Rabbit in de Briar Patch - African American Children's Songs - Historical African American - Mama Lisa's World: Children's Songs and Rhymes from Around the World - Intro Image

Thanks and Acknowledgements

This song was written down in the Work Projects Administration's Slave Narratives. The government sent out interviewers to talk with the ex-slaves and write down what they had to say. This song is from an interview of Millie Williams.

Millie Williams was 86 at the time of the interview and lived in Fort Worth, Texas. She was born a slave in Tennessee, was sold to Bill Dunn, who brought her to Texas and traded her to Tommy Ellis for some land. She lived in Fort Worth starting in the 1870's.

Photo of Millie Williams taken by the WPA.