Talking With An Enslaved Housemaid At Mount Vernon

[@olyvoyl9382]

Everybody is talking about her acting and praising her performance. Did anybody take note of the story she is telling. Tears came to my eyes thinking about the restrictions and burdens of her life. Thank you Brenda you are doing us a great service.

[@fionafiona1146]

@Smurfette Did It Unlikely, going "out West" came with provisions to pack and some amount of social security.

[@angelarasmussen1800]

@Smurfette Did It Although I see the point you're trying to make, but there's just something reprehensible about not having the freedom to leave if you wanted to. Don't you think?

[@angelarasmussen1800]

@Smurfette Did It Well, does it have to be one or the other? Can't we learn from the past and talk about present day slavery? Also, we should acknowledge all the slavery of the past that has scarred the lives of all races and has been perpetrated by people all over the globe. I do agree we've been hyper-focused on the slavery in one area and one time and one demographic.

[@angelarasmussen1800]

@Smurfette Did It Wow! The rudeness and ignorance is astonishing. I think I'll be glad to not hear from you as well. Blocking me is doing me a favor.

[@buttgoomagoo6919]

Shes working,,shes fed,,she has a home...she can always strap on a tool belt and get up at 3 and do a REAL job like I have for the last 25 years

[@SpoopySpoops]

"A cage is still a cage no matter what it's made out of." True.

[@janellevans878]

True. If we do not remember our history we are domed to repeat it.

[@realestateunplugged6129]

SOPHJA SUO - True.

[@janet.oboutte1349]

@@janellevans878 My people will not let the past be past we did not know them slaves and Our black people sold us Blacks for Penny's So Lord help us

[@el8175]

SOPHJA SIDESHOW I’m a residential housekeeper for 16 clients for the past 28 years. Suppose that makes me a slave too

[@realestateunplugged6129]

Janet. o Boutte - Well, yeah. We all are human, aka sinful. Still, we can ackowledge our fellow countrymen's struggle amidst jim crow racism, etcetera. We can all, God willing, build from here on though, wherever we come from.

[@SarahLizDoan]

What got me was her making her quilt for her daughter....every mother-enslaved or not-wants to give their children the very best and that is deep down soul level important. A handmade quilt was all enslaved people could give their children. So incredibly sad. The most treasured things ever. Giving her child whatever she could. Wow.

[@kata1261]

That part specifically made me think of a short story I read for my lit class, I can't quite remember the name but it was about a woman and her two daughters making quite a production about some old quilts (for reasons well justified within the story). I had kind of an aha moment about that story's deeper emotional resonance, the long-term background people who look like me tend not to consider, that makes that story so powerful even if it is just three chicks arguing about blankets for several pages, when "Caroline" was talking about making her daughter a quilt.

[@luvangel-s4q]

You are so right about this. The quilt tradition in my paternal family stopped when my g’mother died in 1980. On my husband’s side it stopped about 7 years ago when his mother passed. She gifted all her g’children a personal quilt

[@margaretforsey7763]

@@kata1261Maybe was the story called ‘Everyday Use’? I think it was written by Alice Walker. I remember reading that story in a literature class in high school and it made quite an impression on me.

[@kata1261]

@@margaretforsey7763 YES, that's exactly it, thank you so much!

[@lisanevins3605]

Her daughter that would not be hers but would be the property of her owners.

[@kalasullivan8832]

I went to Mt.Vernon in 2018 and I met her. I was trying to ask her some questions and she answered as if we were still in the past. She didn't break character once. As a black woman it surprised and disturbed me at the same time. If you're in the DMV, I would recommend you go visit Mt.Vernon. It's a great history lesson.

[@elaineburnett5230]

@Run Gunn All reenactors are trained not to break character.

[@terrigaines1812]

What's the DMV?

[@kelly3560]

@@terrigaines1812 D.C.,Maryland, Virginia.

[@4dbak]

One has to understand method acting...it's not as easy(as you put it) to "break character" when an actor has been playing a part for some a long period of time. Therefore try not to hold it against the actress bc she's being paid to stay in character and that's exactly what she does. I hope you'll forgive her. plz stay well

[@Agaettis]

"Does not abide by tardiness...thats a lesson you only need to learn one time" That just hurt my heart

[@a.ros12]

@@geraldritchey4822 Those would be the native traditions of a single tribe in a particular nation within an entire continent, not everyone in that continent, in case you really are that ignorant. To answer your stupid question, yes, I imagine life in their own homeland, with their own families would've been much better than being slaves to a nation of lazy sociopaths in a foreign land.

[@geraldritchey4822]

@@a.ros12 Isn't that where the slaves were captured from? Native tribes? You don't think they were captured from universities in Africa, do you?

[@a.ros12]

@@geraldritchey4822 I'm sure a few were but many slaves were captured as prisoners of war during battles with other tribes and many civilian men, women and children were kidnapped from towns and cities across Western Africa as the demand for slaves increased. Read up on the subject, people were randomly kidnapped from bustling kingdom states, kind of how many innocent people are trafficked in the modern era.

[@a.ros12]

@@geraldritchey4822 No matter which kind of civilization they were taken from, how could it possibly be better to be at the mercy of sadistic people who sold your children and loved ones at will, raped, beat and maimed you and could kill or sell you whenever they pleased?

[@PrayerOfMannesah]

@@geraldritchey4822 I have to say that since it was made legal inside the United States for over a hundred years that Americans enslaved Americans. People who make this argument always want to leave out american role, also on the flip side of this, this was a long time ago. To pretend that Americans didn't enslave Americans is not right also I don't like it when people bring it up to make it seem like all white people are evil. There needs to be a balance where you understand that slavery did happen legal government enslaved at this point based on ethnicity. America slaved Americans at this point regardless of which tribe the person was which was never written down btw. The part where people say which tribe it was is called oral tradition meaning it was hearsay. Rather or not they got them from Africa, and basically I think both extremes of this argument is dehumanizing to the people that it happened to.

[@فنكجَلِيدٍ]

When I saw her in the tumbnail I clicked immediatly. She is AWESOME! This artist needs recognition for the beautiful and most-needed work she does!

[@MariaCruz-lp2ki]

Absolutely!!!

[@mangot589]

Janet. o Boutte Yeah. OK🙄.

[@bigvalley4987]

Emanuel de Araújo So sorry for this reflection of what is going on Today☑️

[@bekind6196]

Janet GFYS

[@pauliedoodle1939]

Janet. o Boutte Yeah whatever Russian troll bot. 🙄

[@1JDRM]

She’s a phenomenal actress.

[@Marquia777]

“I don’t see me living long enough to retire” Sweet Jesus that made my stomach turn. To think of so many men so many women who looked just like me, or my husband or my best friend had the fortitude to push through living in conditions like these. I can’t fathom it. The fact that I have the luxury to wake up at 10AM and say “I’m not feeling work today” is a blessing this country was made off the blood of my people and so many others JUST for us to still be second class citizens on this land. So much has changed and I’m thankful for women like Caroline. Still so much needs to be changed. We aren’t finished fighting. Thank you for this video

[@brendaparker3107]

You are very welcome. I pray that you and your loved ones are safe and healthy.

[@cattycorner8]

Ever race on the earth has experienced slavery at some point.

[@sarahpauline4904]

@@cattycorner8 Don't do that. Don't minimize the experience of people who still feel the scars from the not so distant past our own country, our own people placed upon them and in many ways still places upon them.

[@cattycorner8]

@@saberswordsmen1 Yes they have, actually. Africans do not hold the corner on being slaves. Whites do not hold the corner on slave ownership. Just as empires and civilisations have come and gone over milennia, so have conquered peoples been enslaved.

[@starlightaura0063]

@@cattycorner8 The slavery that you claim that other ethnicities have experienced was not the slavery that my people ancestors endured and my people are still suffering from what eauropeans did to us. Indentured servitude is farrrrrrr different than slavery what other ethnicities experienced was indentured servitude not as another person put it chattel slavery. Also don't you dare minimize what my ancestors went through. You are disgusting.

[@YT4Me57]

Ms. Caroline and her family probably died in slavery, but i am hoping that her grandchildren saw freedom.

[@alicegoodman4544]

I have people live in slavery and I talk to my great great , grandmother she told us of the times she was a small child how it was and they were sometime not too good. We love to talk and listen to her.

[@belsnickel9568]

YT4Me57 it would probably be her great grandchildren

[@bluBlaq33]

alice goodman people who want to make believe this was so long ago, but I’ve met a couple of black families with living family, from this era or close to it.

[@lisapratt166]

David Arriaga that would make you very old seeming how it ended in the 1800”s

[@molongangsta5608]

Lisa Pratt it ended towards the ending of 1800’s and still people were somewhat slaves till around 1910

[@KeithDec25]

Her heartbreak is just beneath the surface

[@forestbathing4443]

I’m not feeling the heartbreak I’m feeling STRENGTH of character

[@lisawise4204]

@@forestbathing4443 You can sense the longing of a mother to have her children have a better life, a wife who misses her husband during the work week, a person who longs for her freedom. You know she is strong, but underneath her strength is the heart of a human woman, a heart that has known much sorrow. To be strong doesn’t mean your heart is never broken.

[@user-cc616]

@@lisawise4204 agreed 👍🏾

[@allegoria07]

Yes, the actor’s skills are superb

[@musingsofharmony3159]

​@@lisawise4204 Well said. Her strength doesn't diminish the longing for love and family.

[@kaydenevideo]

This is an extensive monologue and it takes a lot of skill and talent to act this out. Beautiful job 👏🏽 and thank you for both entertaining and educating us. ♥️

[@bleeka325]

This isn’t a monologue. It’s an interactive history lesson with a history interpreter answering audience questions. Interpreters spend extensive time and effort researching the daily life of their character along with the time period and interactions they would have had with the people in their lives. not only is she acting but instead reciting she is google searching through her own brain on the spot for the answer while she improves filler conversation to give herself time to construct her script to act out. Extremely impressive !!

[@hayaglamazonluxe]

Thanks for posting. And thank you for writing "enslaved" instead of just calling her a slave.

[@tlwhite0311]

What's the difference?

[@the_bw_trekkie]

@@tlwhite0311 functionally none, but it's a bit more respectful

[@tlwhite0311]

@@the_bw_trekkie Explain to me how enslaved is more respectful than slave?

[@Emily-ce7hd]

@@tlwhite0311 Thomas White I would guess it's because "slave" is saying that's just how the person is, where as an "enslaved housemaid" is a person who has had enslavement forced upon them. Its a subtle difference and "slave" isn't inherently wrong to say, but it's just nicer to use the latter.

[@tlwhite0311]

@@Emily-ce7hd How is it nicer though?

[@charmainewatson4116]

This is a very depressing video, but she's a good actress and very pretty

[@dixiedeed4918]

She is pretty

[@debbiebrown381]

Please....I don't want you to be depressed about the history of our people. You ought to be to prideful about what you're hearing. I would like for you to hear in this narration the perseverance of our people and how they and those after made way for you......

[@m.t.4282]

I Agree ☝️

[@helenhollis3984]

She is a good actress, and nice on the eyes. If she would not have been nice on the eyes, what would you have said?

[@kaleahcollins4567]

Why are you upset look at the jewel she just dropped on you that is 1798 there was no law stating that slaves couldn't read did you know that a lot of slaves did learn how to read so much so that that's the reason why White's decided to say it was illegal to train slaves how to read because there was more slaves that knew how to read and right then there was white people that know how to read and write yet they said Niger meant ignorant right how ignorant all day they took a Spanish word Negra couldn't pronounce it and turned it into Niger

[@paularicard3781]

I consider myself a "history buff", I have never seen an interactive session like this. I was holding on to every word she spoke. I loved this. 🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰

[@mariyahisrael5508]

I find it hard to fathom how you could "hang onto every word" and still LOVE the demeaned position that slavery had placed her in. What about her life? Wasn't that important. No, I submit that what you 'loved' was how she described working for white folks and making them her only concern, even over her own children. Hypocrite!

[@paularicard3781]

Get your emotions in check people. I never said that I loved slavery. I was commenting on the performance she gave. She is a good actress and made me feel as if she really was from that time. She taught me about what went on during that time. So stop reading stuff and be quick to comment/attack the person who wrote it before you understand or pay attention to the true meaning behind it.

[@ChelseyTheDawn]

Of course you loved it.

[@WitchKing-Of-Angmar]

@@mariyahisrael5508 I'm sorry, but how dumb are you....

[@cefcat5733]

History class was a joke in school. None of this was described and how do you explain such a violent, criminal adult topic to children? Instead, some big unknown words were thrown in to the short text. The teacher avoided being the bearer of bad news by repeating the big words. I asked but it was no answer I could understand. Emancipation, for example. He didn't dare open up to a student. The performance here is truly something to love because it is finally Truth. It is a re-creation of ugly history but aesthetically beautiful. You get fond of the performer automatically. Things which touch your heart are beautiful in that they lead you where you need to go even if it hurts. She has, no doubt, her own perspective about that chunk of history and the first President. What convincing talent she has to take the audience back in time. I'd love to hear her real-life thoughts about that history. She knows it from many angles and must have gained wisdom by playing that tough role so often but living today. More power to her in both times!

[@rosaliecastro5997]

The tapestry analogy is brilliant. Thank you for not ignoring the ugly side of history.

[@braidedgirl757]

@@buttgoomagoo6919 you must be a troll

[@vh7637]

@@buttgoomagoo6919 smh

[@AS-lz6hp]

@@buttgoomagoo6919 wow I cant people still think like you

[@douglasvilledarling2935]

@Zoe Patience my pay barely covers my food, shelter, clothing, and required to be away from family much of the time

[@CherishLove2]

They use to stitch codes on those quilts for the underground railroad

[@talosheeg]

That was later during the civil war. They didnt have the underground railroad in the 18th century

[@TheRaindancer10]

Oh I loved reading about Harriet Tubman. They need her on coinage so we never forget history.

[@lto4827]

@@talosheeg The Underground Railroad is what led to Civil War, starting with the Fugitive Slave Law of 1850 and the Dred Scott Case.

[@mrwest626]

Please pass on my thanks to Brenda Parker, this was incredibly interesting and informative. Seeing history come alive like this is awesome, especially since I fear I will never be able to travel to Mount Vernon.

[@brendaparker3107]

Adam Thank you for the lovely compliment. You are quite welcome.

[@sistalistna]

@@brendaparker3107 You are nothing short of amazing in this role

[@brendaparker3107]

@@sistalistna thank you kindly.

[@m.821]

We visited Mount Vernon and I did not see or hear her. I want to go back. Whoever designed the property, whether Washington or someone else, was brilliant. It's so organized. Everything has a place.

[@alijane6675]

This should be required viewing in every grade school in North America.

[@beverlywaits7663]

Ali Jane yes indeed 👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾🙄

[@crystaldray-herman1297]

It would White parents too uncomfortable and they should never be made uncomfortable.

[@user-nubiangoddess]

Our history didnt start from slavery.

[@janet.oboutte1349]

What do you want our black kids to learn that our Black people Sold us Blacks How Sad

[@knaesh]

Nikki Floyd yes but they need to learn about it... they can’t act like it never happened. we are still feeling after effects of this.

[@ayonnabyram1103]

Can't stop crying at her concern for her children. "I would sacrifice myself for them" that's what makes it real for me.. 😭😭

[@TheKim369]

The worst part is that she could sacrifice herself, and it would have no impact, "master" would still do with them as he pleased.

[@ayonnabyram1103]

@@TheKim369 true. But impactful for her children. They're live their says knowing how she sacrificed ya feel me?

[@TheKim369]

@@ayonnabyram1103 Excellent point.

[@Unionst8808]

It kind pisses me off knowing this lady had a job that lasted all day long with out any pay ,you can’t quit and if you screw up they don’t write you up, they just beat the crap out of you.

[@cathyb2967]

Kenan Ozer She had to provide sexual favours too l suspect ..

[@cathyb2967]

matt Kazz Good for her Master .not so good for his slave .having to give her body whenever he felt a need .

[@cathyb2967]

Carla Curlee What goes around ..Comes around .😊

[@ceegabe1555]

Yet blacks were called lazy... ?????

[@Thesortvokter]

1 Peter 2:18 Household slaves, submit to your masters with all reverence not only to the good and gentle ones but also to the cruel.

[@lawsonone6015]

We stand on the shoulders of giants. Thank you, Mrs. Caroline.

[@veronicamitchell9378]

Yes we do.

[@shannsimms9072]

16:05 she talks about her "stolen moments" in order to make a blanket or visit loved ones at a cemetery. Because her own time isn't hers..

[@lindarosebuchanan1650]

What took so long? Maintaining her dignity. The laugh attempts to hide the humiliation. I feel like praying right now. Brilliant.

[@Gone2Look4]

Well done. I do love re-enactors. This woman is one of the best I've seen. Thank you for bringing a time back to life.

[@rickferarri9876]

I had the privilege of meeting Mrs. Parker last year at Mount Vernon. She is incredible! It was such an honor to meet her and listen to her tell Caroline's story.

[@brendaparker3107]

Hello again. Be well and blessed.

[@oftenwrong.]

Great and I like how she does not sugar coat the work or the way she was treated. I would rather know the truth of history. It's more interesting then fiction. One would think it would be better to keep moral higher then more would get done.

[@deshaunwilson9603]

I love this comment! So many people don't realize that in actuality slavery was always the worst of the worst.

[@here_we_go_again2571]

Don G. Agreed. The consensus is that the Washington's treated their slaved well. They were hands- on in the management of their household, farms and distillery; which made a difference; they knew what was going on. And, both Washington's were devout Christians; which moderated their reactions when incidents happened. The invention of the cotton gin; revived slavery, that had been slowly dying out in the central Atlantic states. There were many plantations in the Deep South (where slavery was profitable 12 months a year) that were owned by people who didn't live on the land and who hired managers and overseers to make sure that a profit was realized. The slaves on those plantations were not treated very well at all. (Being a slave is horrible; but being worked hard with little food adds injury to the insult of being enslaved.!)

[@richardmorin5967]

Dear Don, As a lifelong student of history, I can still remember being disgusted by my high school history textbook which in covering American intervention in Central America, merely said "somehow, American ideals got lost in the process". There was no mention of the greed of the fruit companies, oppression of the campesinos, American violation of the sovereignty of other states and contributing political corruption. Even then l saw the phoneyness of this book. Eventually I asked myself "What is the purpose of teaching history? Is it to tell the real truth of how we got here? Or is it to instill patriotism?"

[@lizziegarbarini7946]

This was amazing...your analogy of the tapestry is PERFECT. History is ugly, and dirty and unpleasant. Thank you for embracing it and being brutally honest.

[@imjinrat2325]

She only had to learn about tardiness once. Chilling.

[@theresakerins4563]

This is something EVERYONE needs to see. No matter how good a master, these people lived at the whim of others. None of us should forget this time in history. We need to remember to keep moving forward and not backward. We need to learn from our mistakes, and there are many. The actress portraying Caroline , number one had a beautiful singing voice, but most importantly, had a lot to say if you really listened. Thank you

[@LaDivinaLover]

She has a beautiful voice! When she started singing “Steal Away” I had no expectations as generally gifted actors don’t usually possess the same level of singing ability but she is very gifted! This coming from a classically trained opera singer I don’t usually give praise so freely but Brava!!! Très belle mademoiselle, très belle! ❤️👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

[@brendaparker3107]

Thank you so very much. I am humbled.

[@princessglittersparkle4146]

An awesome portrayal of the difficult past. You are a very talented woman!

[@thomaspaine3395]

This woman did a great job acting props to her for playing such a role.

[@beverlywaits7663]

YES indeed 🙏🏾🙏🏾🙏🏾❤️

[@udontnome]

Acting and Reality are two vastly different things. The Reality is America wrote a check it's soul can't cash.

[@Caiuke]

This video has had a profound affect on me, my perspective has been shaken, and I have realized how my history education has failed me and the people around me, I have cried, and been inspired by the strength it would have taken to live each day. Thank you

[@fredflintstone8998]

Hello Caiuke, I think that a story such as this must make those of us who live in relative comfort be greatful that we weren't born in another time and another place or even just another place - still lots of suffering in today's world. We are all accidents of birth and I try to be compassionate to those less fortunate, as I suspect do you. You are a good person, be proud of that.

[@PaperMakersAdeludedbroad]

You must've went to a horrible school if you didn't know about this with the Washington's.

[@ebcwhite]

My school didn't teach me this. But my parents did... I love that the video is do educational

[@OriginalPineapplesFoster]

@@PaperMakersAdeludedbroad There's a hell of a difference between knowing facts, and hearing someone tell their story. Imagine if someone told you that a close friend had been to the hospital for emergency surgery but they're now gone and mending.... then imagine that close friend telling you about waiting for the ambulance, how frightened they were, how they worried about their families, how they're so grateful to be alive but the recovery is painful.... I also learned some things about slavery in school, and a bit more as I got older; I've watched Hollywood representations in popular movies that we've come to accept take dramatic license; read moving historical novels with words static on the page - but I didn't even begin to understand the information until I listened to the affected people tell stories like these out loud. In truth I'll probably never 'get' it. I'm Canadian, white, with a distinctly different family and cultural history; I will never experience the type of challenges faced by this woman and so many like her. But all the textbook facts in the world wouldn't have expressed to me what actually happened if hadn't chosen to listen, too. Be well. ✌️🍍

[@OriginalPineapplesFoster]

@@fredflintstone8998 "We are all accidents of birth," is both the saddest and most beautiful thing I've read in a long time. Thank you for sharing it. ❤️🍍

[@nette9836]

This actor is absolutely brilliant. I love the incredible realism she brings to the character and the sweet personality, along with tentative speech pattern help me stay immersed so much. I hope she continues doing this fabulous work!

[@caribbeantigress]

As much as she is a phenomenal actress, I felt very 😔 sad when “her beloved” couldn’t spend much time with her or her own children. Slavery was atrocious I cannot fathom how these “founding fathers” had the nerve to write in the constitution that “all men are created equal” but if so, why they kept slaves, even sexually abuse them-enslaved women had no say whenever her masters wanted to bed them 😭😭😭

[@beverlywaits7663]

Yely 19 AMEN Sister AMEN 👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾😥😒

[@user-nubiangoddess]

N even if they were married it doesn't matter

[@TheLeoGoddess88]

Because the south threatened to separate if they decided to abolish slavery from the beginning. The country was under English rule, which slavery was legal until 1833 there, and when it came time to set up what kind of country they wanted continuing slavery was debated. The south being stubborn and backwards basically told everyone that they will it sign the Declaration of Independence if they take slaves away. So our founding fathers had to decide between keeping the peace to gain independence from England or have the south break off from the beginning.

[@kikilicious99]

They didn't consider slaves a "whole man" only 3/5 of one so mo rights. That was the justification at those times. 😒

[@georgeikinya2779]

Founding fathers of bigoted, demonic self centered and sadistic creed

[@patriciahowellcassity767]

God bless this actress /role player. This would be such a painfully hard role for so to do for many. And such an important event to show. Bless you dearest.

[@patriciahowellcassity767]

The Anthropologist M seriously? For many African Americans yes, it could be seen as painful, humiliating, abominable, and I'm sure there's quite a few other words I'm not even thinking of that would apply. It's not just acting, it's family's history. Painful horrifying history. Just like anybody that's a descendant of Auschwitz or other atrocities.

[@amyrzekonski1038]

Wow

[@patriciahowellcassity767]

The Anthropologist M ~ Oh so you see no difference between two thousand years and a hundred and fifty years? Nor if your great grandfather and the ten generations before him encased in the evil of enslavement would really make no difference. Even the Hebrew people have honor for the abominations in their history. But you know of this since your schooled in the Franciscan attitude of kindness. That your entitlement as a white male Christian, both parents in your life and encouragement from them, gives you great insight along with the information from all your friends of African American decent and Jewish descendants of the Holocaust were able to enlighten you. I would recommend the book; "Between the World and Me." By Ta-Nehisi Coats It could help, if you have the courage to read it and not burying your head in the sand like so many supposedly intelligent people.

[@genesis8550]

How is it painful? Because she's a black woman?

[@elijahvargas6338]

Ma,am I’m black and I can assure you that to those who are more concerned about feeding are families and paying bills instead of crying 😢 about the inhuman crimes of the past... you know the crimes that nobody alive today have ever experienced... are far less concerned about petty things like political correctness,and are more focused on the bare necessities in life. God bless your kind heart ❤️ but please... and I cannot stress this enough,please leave the political correctness to those SJW’s and BLM CLOWNS who use the past as an excuse to divide people!!!! And just ignore skin color and leave the dark deeds of the past in the past where it belongs! I don’t see you as a white,I see you as an ordinary person,my fellow American That’s it!!!!

[@loukisha6444]

We love you Brenda....you Rock

[@dennisbeers]

She does a very good job. I first saw her on townshead and sons, on KZbin.

[@iAmMadeOfSoup]

I love Townshead

[@plaidpaisley5918]

Me too, today! I wonder if she's still at Mount Vernon.

[@mountvernon]

@@plaidpaisley5918 Brenda is still at Mount Vernon, we're very happy to say. You might be interested in her new program: www.mountvernon.org/plan-your-visit/calendar/events/mate-masie/

[@william3589]

Me too

[@olyvoyl9382]

"I find art in the use of the word 'good'."

[@audreyvann5336]

I saw her on Townsend's before this. She's so beautiful and wonderful to listen to. I'm so glad she is so passionate about telling these stories and educating visitors in an accessible way.

[@MadeByGod1973]

Caroline is so articulated that she speaking in code.

[@rbandleahsmom]

I will be at Mt Vernon next month. I so hope you will be guiding my tour. Your embodiment of this character Caroline moves me almost to tears. So excited to visit.

[@mountvernon]

We're very happy to have you. You can see a full schedule of events prior to your visit on our calendar pages: www.mountvernon.org/plan-your-visit/calendar/. Many of the character performances are held in the Greenhouse or Interpretive Center.

[@brendaparker3107]

I hope you had the opportunity to come and visit us. My apologies if I didnt get a chance to meet you.

[@MrsMichael829Jackson]

What's sadder is that slaves don't retire because they don't have jobs. They work until they die or are killed.

[@chosenlight7289]

This is so depressing but she is a good actress. The thought that you own another soul like you God. Father help me. Alot of the slave owners got to be in hell if they didn't get it right

[@dixiedeed4918]

Amen

[@TheJlb527]

@Sparrow Flying well you must remember that slavery in the biblical times were WAYY different than the slavery the Arabic and, later on, Trans-Atlantic Slave Trades. People were encouraged to treat there servants like humans. To treat them with respect. There was a time every now and again they would have the Year of Jubilee that the slaves would be set free. But what happened to the African ancestors was nothing but making people LESS THAN HUMAN, LIKE CATTLE. There was no mercy, no humanity. Conclusively, Slavery of the bible days and of the Transatlantic are not the same in morality.

[@MrJmc793]

light brite I’m hoping they are

[@ashburnconnecttv7860]

"In his Christian New Testament Epistle to the Galatians, Paul the Apostle writes: “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.”

[@tellthetruthna8523]

@@TheJlb527 Nice justification for one person owning another. This is the selective morality that has come to define American Christians. "We treat our slaves with respect." Shameful.

[@LynnRedwine800]

Somehow this video landed in my recommendations. I usually don't watch slave stories, however I clicked because I learned of Ms. Branham in college and what interesting life she lead. I use the term "interesting" because I am a nice person and it is too early in the morning for me to express any type of sadness or anger.

[@fahhhque2255]

led* You mussa not hads no book learnins eifa

[@STScott-qo4pw]

Being punctual "is a lesson you only got to learn once, if you get my meaning." No matter how benign-seeming slavery is simply too wrong in too many ways to even begin discussing.

[@pattyayers]

S. T. Scott - Benign-seeming?!

[@STScott-qo4pw]

Patty j Ayers hi. The slave women wearing clothes suited to the owners' tastes, providing food, shelter... I've heard - no shit - in a truck stop once a guy say aloud "when you really think about it slavery wasn't all that bad..." And proceeded to speak about the mutual warmth and kindness shared between master and slave in the US before the civil war. The absence of hostility, the benign sense of community and paternal concern masters had for their "servants". I was at a TA in northern Indiana (I 69) and sat speechless. What do you say...? The waitress placing the food in front of him had a blank expression but her eyes said it all. Yes she was black. About 40 mins later he finished and went to his truck. The rest of us - 4? 5? - just looked at each other like deer in a set of headlights. People often see only what they want to see and leave those around them struck dumb.

[@manager-nim2623]

Her acting is just flawless it felt like I was seeing a real enslaved housemaid talking about her life and her simple dreams, when talked about what she would do if she was free I nearly cried. We really do take things for granted, there's nothing more precious than this simple freedom we have.

[@fredcomella2931]

History.... So important and so well told. And what an amazing voice.....!

[@dixiedeed4918]

Yea we the ppl .....created equal wow

[@kimberley3577]

Why is her voice so soothing?😍 This was a great portrayal

[@reggiegrant3246]

She is a wonderful actress.

[@joshuadraw9110]

I was at Mt Vernon a year ago and unfortunately didn’t get to see this. A blizzard was about to come through and the crowds were small as a result. I deeply admire Mr. Washington, but something I was glad to see was the stories of the enslaved individuals and their living conditions, roles, and who they were as people. Their stories are as important as anyone else’s stories, as people with hopes, dreams, desires, parents, children, etc. This very much adds to that story. Slavery is a dark spot on our history (to say the very least) and it still has lessons to teach us about how all really do have dignity as equals and should be treated as such. Sadly, that wasn’t always the case, and some still haven’t learned that, but we press forward to the ideals of the Declaration. We have come far but still have more to go. Thank you for this video and the important lesson it gives!

[@talosheeg]

Totally agree. I admire Washington, but the fact that he and many other Founding Fathers owned slaves is appalling and a stain on our country

[@bluedolphin05]

This needs to be seen everywhere. Very educational but so, so, so sad and dehumanizing. Phenomenal acting by Brenda Parker

[@mountvernon]

She brings life to any story and this is a story that must be shared!

[@ipleadobsession]

Sending love from Alberta Canada! Thank you Brenda parker for your amazing performance. I often found myself swept away. Your singing is also amazing... just wow.

[@Lorriann63]

Brenda, you are a delight to listen to. You have told us much more than we ever heard in school, and you very real. Things people need to hear about. Thank you for what you do!

[@curiouslyt2123]

7:13 is the realest about the how the miss of the house is always content in any state and how easy that is when she ain’t doing NONE of the work. All those bedrooms and basins to clean, garments to sew and tending to all and any need of the wife. Please, it’s no wonder if it took her a whole year to make one quilt for her own daughter. Oh wait, she’s got 6 kids. How do you raise your own family? You don’t.

[@kimfleury]

Cutting family bonds is a way to exercise control over the population. Yet the enslaved clung fiercely to family bonds no matter what obstacles were placed in the way. Their preservation of culture and values is a miraculous feat. God aided them with grace.

[@dallasgir]

You have a lovely voice, and I appreciated your prose.

[@TorchwoodPandP]

Possibly the most important reenactor on this planet.

[@ckwind1971]

Excellent point. Just watched a documentary called Southern Discomfort. Much about the culture of slavery and the Confederacy. Reenactors and the narrative of the Civil War, indoctrinating children into rewriting history. Much recommend.

[@alicialoya4970]

Wonderful information that helps transcend what so many of us teach in the classroom. Historical places are tremendous resources in our country. Nothing but admiration for the dedication shown by all these Historians.

[@carolae.4014]

She's a supreme actress.

[@mountvernon]

We couldn't agree more, Brenda Parker brings such skill to her interpretations

[@LivNLuv33]

Wow, you did a great job. I can see her pain although she’s smiling, she knows she’s a slave, she is making the best of her circumstances though. Great performance, it’s our history.......can’t run or hide from it, least we’re doomed to repeat it!

[@janet.oboutte1349]

Yes to know that our Blacks sold our Blacks for slavery is so heartbreaking

[@daddygirlchanelhines4600]

Get over it...

[@atlanteancherub2560]

Janet. o Boutte Lmao, Black people don’t call other Black folks “Blacks”. Try again.

[@atlanteancherub2560]

DADDY GIRL CHANEL ONFROY Get over 9/11, then we’ll talk. Lmao

[@chanathomas7861]

Absolutely. I'm floored by the performance. Amazing!

[@marshajenakovichvania7785]

She did such a great job of answering questions in character...I hope they pay her buckets of money to do this at Mount Vernon.

[@natalieshepp641]

her voice is beautiful! It brought me to tears!!

[@lisawillis8227]

Thank you for teaching us this aspect of slave life. Sad and shameful as it was it is still part of our history and it’s good to know it.

[@scarletfluerr]

Another brilliant performance, thank you.

[@jwoo5778]

She did that.

[@ReadingMan21]

You and the producer, and director deserve an Award. Bravo and thank you for bringing LIFE to the Forgotten. Many Blessings be upon you.

[@susiesnarey8442]

I have just discovered this channel and have enjoyed the videos so much. Thankyou, you are a lovely person and your narrations are wonderful.

[@MadeByGod1973]

"A cage is still a cage no matter what it is made of".

[@geraldritchey4822]

Would she rather have been in East Juhunga with a saucer in her lip, and in some dumb native's harem?

[@Mrs.Jones74]

This lady does a wonderful job, I love watching her portray the victims (slaves) she give a detailed insight on my people and the struggle they went through.

[@ayana188]

Victims they were and we still are to some extent 😡

[@dawnlovejoy8917]

so fascinating, great portrayal. I'm so proud that my ancestors campaigned for abolition and were part of the underground railroad. I just wish all slavery would end.

[@william3589]

Yeah it's 2019 and there's still slavery smh

[@nopushbutton]

@@william3589 this comment+username combo is funny to me, since Caesar enslaved more than a million people during the Gallic Wars alone, and many more were taken as slaves across the Empire throughout his reign

[@here_we_go_again2571]

@@nopushbutton Islam has enslaved (and murdered) more people than any other ideology on our planet. The Islamic/Arab slave trade continues in Africa to this day! Islam claims that slavery is permissible because Mohammad was a warlord, who enslaved (and who raped) captive people. What ISIS did in Syria and Iraq is what Mohammad spent the last ten years of his life doing (albeit, ISIS uses modern weapons and communications) The result is the same as in Mohammad's day -- Destruction, murder, enslavement, rape.

[@bentnotbroken4192]

I thank them

[@farhifarhi4170]

@@here_we_go_again2571 what a lie islam saved slaves as Muhammed proclaimed all are slaves to God not to any humans, and those who treat others as less than will burn in hell. You are fabricating these tales

[@trishrader102]

Wonderful acting. History is alive on Mt. Vernon

[@jwoo5778]

She did that.

[@ednakelley814]

I'm glad you see it that way too. Too many historic places are now under attack in the political correct culture. I know one place who stopped letting their guides wearing period clothing for the guests. It could be considered racist.

[@rebeccalott8625]

Wow!! What a beautiful woman! The richness and sadness of her story was incredible!! How those good ppl endured their hardships is amazing!! What a horrible lot in life they were dealt, all so others could be rich and live in luxury!! Makes me think of the tragic ends to so many lives!! God Bless you for sharing this incredible story!!

[@mountvernon]

Thank you for watching, Rebecca. Caroline's story is one of many

[@shannsimms9072]

I have watched this so many times and cry everytime. You are INCREDIBLE.. You really show that the lives of the enslaved could be so mundane and still be attrocious.

[@Sarah4382]

What a lovely voice!!!

[@veronicamitchell9378]

Sarah4382 describing such an ugly time

[@greekfreak1436]

"I don't see myself living long enough to retire." That hurt

[@marieazrak1951]

I never retiring in America ever I don't like our country's history

[@marieazrak1951]

I feel like our economy system as far as Jobs go has always been slavery mode for people with little to no education and people with disabilities and that's unfair.

[@sherrieshatzen3801]

What an amazing dramatic portrayal. Who is the actress? She is so talented. She enabled me to feel the pain of her situation and the truth of unjust imprisonment regardless of whether one is a field hand or works in the house. She really conveys the reality that to be a slave is to be imprisoned with or without bars. I feel her withholding of anger & bitterness (although I imagine there is plenty there) while she responds to our interest in her reality in a gracious & honest way.

[@terrigaines1812]

Her name is Brenda Parker.

[@deannyachdieldavis3706]

*Brenda you did a great job sis, I hope you get on the silver screen in one of these movies. Peace, Love and Blessings* ✌🏾❤️🙏🏾✨

[@chrystal524]

I love the coded wit in her voice. She responds with a “graceful fear”, if that makes sense, and has this elegant wariness in her voice that slaps you with the truth, but softens it with humility. The averting of her eyes is telling. I don’t think any of us can truly imagine the responses of an 18th. cen, slave, but wow, she does a beautiful job. You can also tell she is well researched!

[@elaineburnett5230]

Your comments are very insightful.

[@VirtuousPraiseworthy]

A few years ago I visited Mt. Vernon and had my first up-close exposure of any kind to evidence of an enslaved person's life. I was sickened and wept as a walked through the enslaved persons' quarters at the main house. It was obvious from size and layout that privacy and comfort were totally nonexistent, evidence of total disregard for dignity and humanity. I feel a deep verence for what what enslaved people at Mt. Vernon suffered and for their contributions to our nation. What a complex and messy history of slavery there.

[@pauliedoodle1939]

What a fantastic portrayal. The way Caroline thinks carefully before she talks to make sure she doesn’t say anything too detrimental about her owners, while her body language is in contrast to her words and her eyes full of nervous fear, really brings the character alive. It’s so easy to talk about the slave trade in facts and figures, to see the individual human side of it is truly heartbreaking. May we never ever see or allow such atrocities ever again. ❤️

[@manchestertart5614]

A brilliant performance by this wonderful lady. Smiling depression is in every word.

[@ms.gemini4657]

At first I thought this was disgusting, and how can she do this role. However, the more I think about it, I believe their stories must be told and not forgotten. Its not the people who were treated this way, who were shameful, but the people who treated them this way, who are shameful. I wouldn’t want to be of lineage to them. ( The slaveholders, that is.)

[@brendaparker3107]

Thank you so much. I am grateful that uou understood my reasons that the work is necessary.

[@laurieberry162]

I come from a family of cabinetmakers, not slaveholders. My family worked for a living. Not all white people had slaves. In the 19th century, there was an interracial marriage and that is how I am made. Unbelievable huh. No. True. DNA tells us wonderful things. No, I didn’t descend from African American, but I have a nephew who is half African American and half white. Confusing huh. My family is confusing. I am proud to descend from cabinetmakers.

[@cynhanrahan4012]

This is not acting. It's channeling. And it made me cry. There is a section of my ancestors who would have owned people. The stories I was told were not the truth. Miss Caroline here is a great representation of a slave being questioned by white people. Shame is part of my heritage.

[@zylphaaziza3725]

Very good insight...

[@charissespearman9666]

@Cyn McCollum you should not carry shame or the burden of shame for your ancestors. Do something to make things better in life for all people. Volunteer to read to children. Start a civics group for elementary students. Do something.

[@southernhoodoobelle3099]

@Chris Madison you're serious aren't you?

[@Haddasa]

@Chris Madison 🤦🏾‍♀️

[@gemdre]

@Chris Madison Get out of the conversation with your ignorance!

[@ruthbarr8054]

WONDERFUL TEACHER!

[@dakotalee6990]

It's such a sick irony that the men who are remembered for so boldly proclaiming that "all men are created equal" would fail to take their own advice and instead engage in such a gruesome display of arrogance and apathy as people-ownership, and even further that generations of people are taught about their triumphs while their moral failings are "hidden behind the tapestry" as Ms. Caroline might say. Philosophy doesn't mean much when it doesn't follow you home, Mr. Washington. Beautiful performance to help set the record straight, Brenda!

[@BradyPostma]

Washington, despite his faults (including his dogged pursuit and severe punishment of runaway slaves), was one of the few to free his slaves in his will. It's not altogether a good position, especially by modern standards. But within the range of behavior of Virginia slaveholders toward their slaves, it is toward the better end of the range.

[@dakotalee6990]

@@BradyPostma My issue is when people's faults are stowed away because we want to exalt them. It's so easy to want to cast someone as either hero or villain when the truth is so much more complicated. Does the fact he was a slaveholder undermine the work he did to establish the nation? No, but if you ignore half the story you risk glorifying a past and a person that never existed. There wasn't George Washington President and George Washington Slaveholder. There was one man who was both those things, and the more we can learn to engage with the complexity of historical figures, the better (and perhaps more tolerant) we'll be dealing with our own problems. And at the end of the day, we can't excuse people-owning on a sliding scale of morality because of how they treated the people they owned. Either you respect the sovereignty and dignity of all people or you don't.

[@BradyPostma]

@@dakotalee6990 - I upvoted your comment, so many powerful statements of truth I found in it! There was only one George Washington, with all the complexity that entails, exactly as you said! And of course I hold with the sovereignty and dignity of all people, and recognize that Washington violated that sovereignty and dignity. The complexity of human figures and the complexity of our comprehension of them means that we don't have to -- nor should we -- condemn the whole man for one awful aspect of his life, nor hide his faults so that we can praise him for a good aspect of his life. We can comprehend and independently judge all of the varied aspects of his life at once, with different judgements for each, each on a gradient scale of good to evil or even by a more complex model than that. His belonging to a class of slaveholding plantation owners is an aspect of his life worth condemning. His unusual efforts to rid himself of that legacy is an aspect of his life worth praising. Neither diminishes the other. He could have been an abolishionist, and wasn't. He could have been one of the most sadistically callous and brutal masters around, and wasn't. These facts place him in the context of his time and place just as much as they allow us to make the most timeless judgements of his conduct and character as we can.

[@europeanamerican7658]

The duplicity of the behavior of the "Founding Fathers" is obvious. They could have made their slaves at a least sharecroppers so they would be free. They could legally make them free if they wanted and this would set an example for others. Imagine a white person of lower social order witnessing the Almighty Washington or Jefferson free thrir slaves. It could have a big impact. But it all comes down to this: the founding fathers wanted to preserve the Union because it was still nascent and fragile and they feared reconquest by the British. So they let slavery expand for the sake of unity. They thus laid the seeds of the Civil War. It is not difficult to envision why the South dominated the politics of the US up to the '80s.

[@BradyPostma]

@@europeanamerican7658 - You're largely right, except that Washington did free the slaves he owned, that there often were legal obstacles that make freeing one's slaves difficult or temporarily impossible, and that it's a stretch to say that the founders "let slavery expand." It shrank in their time, and expanded under the rule of the following generation. The duplicity was certainly there, and the legacy was certainly a long, deep scar in American society, and everyone could have done at least a little more than they did. They deliberately looked away from slavery and let it fester in a variety of ways for the sake of unity and national survival, and that did plant the seeds of the Civil War.

[@janbarker9773]

My heart breaks for the plight of the slaves. Miss Brenda presents this in dignified manner. Thank you Miss Brenda

[@wildacrefarm]

Thank you for your wonderful portrayal of Caroline. You really brought her life and her voice alive for us to learn. And you sing so beautifully!

[@shannsimms9072]

God Miss and the way you keep a smile on your face and are so polite could almost fool a person that you were happy. And still you cant help but feel the heartbreak right under the surface. You're a beautiful woman, actress and watching you had truly changed me.

[@kazza6078]

Loved this video, I'm glad they didn't shy away from unhappy topics, even though they still kept it suitable for kids. I'd love to hear more from Ms. Branham about her life and the realities that were kept from kids like me when I was learning about history in the US. Also I definitely cried when she started singing.

[@shericontrary2535]

Amazing. She makes it easier to understand history.

[@beverlywaits7663]

I will never ever understand the Evil of Slavery and what those Demons did for Hatred and profit of a human being!!!NEVERRRR 🤔🤔😔😔🙏🏾🙏🏾

[@MrsMichael829Jackson]

She makes history sound ok but It was horrible and this, like version of American history we learn in school, is made to make White people comfortable. It doesn't really give you the true pain and suffering of slaves. It's as if She's giving the answers her massa allowed her to give.

[@beverlywaits7663]

@@MrsMichael829Jackson exactly 🤔🙏🏾

[@natalieshepp641]

At this point I probably would have answered every question with AND LIFE IS HELL!!.. But thank you for your inquiry!!

[@enlightened2909]

Right!

[@rachelmcdonough1506]

Bravo. This kind of interpretation is so important and I am glad that Mount Vernon is showing this integral and tragic side of its history.

[@rareavisfugit]

It breaks my heart to hear her say master.

[@rareavisfugit]

It's just not right at all. It troubles my soul.

[@carolinacutie8197]

David Anewman you think men should be held in the same regard as God?

[@edakennerson6382]

@David Anewman God is a jealous God we are only suppose to serve HIM...now HUSH DEMON

[@edakennerson6382]

@David Anewman I DO read the bible..DEMON

[@carolinacutie8197]

David Anewman you are a sick person

[@galndixie]

This lady is fantastic.....she is the perfect person for this role. Loved this video, very informative.

[@mountvernon]

Brenda brings life to any person she portrays. Learn more about the life of Caroline Branham here in a video narrated by Brenda herself: kzbin.info/www/bejne/poiweqR4or-gps0

[@gordonmaxey352]

Thank you for bringing to life a wonderful portrayal of history You are a true gift to us all.

[@TruthAndLight4995]

I took my 10 yr old granddaughter to tour Mt. Vernon. She said it was like a little village, and some people were forced to live there. Quite insightful. This actress is awesome! Wow, and a singing voice like an angel!!! ❤️👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾👏🏾

[@shondale71]

Ms Brenda Parker is a phenomenal actress. 💯

[@JD-pd3gl]

This was so enlightening to watch, and the actress did such a good job. I started tearing up when she talked about how she wished for her children to be free and that she’d sacrifice herself for them...

[@leogirl9290]

This woman is AMAZING! I love her facial expressions. Beautiful, just beautiful!

[@bonniepeele1504]

Excellent story telling, and your voice is simply BEAUTIFUL!

[@marymccloskey9450]

Such a beautiful voice. I can’t imagine the strength of will you survive such a life.

[@DessArtem]

Absolutely stunning performance. Thank you so much. Side note: fantastic singing voice as well

[@sherrysimpson3825]

Beautiful young woman! I could listen to her sing all day! Her entire story brought tears to my eyes.