Description

Tom Dent interviews Hollis Watkins in the Mississippi Delta. Watkins outlines his religious upbringing and his family's deep involvement in the church. Watkins explains that his family is from Lincoln County, Chisholm Community and he can trace his family back to his Great-grandfather. He explains that his father was born in 1899 and his mother in 1900 with Watkins being the youngest of nine children. He explains that his relatives on his mother's side were "Indians (Choctaws) and Jews". Watkins recounts childhood memories of local caves and digging for arrow heads. He states that there was no community of Indians left by the time he was growing up but some of the Blacks in the area had Indian blood and selectively practiced elements of Indian heritage. Other Blacks with Indian heritage denied their backgrounds entirely. Dent comments that the Choctaw of the region were pushed into Oklahoma and those that could often passed as Black to avoid the reservations. Watkins recalls that he grew up African Methodist (AME), the next closest church was a Holiness church and a Baptist church and Watkins recalls going to all three throughout his childhood. He recalls that Bible Study and Prayer Meeting are common practices in the area and a means of creating community. Elderly members of the community normally lead the Prayer Meetings, priests were generally not involved, and the leaders may or may not have any official connection to the church. The meetings were attended based on demographics, not necessarily on denomination:...

From Collection

Southern Journey Oral History Collection

Record Contributed By

Amistad Research Center