“Our black man James ...”
You owned a black man?..............”
Back in the day that term wasn’t unusual in the south.
If your family hired the same black man to work for you during the planting and harvesting seasons he was referred to as “our black man”.
We had a black family who lived in a cabin on our property. He worked for us year round.
Living in the cabin was part of his pay as was one dressed beef each year.
He raised hogs that were his to sell or eat and had his own chicken coop and milk cow.
He was not owned in any sense and he would tell anyone he was free to do as he pleased.
We called him our hand or our man.
Several times I heard him refer to himself as our negro.
It’s just the way it was.
Some of the older folks, black and white, still use that term.
I know. I was born and bred in The South.
But to hear that term used in this day and age..................
Yes but Wardaddy is perhaps pushing 55.