These short stories are all about slavery in some way. See also:
Slavery Short Stories
“Caramelle 1864” by Jewelle Gomez
The narrator and her father live on a New England farm. Their place is a rest stop for people fleeing slavery in the south. Years earlier, the father, Solomon, fled slavery. He scans the road for the sign. They’re getting visitors tonight, whom they refer to as Cousins. They’ve heard lots of stories of what their guests have been through.
This story can be read in the preview of Black from the Future: A Collection of Black Speculative Fiction. (12% in)
“The Cruel Redeemer Lazarus Morell” by Jorge Luis Borges
Lazarus Morell was an evil man who worked near the Mississippi river. He was one of the poor whites during the days of slavery, but he was proud of his “untainted” blood. He engaged in various unethical schemes, but one in particular was shocking in its cruelty.
This story can be read in the preview of Collected Fictions. (Pg 6)
“A Dream of Waking” by Sam Best
A waking cycle begins and Jacob hears the screams. He can tell there’s light, even though his eyes are sewn shut. He’s disoriented at first, but then the details come back to him. He’s lying in an enclosed half-cylinder with tubing in his skull.
This story can be read in the preview of The Future Chronicles. (22% in)
“The Goophered Grapevine” by Charles W. Chesnutt
A black man, Uncle Julius, tells the story of a North Carolina vineyard to interested buyers, John and Annie. It was owned by Dugal McAdoo before the Civil War and it produced well. To deal with a theft problem he consulted Aunt Peggy, a woman who was feared for her curses. (Summary)
“Elethia” by Alice Walker
In Elethia’s town, the grandson of a slaveowner with a fondness for his grandfather’s time owns a popular local restaurant, “Old Uncle Albert’s”. Displayed prominently in the front window is a dummy with an excellent likeness to the real Uncle Albert. On Saturdays, black people gather to look at it and talk about the real Albert Porter, whom some of them knew.
“The Witness” by Katherine Anne Porter
Uncle Jimbilly works with his hands, doing odd repair jobs and making small carvings. He tells the young people about the days of slavery.
“The Beginning of Homewood” by John Edgar Wideman
The narrator is writing a letter to his brother to tell him the story of his great-great-great-grandmother Sybela Owens, who escaped from slavery. She ran off one night with her two children and her owner’s son, the father of her children, on a five-hundred-mile journey.
“Possum or Pig?” by Zora Neale Hurston
When pigs start going missing, suspicion falls on the house slave, John. The master makes a surprise visit one night to his cabin, to see what he’s cooking.
“An Outpost of Progress” by Joseph Conrad
Two Europeans man a trading post in the African jungle. They’re involved in ivory trading, but there’s very little real work to do. A local wants to trade slaves for ivory.
“Fever” by John Edgar Wideman
There is a yellow fever epidemic in late 18th century Philadelphia. Allen, an African-American, chooses to stay in the city to help Dr. Rush find a cure and treat the victims. Popular opinion among the white population is that the disease was brought to the city by black slaves.
I’ll keep adding short stories about slavery as I find them.
