Inextricably Linked

The Maafa - The Great Tragedy - The African Holocaust

Culture, name, religion, and many lives lost

Sailing West from the Gulf of Guinea through the Atlantic Ocean

Bounded below and sick, regurgitating from the stench and the motion

Senegal, Angola, Congo, Gabon

Ghana, Guinea-Bissau, Gambia

Mali, Nigeria, and Sierra Leone

Continent rich in every category, resources of many kind

Excessive wealth benefits a few, the vast majority left behind

Africa’s posterity - stolen by foreigners - a wicked ship ride  

Faced with horrific dilemmas - rape, murder, and suicide

Broken families pillaged enroute to a strange land

Necks, wrists, and ankles, bearing captivity’s cruel brand

God’s grace sustained us, as we were forced to assimilate

God’s guidance on vengeance or rebel and retaliate

Charleston, Savannah, and Hampton Roads

Wilmington, Mobile Bay

Humiliated - Inspected - Sold

Millions of dollars earned, the labor was free

Significant contributions to society, in exchange for a tree

Hated, mistreated, despised, and abused

Disavowed by the Harlem Renaissance and the Negritude

Amidst it all, we continue to grow stronger each year

Eviscerating colonial shackles - the incessant prayer

The Year of Return and Beyond, initiated by Ghana

A chance to reconnect and learn, in the spirit of the Sankofa

Through God’s providence, we continue to survive

A greater work is being done, so let it materialize

We continue to tell the story, lest no one forget

Trust in God unequivocally, the link is not broken yet

Be proud of where your roots are - AFRICA

Be proud of where your branches are - AMERICA