June 2009

Perhaps one of the greatest tragedies of the veil is the loss of the great continent of Africa. The thought of going to Africa was frightening because I could not get my mind past the slave posts and the roads so many million marched down and so many are buried along the way. I could only see myself reaching my hand to feel the cold walls of the slave forts and being consumed by an unimaginable grief. I would hear children crying for their mothers, young girls and boys still with a fear none had ever seen before. I will stop, not tell you of all I see as my hands shake and my body trembles bringing me to my knees. Maybe now I can visit Africa with it diverse landscape and many cultures and ways of life. In time I will see the wonder and beauty of the land and of the people. I will breath in sweet cool air of the rivers. I will see Africa as it really is, not the Africa shown on television or in American news. I will feel a peace, a glow, the Mother Land holding one of her children, rocking, healing her, loving her. Mind you, I have no regrets. I have enjoyed understanding life, culture, and reasons. I marched through the heat, sand clinging to my body, feeling the weight of the chains linking me to others. I traveled in the hull of a slave ship; gagging from the stench of urine, feces, and vomit. Ii stood before men leering at my unclothed body, licking their lips. I ran into the streets with the cry of freedom on my lips then walked hundreds of miles to find my mother, old and bent over from years of hard labor in the fields. I sat with writers and musicians in clubs after renting a brand new apartment in Harlem. I rented out the bedrooms to cover the rent but the apartment was beautiful. I cried at the death of Dr. King and watched the riots of the Black Power Movement. I loved teaching others, cultivating an interest and excitement in them to learn more, to explore any and every thing of interest to them. I expect to continue to study but on a lesser scale and with other subjects in between. I am very interested in linguistics, music, arts, world cultures, and many other topics. Now I have time to expand more as I no longer need to be a respected scholar in my field. I will be just me!