Sam Aleckson

**Samuel Williams** (kimanin 1852 – 1946?), wanda aka fi sani da sunan rubutunsa Sam Aleckson, ɗan asalin Amurka ne da aka ‘yantar kuma marubucin littafin Before the War and After the Union: An Autobiography. An rubuta littafin a shekarar 1914 kuma aka wallafa shi a 1929. Tarihinsa ya ba da wani kallon musamman game da rayuwar bayi a birane a Arewacin Amurka da yadda ‘yan uwa ‘yantattu suka tsara rayuwarsu a lokacin sake gina ƙasa (Reconstruction) har zuwa ƙarni na 20.

## Bayani game da rayuwa
Kamar mahaifinsa, Alexander Williams, mahaifiyarsa, Susan Williams, da kakansa mai suna, an haifi Samuel Williams a cikin bautar a cikin kimanin 1852 a Charleston, South Carolina. Kakansa, Clement Williams, an kawo shi ne daga Afirka a cikin Cinikin bayi na Atlantic. Samuel Williams yana da babban arziki na koyar da "R's" guda uku daga masu shi. Da zarar an sake shi, ya yi amfani da iliminsa don rubuta rayuwarsa kuma ya sami bugawa a 1929. Williams ya nakalto Shakespeare ga masu karatu na tarihin kansa ta hanyar zanawa daga *Othello*: "Zan ba da labari mai sauƙi," layin da ake amfani da shi a cikin labaran bayi amma mai ƙarfi a nan. Tawali'u na wannan magana ya karyata labarin rayuwa mai rikitarwa. Duk da yake an buga tarihinsa a 1929, Williams ya yi iƙirarin cewa ya rubuta shi a shekara ta 1914 a lokacin da ya ji tsoron zai iya makantar da shi kuma yana so ya rubuta rayuwarsa kafin hakan ya faru. Koyaya, bai makance ba, kuma ya rayu na wasu shekaru da yawa, mai yiwuwa ya mutu a Massachusetts a 1946.

## Kafin Yaƙin
A cikin labarinsa, Williams ya ce: "Wurin da aka haife ni da yanayin da aka haifa ni batutuwan ne, ba shakka, ba ni da iko. Idan na kasance, ya kamata in canza yanayin, amma bai kamata in canza wurin ba; domin babban tsohon birni ne, kuma koyaushe ina alfahari da zama ɗan ƙasa." Mahaifiyarsa da mahaifinsa mallakar iyalai daban-daban ne. Kamar yara da yawa da suka zama bayi, Williams wani lokacin yana zaune a cikin iyali kuma wani lokacin ba haka ba ne; ya zauna a cikin gidajen bayin mahaifinsa na wani bangare mai kyau na lokacin. A lokacin yarinta, mahaifiyarsa da ɗan'uwansa sun yi aiki tare da masu mallakarta yayin da ya kasance a ƙarƙashin kulawar kakarsa saboda yana da ƙuruciya don amfani.

Williams ya yi wasu kyawawan abubuwan tunawa game da farkon shekarunsa, yana cewa game da iyalin da shuka bautar da shi da danginsa, sun kasance "na duk masu bautar, mafi kyau".  Yaran ƙanana suna da kusan duk lokacin su don yin wasa. Da farko, Williams zai yi wasa tare da 'ya'yan fari na makwabcin, kuma daga baya tare da wasu' ya'yan baƙi a gonar da ya koma. Ya bayyana a fili, duk da haka, cewa "Babu wani abu mai kyau da za a faɗi game da bautar Amurka. Na san wani lokaci al'ada ce a yi magana game da bangarorin da ke da haske da duhu. Ba na shirye in yarda cewa yana da bangarori masu haske, sai dai idan Shugaba Ibrahim Lincoln ya bayar da sanarwar Emancipation..."

A farkon yarinta, yayin da 'ya'ya fari huɗu da Williams ya yi wasa da su suna makaranta, an koya wa Williams yadda za a karanta da rubutu ta hanyar fararen mata uku da ba su yi aure ba waɗanda suka kasance wani ɓangare na iyalin da suka bautar mahaifin Williams. An koya masa ta amfani da littafi daya kawai, wanda ya kira "Thomas Dilworth's," yana nufin *Sabon Jagora ga Harshen Ingilishi* na Thomas Dilworth. Daga littafin, Williams ya yi iƙirarin cewa ya koyi game da harshe, ma'auni da ma'aunin, ƙididdiga, da ɗabi'a. Bugu da ƙari, Williams ya bayyana yadda ake amfani da slates don darussansa, da kuma sha'awarsa da zane-zane na almara waɗanda suka ba da umarnin abin da ke da ɗabi'a da abin da ba shi da kyau: "...kamar mutumin da ya yi addu'a ga Hercules ya fitar da karusarsa daga laka; daga maza biyu da suka sace nama; daga ma'aikatan mata masu laushi da mutumin kirki wanda ya ɗauki rabin maciji mai daskarewa a cikin gidansa" Ya kuma bayyana cewa bayi da yawa an hukunta su saboda an same su a cikin mallakar makarantar, duk da suke da suke da lada ne "littafin makarantar mai kula da bautar"

Game da mai shi, Williams ya ce: "Mista Ward shine abin da ake kira 'maigirma mai kyau.' Mutanensa suna da abinci mai kyau, suna da gidaje masu kyau, kuma ba su da aiki sosai. Duk da haka, akwai wasu dokoki masu tsattsauran ra'ayi waɗanda ya ba da izinin karamin laifi, domin yana da matsayinsa ga Negro... Matsayinsa ga Negre yana cikin biyayya da bautar fari.  Williams ya yi nuni da halin ubangijinsa, yana nuna cewa ba zai iya kaiwa ga wasu daga bautar ba za su ba. Ward, kamar sauran masu bautar bayi da yawa, ya tabbatar da matsayinsa na mai shi da bawa tare da ra'ayi na iyaye. Ya ba da kyau ga bayinsa yayin da yake buƙatar cikakkiyar biyayya. Ward, alal misali, ya kula da sanin inda suke ta hanyar dagewa ya ba da izinin duk wani tashi daga ƙasarsa kuma kamar yadda Williams ya nuna a cikin tarihinsa, Ward ba shi da wata damuwa game da azabtar da waɗancan bayin da ya ji ya kalubalanci shi.

Yayinda yake yaro, Williams ya koyi hawa dawakai daga daya daga cikin bayinsa. Williams ya ce, "Ya koya mini hawa, kuma lokacin da zan iya zama doki na da kyau 'bare-back' yana da gadon da aka yi mini a sanannen 'McKinzie' a lokacin, alamar 'White Horse' a kusurwar Church da Chalmers Street".  Wannan horo na hawa ba na musamman ba ne ga kwarewar Williams. A zahiri, bayi suna da mahimmanci ga duniyar tseren dawakai a Kudancin Amurka. Jockeys da masu horar da su sun kasance bayi ne. Duk da iyakantaccen dama, waɗannan mahayan dawakai masu bautar har yanzu suna ƙarƙashin gaskiyar kasancewa bayi a cikin al'ummar bayi. Williams bai taba zama dan wasan motsa jiki ba, duk da haka, kuma game da wannan ya ce: "Wataƙila Mista Dane yana da 'ra'ayoyi', game da ni domin yana da da dawakai masu sauri da yawa, amma kafin na tsufa ya zama mai amfani, 'Sherman ya zo yana tafiya ta Georgia.'"

## A lokacin Yaƙin

Williams ya ba da labarin isowarsa a Charleston wata rana don gano cewa "maza suna tafiya a kan tituna suna sanye da blue cockades a kan lappels na rigunansu." Wannan shine farkon fahimtarsa cewa akwai yakin da ke gudana, kodayake tasirin (mai ban mamaki farashi ga komai da kuma bacewar yawancin samari da za su yi yaƙi) an ji shi na ɗan lokaci. Williams ya ba da labarin tattaunawar da aka yi tsakanin sauran bayi maza da mata a wannan lokacin game da yakin da ke gabatowa da kuma goyon bayan da suka yi wa jami'in Union Janar Robert Anderson na kare Fort Sumter. 

An hana 'yan Afirka na Afirka da suka kasance bayi daga zama sojoji a cikin Confederacy. Koyaya, bayan ɗan'uwan Williams ya mutu daga zazzabi, Williams mai shekaru 10 ya ɗauki matsayin ɗan'uwansa a matsayin "yaro" na jami'in Confederate, yana gudanar da ayyuka kuma yana yin ayyukan gida ga jami'an. "Kuma a nan dole ne in yarda cewa na sa 'gishiri,' in ji Williams. "Ban taɓa halartar kowane taron Confederate ba. Ina tsammanin sun yi watsi da sunana a kan jerin sunayen sojoji! "

Gidan yarinta na Williams a kan titin Guignard ya lalace ta hanyar Babban Wutar Charleston a ranar 11 ga Disamba, 1861. Wannan gobarar ta lalata yawancin manyan wuraren tarihi kamar Charleston Circular Church da Cibiyar Cibiyar inda aka sanya hannu kan Dokar Secession,  kuma Williams ya tuna cewa ita ce babbar wuta da zai taba gani a Charleston.  Da yake tunawa da abin da ya faru a cikin tarihinsa, Williams ya bayyana yadda "hasken ya yi kama da ruwan sama yayin da muke gudu. "  Labarin tarihinsa yana aiki ne a matsayin mai shaida game da rikici da tsoro da Babban Wutar ta haifar.

## Bayan Yaƙin
Da zarar Confederates sun mika wuya, rayuwa a Kudancin Carolina ta canza sosai ga Williams da iyalinsa. Sun sake haɗuwa a ƙarƙashin rufi ɗaya; Alexander Williams da iyalinsa sun zauna a kan titin Princess a Charleston na shekaru da yawa.

Labarin Williams na wannan zamanin ya haɗa da tunani game da "Black Code" ko dokokin da aka zartar don ƙuntata haƙƙin jama'a da na zamantakewa na 'yanci. Ya yi mamakin dalilin da ya sa, aƙalla a lokacin da yake rubuta tarihinsa a ƙarni na 20, mutum bai ji abubuwa da yawa game da wannan ba, yana cewa watakila "wani yana jin kunyar hakan".

A shekara ta 1876, ma'aikacin Williams ya nemi ya zabi Janar Wade Hampton. Williams ya zaɓi kada ya jefa kuri'a a cikin zaben kwata-kwata, duk da cewa ya ji Janar ya yi magana: "Abinda kawai burinmu ya ce, shi ne ya ceci tsohuwar jiharmu daga lalacewa gaba ɗaya. Sa'an nan, ya ɗaga hannunsa na dama zuwa sama ya ce waɗannan kalmomi kamar yadda zan iya tunawa, "Idan an zabe ni gwamna, na rantse wa Allah cewa babu wani dama ko gata da za a karɓa daga gare ku! "  Williams ya kuma lura cewa yawancin alkawuran da Janar Hampton ya yi ba su cika ba kuma, a zahiri, ana aiwatar da ayyukan hana 'yanci da dokokin Jim Crow akan baƙi a wannan zamanin.

Wani lokaci a cikin shekarun 1880, Williams ya koma Vermont (ya bayyana cewa ya koma Springfield, Vermont) kuma nan da nan ya aika da matarsa ta biyu da 'ya'yansa (da yawa daga aurensa na farko kuma watakila wasu' ya'ya ko yara daga matarsa ta farko) don shiga tare da shi. Duk da yake ba a san abubuwa da yawa game da rayuwarsa a Vermont ba, shi da 'yarsa ta fari Susan sun bayyana a ƙidayar 1910, suna zaune a New HampshireLebanon, New Hampshire, inda suka yi aiki a matsayin bayin iyalin Carter. A Vermont, dukansu sun yi aiki ga marubucin Thomas H. Thomas . An lissafa su a cikin Ƙididdigar Tarayyar Amurka ta 1920, suna zaune a Windsor tare da iyalin Thomas.

Williams ya bayyana ya koma Massachusetts" Cambridge, a cikin 1920s tare da 'yarsa Susan, wanda ya auri lauya / likitan hakora na Afirka mai suna William Alexander Cox .  Cox ya kuma shiga cikin Ƙungiyar Kasuwancin Negro ta Kasa.

## Tarihin kansa
Bayan rashin lafiya ya raunana idanun Williams kuma ya ji tsoron makanta, sai ya yanke shawarar yin rikodin abubuwan da suka faru a baya. Har ila yau, an motsa shi wajen rubuta tarihin rayuwarsa ta hanyar sha'awar tunatar da al'ummomin Afirka na gaba game da mummunar kwarewar bautar, dalilin da aka bayyana a cikin gabatarwar tarihin:
 
Littafin tarihin Williams, wanda aka rubuta a shekara ta 1914, yana amfani da sunayen da ba a sani ba ga yawancin mutane da wuraren da yake magana. Misali, iyalan Ward, Bale, da Dane da ya tattauna a cikin tarihinsa suna iya zama sunaye na karya, kamar yadda Williams da kansa ya yi amfani da sunan sirri don rubuta aikinsa. 

Kamfanin Gold Mind Publishing Company a Boston ne ya buga tarihin Williams a shekarar 1929. Jikan Williams, William A. Cox Jr., an jera shi a matsayin "mai rubutu" a cikin ƙididdigar Amurka ta 1930. Cox ya bayyana cewa ya gudu ko kuma ya kasance yana da hannu tare da ƙaramin manema labarai da aka sani da Gold Mind Printers a Boston a cikin shekarun 1928 zuwa 1930. Wataƙila kamfani ne na bugawa wanda ya buga tarihin Williams, kamar yadda Kamfanin Gold Mind Publishing Company ya kasance a cikin wannan birni kuma yana da irin wannan sunan. Don haka, mai yiwuwa Williams ya sami taimakon jikansa wajen buga tarihinsa.

Williams ya ci gaba da zama tare da iyalinsa na shekaru da yawa bayan ya buga tarihinsa kuma ya mutu a Massachusetts a 1946.

## Ƙarin karantawa

* [Hasiya] *Na kasance a Kudancin Carolina: Labaran Bawa na Kudancin Caroline* (2010).
* Ashton, Susanna, mai kula da kuma marubuci. *[https://ldhi.library.cofc.edu/exhibits/show/samuel-williams-and-his-world Samuel Williams da Duniya]* (2018). Nunin dijital.
* Hilliard, Kathleen M. Masters, Slaves, and Exchange: Power's Purchase in the Old South (2014).
* McInnis, Maurie D. Siyasa ta Tasiri a cikin Antebellum Charleston (2005).
* Powers, Bernard E. *Black Charlestonians: Tarihin Jama'a, 1822-1855* (1994).

## Bayanan da aka ambata