 White records one song from North Carolina with the refrain "Run, sinner, run, an' hunt you a hidin' place", repeated as in "Run, Nigger, Run".He likewise finds a "psychological connection" between this song and a spiritual often called "City of Refuge", which features the refrain




The act of running itself is a common theme in slave literature and folklore, taking both literal and metaphorical forms.The ability for blacks to run faster than whites was considered of such importance that a common proverb of the time went "What you don' hab in yo' haid, yuh got ter' hab in yo' feet".