We did a plantation tour in Louisiana last year. Very interesting history and facts were presented that we never were taught in school. This particular plantation’s architect was a free black man who was also a slave owner. He was not the plantation owner.
So I will attest to the statement that there were free blacks that were also slave owners.
Jefferson Davis had plantations and his business manager, and dare I say it, overseer was a black man. This man had been educated to read, write and do the necessary accounting. IIRC he was still a “slave”. But as a valuable asset, for some reason, he was NOT horsewhipped just for fun. I doubt he horsewhipped any of the other slaves. I guess he was an “Uncle Tom” though.