The Broken Mirror
When I was growing up, like many others, I was fascinated by Alex Haley’s miniseries, “Roots”. It aired in 1977 when I was 11. I hung onto every word of every episode. When I was older, and I could get the entire miniseries at the library, I checked it out and watched it again. I believe the reason that show had such an impact on me was because the story of Kunta Kinte was passed down through his ancestors. Each generation kept the story intact for the next and it connected them all to each other. They were proud of who they were, and they never forgot where they came from. This knowledge of their people gave them an identity during years of slavery, separation and other traumas they endured. I longed for the family stories of my ancestors as a child. I would have given anything to have an accurate understanding of who my people were and what kinds of challenges they overcame – to know what they valued, loved and why I came to be sep...