This poem was inspired by Alex Haley's, Roots
From Africa to America
One man traced his roots back to Africa.
Back to where it all began.
His odyssey sparked by the story of how, long ago, his
people,
were taken from a land far across the sea.
It was the story of a people stripped of their
native heritage and sold into slavery;
A people, without a voice,
Without freedom of choice
It was the story of a people who struggled to hold onto
Their dignity as their women were violated and their
families
ripped apart
Often scourged and beaten by their masters,
They still possessed a courage that was admired and
envied.
If they cried out, they cried out in anguish to their
Heavenly Father,
Who was the only source of hope in a darkened
existence.
They were a people whose spirit could not be broken, a
people
Who courageously continued to cling to the customs and
values of
Their motherland.
Throughout the years, generation after generation told
the story of how it
All began. Who
would know that one day, the story would find its way back to Africa?
That this people, once stolen from their native soil
would become the fruit
Of a country that sought to enslave their very
souls? Who would know that
This people would rise above their plight and one day
take their place among the best
In society, becoming doctors, lawyers, and teachers? It was what our ancestors had dreamed of,
fought for and hoped would come to be.
We can be proud because we have inherited
the spirit of courage and determination possessed by our African ancestors. We were born warriors, and as such, we
will stand our ground and fight for our place in this land.
Through us, the story of how it all began will go on,
from America to Africa and back again.
We will carry this story throughout time. It will forever be a part of our history,
forever in our hearts
And in our souls, for it is the one thing time can
never erase.
copyright Patricia Newman-Harris