Our Story
ISBN OURSTORY
(Cover) A long, long time ago – African people were snatched from their homeland b y E u r o p e a n s and brought to America – A land that the Europeans stole from Native Americans. For hundreds of years the African people were forced to work or die … work or die … work or die. The result was America, “Land of the Free”, built on the blood and sweat of slaves. For years and years the African people were not allowed to live their culture, play their drums, speak their language, love themselves. (Inside) Through years of indoctrination and mis-education, African people began to imitate their oppressors and became lost from themselves… Throughout this time there have been many freedom fighters – men and women who refused to submit. The great freedom fighter El Hajj Malik El-Shabazz – Malcolm X, said it plainly … “Just because a cat has kittens in the oven doesn’t make them biscuits!” And so today, there are many people around the world – Black people that are descendants of those African people who were snatched from their homeland to build empire for Europeans – who understand that … although we were not born in Africa, Africa was born in us. We feel the rhythm of the drum, which is our heart beating – our blood pulsing. We are glad to recognize that we are African people, and we celebrate this truth as it frees us to express all that we really are. Happy Kwanzaa!
