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Black-eyed Peas New Year’s - Harriet Collins

January 23, 2023




Eating Black-eyed peas on New Year’s Day is a longstanding African American tradition. In the 1930s Harriet Collins, formerly enslaved by the Texas governor, Richard Coke, gives us insight on the African origin of this traditions and many more. She was recorded saying, 

“Eat black-eyed peas on New Year and have luck all dat year: 

“Dose black-eyed. peas is lucky, 

When et on New Year's Day; 

You’ll  allus have sweet taters And possum come you way.' 

The interviewer, who was more than likely a white person as that was the standard for the project described Ms.Collin’s ancestral knowledge as “superstitions.” Mainstream white culture has long characterized African derived religious, spiritual, cultural and magical beliefs and traditions as superstitious. This was an attempt to dehumanize Black people, justify enslavement, defend intentional disenfranchisement. However, if we listen closely to Mrs. Collin’s words, we can see she gets to the root of devaluation. 

"Dere been some queer things white folks can't understand.” Dere am folkses can see de spirits, but I can't. My mammy lamed me a lots of doctorini, what she larnt from old folkses from Africy, and some de Indians larnt hea

While attempting to subjugate African derived religious practices, Atlantic world enslavers long feared its power especially in the wake of the Haitian Revolution where Vodou played a central role in eradicating slavery by the enslaved. 

Black-eyed peas have a long use in Western Africa where many Africans were captured during the Transatlantic Slave Trade. Before, during and after this period these people had multiple uses for black-eyed peas. Today, throughout the African Diaspora in the Americas, Black-eyed peas maintain a strong significance in daily life, whether African Americans eating black-eyed peas on New Year's Day to ensure prosperity or their use as offerings for Orishas in places like Cuba and Brazil.

Most of Ms. Collins’ narrative is full of teachings that were passed to her from her mother who learned from Africans and Indigenous people in the Americas. We shouldn’t think of these teachings as “superstitions,” but instead retentions that have survived centuries of intentional repressions and devaluations. But still continue to guide the lives of millions of Afrodescendents throughout the world. Happy New Year! And thank you Ms. Harriet Collins for leaving us a number of practices that have sustained our people over the centuries.

Harriet Collins was not technically born enslaved.


Resources for further education and information:

WPA Texas Slave Narratives, Volume 1:

Race, Reconstruction, and the “Invention of Negro Supersition,” 1862-1877 (Academic Article)

How the Haitian Revolution Changed the World - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kif6WGfCWs4

What was the Significance of Vodou in the Haitian Revolution -

Richard Coke, Texas Governor and U.S. Senator, former enslaver of Harriett Collins family -

 
 
 

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