Comments on: Good in The Myth of ‘Kunta Kinte’?

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Sun, 12 Jul 2009 04:40:15 +0000

While Haley may have fabricated his own family lineage, he did not fabricate the lineage of the family he claims owned Kunta Kinte. I am a descendant of this family, the Wallers. I do not think our family has been hurt in any way by this negative association- we did own slaves (a thing I am not proud of!), but many families who’ve been in the United States since before the Civil War owned slaves. I’ve researched this story backwards/forwards and have been unable to turn up any concrete proof that Haley’s family is linked to the Wallers. I cannot confirm nor deny that my ancestors owned Kunta Kinte (your guess is as good as mine), but I can confirm that John & William Waller were real people. Whatever the case may be, Haley’s tale is still important and should be considered an amazing allegorical work of fiction!

By: Le Syndrome Kunta Kinte | Le petit nègre

Le Syndrome Kunta Kinte | Le petit nègre — Fri, 08 May 2009 15:34:15 +0000

[...] Les africains, quand on en parle entre nous, on se demande surtout qu’elle est la finalité d’une telle démarche ? Supposons que je sois Spike Lee et que j’apprends que je suis RD Congolais d’origine. Que faire ? Je demande la double nationalité ? Certainement pas (surtout que c’est légalement assez difficile), Il ne me reste plus qu’à servir de porte ouverte à une récupération financière par mes ancêtres du fait de mon statut de star. Si je suis, au contraire, un gars moins ou pas connu du tout, le bled se foutra de moi comme il se fout de sa diaspora car c’est bien connu: la diaspora ne partage pas les malheurs du bled juste ses bonheurs. Plus sérieusement, les noirs américains (et les antillais) ont une dent contre les africains à qui ils reprochent le fait de les avoir vendu aux galériens. Et quand on voit le peut d’entrain que ceux-ci ont mis a retrouver ou du moins garder la mémoire de leurs frères disparus, on ne peut pas trop leur en vouloir. Il a fallu la vraie/fausse biographie de Alex Haley pour redorer le blason du bled. Alors quand Barack O a réussi ce qu’aucun fils d’esclave n’avait même rêvé de réaliser, il n’en fallait pas plus pour les motiver à s’éloigner de l’image du descendant d’esclave pour se rapprocher de celle de fils de l’Afrique. [...]

By: rahma

rahma — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 18:49:43 +0000

Hmm, I read Roots for my 10th grade advanced english class in overwhelmingly white, christian central wisconsin. This later lead me to read Haley’s Autobiography of Malcolm X, which in turn lead me to explore Islam during my spiritual search. Looking back, I’d say that Roots was my first positive experience with muslims, and that it was key in my path to Islam. So, anecdotally at least, there’s good in this myth in that it helped me to find Islam.

*~*~*~*

Marc, get over it. Seriously, that’s my genuine advice. If you get Islam, you get the whole muslim ummah (community), which includes blacks, whites, and every other race and ethnic group on the face of the planet. I’m a euro-american who attends a mosque that is predominantly blackamerican and african immigrants, and I’ve never felt more at home anywhere, including the all white lutheran church in which I was raised.

By: muslimahlocs

muslimahlocs — Sun, 02 Mar 2008 06:14:54 +0000

ASA.
roots represents our collective story despite the ambiguity @ whether it is indeed the true story of alex haley’s family. yes, it would have been better for him to portray it as “faction” but the fact that he did not does not negate its value for the descendants of enslaved africans. having travelled in the gambia and spoken with elders in rural villages, i believe that it also served the useful function of educating gambians as well as their descendants here in america @ slavery and why/how it remains relavant on both sides of the atlantic.
and the idea of agreeing with skip gates on anything just does not sit well with me at all.

By: Marc

Marc — Sat, 01 Mar 2008 08:18:08 +0000

I got a serious question here for you people. I’m a white guy in my mid 20’s from Philadelphia. Over the last 18 months or so I’ve taken a keen interest in Islam, and would like to learn more about it. So, I want to visit a mosque in Philadelphia, but I’m apprehensive to go, because the vast majority of Muslims here are non white, most being black. I don’t consider myself a racist, but I prefer not to be around blacks, and other non whites. Does anyone have some advice for me? Everything I’ve written here is true, I would appreciate some genuine advice

By: salafiburnout

salafiburnout — Sat, 01 Mar 2008 05:54:14 +0000

“The great enemy of the truth is very often not the lie — deliberate, contrived and dishonest, but the myth, persistent, persuasive, and unrealistic”

- John F Kennedy

By: Kwame Madden

Kwame Madden — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 21:59:09 +0000

I to was hurt when I found out about the distortions in Roots.I remember those epsiodes of this story about our people be brought over as slaves like it was yesterday.I I was then about 9 or 10 yrs old.The first episode was amazing especially when Kunta Kinte raised his son up over his head and prononce Allah-u-Akbar.Also the slaves resisting on the ship to be brought here to the so called newworld.Kunta kinte in espiodes always resisting this barbaric instition until his foot was cut off.Lavar burton was wonderful his acting superb.I We all can truthfully say that this film left a lasting impact on Black America.It would be many years later that I would find out the truth.I would later hear about the broken promises that Alex haley would make to Gambian people.We also even heard about the 3 chapters left out of the autobiography of MalcolmX.
Which highlight Malcolm political program and also his organzations
to tackle many of the problems faciong Black America.Prof.Manning
Marable is planning to bring forth some of this information.I guess Alex could not pull the wool over everybodys eyes.With all that said
this film defintenly woke alot of people up.Many parents gave their children African and Arabic names.When I was kid going to school me and my late twin brother were the only ones with African names.Kwame was a uncommon name back then now many brothers have this name.I am proud never to have had a slave name.
As one person once said slaves are named by there masters free men name themselves.Thankyou, for this wonderful post.

By: gassus

gassus — Fri, 29 Feb 2008 13:27:53 +0000

Excellent article. You touched on so many points here. The history of slavery is well documented. The Roots story was not needed at all. I guess it is easier to watch movies instead of doing real research. Sadly, the relationships between Africans ( diaspora included)themselves has not improved from the tribalism that led them into slavery.