Slave Narrative of Willis Dukes
Willis Dukes, an 83-year-old former slave, recounts his life on a plantation in Brooks County, Georgia, where he was born. He describes a moderate lifestyle under a master who was not cruel but maintained strict labor expectations. Dukes remembers the limited food, clothing made on-site, and household tasks he performed as a child. He shares anecdotes of ambition for freedom sparked by a fellow slave’s escape, and his eventual migration to Florida, where he values his independence and life experiences.