Edward Ball on 'Slaves in the Family'

01 Aug 2000

Edward Ball discusses his book, Slaves in the Family which was awarded a National Book Award in 1998. The book is a biographical history of the Ball family, beginning with Elias Ball who came to America in 1698. Thanks to the family's meticulously kept records, including correspondence, slave lists and account books, Ball was able to chart the family history of five generations of slave and plantation owners and the African American families with whom their lives are inextricably intertwined. This genealogical history is explored against the backdrop of events in history such as the American Revolution and the Civil War.

Ball began writing the book by finding the descendants of former slaves who worked on the Ball plantations. By bringing people together in a single narrative, he intended to convey the shared and intertwined history of black and white people in the U.S. The book generated much debate regarding issues such as blame, repatriation for African-Americans and the perceived cultural genocide of white Southerners. He argues that this is preferable to the clichés of diversity and tolerance that often mask what individuals really feel.

Ball discusses the mixed reaction of his family and the reaction of African-American individuals towards the book. Lastly, he describes the denial of interracial sex, a traditional tenet of the Ball family, and meeting distant relations from African-American families.

Thank you to the University of California Television for making this video available.