Potential racism of "auction block"

[Rick H Kennerly]

|o|         So what are these earlier examples, Jesse?
|o|

Not Jesse, but I've got:

Narrative of the life and adventures of Henry Bibb, an American slave,
written by himself.
by Henry Bibb w/ intro by Lucius C. Matlack.
1850

"After the men were all sold they then [unclear: ] the women and children.
They ordered the first woman to lay down her child and mount the auction
block; she refused to give up her little one and clung to it as long as she
could, while the cruel lash was applied to her back for disobedience"

rhk