway in jail depot, Negro.

Was brought to the jail of this parish, a runaway Negro Man who calls himself James and who says that he is the property of Mr. Wilson of New Orleans.

The said Negro is about 28 years of age, 5 feet, 8 inches high, and a black stout build, with no visible marks.

Southern sentiment.

The owner will please... [ Overlapping voices ] Says he belongs to Mr. Rochford of the parish of Natchitoches.

If the owner will please come forward, pay charges, and take him away.

Henry Sullivan, jailer.

$20 reward will be given... for apprehending Negro...

Chorus: Fame.

A very low and tolerable... lusty woman about 38 years of age.

But from appearance, older.

Very black and much mocked with the smallpox... Man #2: which occasioned a small defect in one of her eyes.

Has lost one of her fore teeth.

She is very artful and cunning, having procured a free pass and passes by the name of Charity Shorter.

She was formerly the property... of John Chittens of this county and was a runaway for near eight years.

Was apprehended and sold to me in 1803.

The above reward will be given to any person who will lodge her in jail.

P.S.

: I forewarn any person from harboring or employ said woman, at their peril.

♪♪ ♪♪ Do you know her?

I would like to know the whereabouts of my mother, Lucy Hackett.

I have not seen her for 28 years.

Woman #2: I was born in Wilmington, North Carolina.

I belonged to John Stanley.

I was sold, and two children, to a Negro trader by the name of Davis.

He brought me and children to Petersburg, Virginia.

I left my husband in Wilmington.

Some called him Peter Pickett; and some, Peter Stanley.

He belonged to the Picketts who lived in Dublin County.

My father had three children, and I am the oldest.

I had one sister and a brother.

My sister name was Mary, and brother Wright.

Do you know them?

I had one aunt...

I would like to known the whereabouts of some of my people or to locate Captain John Ritter.

My father, James Solmer, of Richmond, Virginia, was a soldier under Captain John Ritter and was killed while in the army.

My mother died when I was 3 years old.

Miss Esther Stokes, colored, living in Ripley, wants information of her son, Commodore Nelson Perry Sidwell Stokes.

who ran away from Maysville, Kentucky, 13 years ago.

Mr. Editor, information is wanted of my eldest son, Charles Daniel Gray.

The next one was William Harrison Gray.

The next, Wesley Gray.

My daughter was Lavinia, and their father, Charles Gray, who used to belong to Billie Crigler.

I belonged to Dick Ricksy.

I was sold to William Browning before the war, and I left them at a place eight miles from Culpeper Courthouse, out in the country.

Information wanted.

My grandmother, whose name was Ritta Payne.

She was sent South just before the war and sold to a Negro trader named Haden, who lived in Leon County, Texas.

She left two children Amanda Payne, my mother, and Pink Payne, my uncle.

Isaac Sumner.

And last heard of, was in Galveston, Texas.

Any information concerning her... Last heard of was Boston, Massachusetts.

Information wanted in relation to the whereabouts of one colored man named Benjamin Franklin Colbert, son of Hardy Colbert.

[ Overlapping voices ] Mr. Editor, I desire to know the whereabouts of my six children, whom I left in Carroll County, Mississippi, the first year of the war.

We all belonged to Mr. Steven Burts.

He died, and we were divided.

And Mr. Pratt took some of my children; and Miss Eugene, daughter of S. Burts, took the rest.

My husband, their father, died.

I desire to know the whereabouts of my six children, whom I left in Carroll County, Mississippi, the first year of the war.

We all belonged to Mr. Steven Burts.

He died, and we were divided.

And then Mr. Pratt took some of my children.

And Miss Eugene, daughter of S. Burts, took the rest.

My husband, their father, died.

Woman #2: My father and mother, Pompeii Williams and Susan Williams.

Mr. William Outatea, please give me some information of my parents.

You were the last person seen with them.

Address, Jerusha Williams, 4th Alley, between Congress and Jefferson Street, Georgetown, D.C. Information wanted.

Mr. Editor...

Chorus: I desire to know... the whereabouts of my six children, whom I left in Carroll County, Mississippi, the first year of the war.

We all belonged to... Mr. Steven Burts.

He died, and we were divided.

And Mr. Pratt took some of my children, and Miss Eugene, daughter of S. Burts, took the rest.

My husband, their father, died.

Wiley Parker bought me and brought me to Texas.

The names of my children were: boys, Daniel, Toby, Nelson, Walker; girls, Judia and Sillia.

We lived 3 miles from Middletown, Mississippi, on Mr. Davis' plantation.

Address me, care of Mr. C.H.

Graves, San Felipe, Texas.

Ashe.

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