Synopsis
August 20th, 2008 | Uncategorized |In the first episode of Roots, we meet two main characters: Kunta Kinte, a young boy growing up in the area of Gambia in West Africa, and Captain Davies, the new captain of a slave ship.
We meet Kunta Kinte as he is born, grows up and goes through manhood training. We learn a little bit about what his tribe believes and how they live. Soon after he goes through his manhood training, he is captured by slave traders and taken aboard a slave ship headed for America.
Captain Davies has just become the captain of a slave ship and he is not sure how he feels about slavery. His First Mate, Mr. Slater tries to teach him how to be a “good” slave ship captain, but it is very hard for the Captain to adjust. He is basically a good man who finds himself doing a very bad thing.
As the episode ends, Kunta Kinte and 160 other slaves are captives onboard the Lord Ligoneer and are trying to find a way to escape.
MirandaY Block A
It happened so fast. It’s like, these people think it’s fun torturing us or something. All I was doing was picking up sticks in the woods to make a fire for my family and I to keep warm. And then, I was grabbed and trifled with. They pushed me to the ground, and locked my hands in these medal things and put rope ‘round my head. It was too horrible…I had no idea what was going on.
There are these white guys…I’ve never seen one before in my life. I have heard about them; and never wanted to see them, and hopefully I wouldn’t have gotten the chance to. But my luck has turned…
I’m in a cage somewhere on a lot of sand, next to this big body of water. The strange, horrible white men are whipping us. People are bleeding everywhere. They have weird accents and they look so different compared to me and everyone else. I want to cry. People I know are here. It’s so sad. I never thought that this would ever happen in my whole life. My father always told me never to go in the woods by myself. I guess I kinda forgot; which makes me feel ashamed of myself. I wonder what my Dad’s thinking right now. My family and people in the village are probably looking for me.
Oww! These medal things hurt really bad. My wrists are bleeding…and I am being choked with this rope. There are a lot of these cages, like the one I’m in. There’s probably 20 slaves in each. Most of them are crying. I want to too, but its too hard knowing what has been happening.
I see a big, long thing in the water. I can see the white men taking people out there. I don’t want to. I wish I had the chance to just run. I’m even more scared now. I wonder…am I going to live?
Kylie B-L Block A
Binta
When I saw my husband walking back to our village, with the men, but with no Kunta Kinte I knew that there was something wrong. He was holding Kunta’s little bag that he had found on the beach. He had just gotten back from manhood training and I was so proud of him, and Omoro had built him a home. I miss him so much, but I know that he’ll be ok because he’s a man and he can care for himself. It’s been so long since he went missing, I hope he’s somewhere ok. The tribe is not the same without him; we all miss him so much, my son, misses him the most. He wishes that his brother was here to watch him grow up and become a man just like him. Omoro has moved on but he still wishes Kunta was here to help him with the animals and with the building and everything else here. I hope that my mother didn’t scare him so much too run away. Kunta did never really get along with her too much, I think she is too serious for him to handle. Or maybe he ran away to join a new tribe, but that would be disrespecting Allah, but if he did that’s ok. The thing that worries me most is that he is dead, he could have gotten eaten by the leopard that he ran away from the goats or he could have been hit by accident from another tribe, but whatever happened, happened and no one had control over it. We miss him,and I do dearly miss my oldest son.
I am a boy from Gambia. My dad said that im going to become a man some day. One bright sunny day just minding my own bisness and someone through a bag over my head and started to drag me some were. When he stoped draging me and took the bag off my head I saw more kids from Gamdia. Some guy (aka) leader told us to stand in a line so we did. Then he told us to kneal down in a cricle and when we did a really big guy got in the middle of the cricle and the leader told us that we were going to have to fight that big guy in the middle. The learder said to start so i got up and tried to fight him but he keep throwing me around. After everyone tried to fight him we were told that we were going to have to get cut. When you get cut it means that we are a Man and we have responsiblitys to take care of now, and were not kids anymore. I’ll have my own hut and chorse to do no one to do things for me. On my way back to my villige in Gambia I was proud to be able to say i was a Man. When i got back to the Villige my mom gave me my stuff and told me were my hut was and i was on my way to Being a real Man.
SamK
Block?
Omoro
Omoro was really sad that his kid, Kunta Kinte, got captured. He got over it a little bit but he still missed him a lot and still is upset. He is depressed and sad still even though it was many years ago. He still wants him to come back to the Gambia. He seems the the most upset because it was his child that got captured. He misses him and it hurts him to think about it. He thinks it is a hatred thing to do. He still can’t get over it. He’s comforting his wife who is also still feeling the sarrow. He wants to feel better but he can’t get the happy feeling. He is also feeling angry and hatred towards the white men. He is so angry that if they come back, he will kill them or hurt them or punish them. He wants Kunta Kinte to come back to their village because he misses him so much. So does the mother. He doesn’t how he comes back, besides dead. He just wants son back in the village. Omoro wants his son back so he can feel relieved and happy again. He still doesn’t forgive the white men for taking Kunta Kinte away from their vilage and family. He still remembers the incident and how he reacted and how his wif reacted when she found out. Omoro really misses Kunta Kinte and he wants him to return to the village.
RachelM
Block ?
My character for this project is Kintango. He is the guy who did the manhood training. (circumsizing)This was when Kunta Kinte was taken to become a man. During the training Kunta Kinte was assigned by Kintango to catch a bird in the woods. At the time when he finally caught the bird he saw a group of black boys (about his age) with ropes around their necks. They were being pulled by white men. As he had the bird in his hands it began to squirm and make noise, so he let it go at the risk of being caught by the white guy. Kunta Kinte was not caught. (yet… just the bird) He ran as fast as he could back to the manhood training place, and said to Kintango ” I saw white men!”
Their was one odd, but very important thing that Kintango taught Kunta Kinte. That was to always follow the monkeys. If a monkey is scared of something, you should be too. So as Kunta Kinte is in the woods finding something to make for his baby brother, the monkey up in the tree started to act all scared. But Kunta Kinte was too into his work to notice a white man in the woods looking for slaves.The next momment Kunta Kinte was running through the woods and into a field where he was surrounded by black slaves. They were getting other slaves for Captain Davey, the head of the slave ship. The black slave tied Kunta Kinte up and wipped him repeatedly on the back. Suddenly he was walking into a ship with a rope around his neck. After he fell to the ground he looked up and saw a wrestler from manhood training as he gave an ashamed line “Kunta Kinte…” Apparentley he was not impressed, but very mad himself to become a slave.
A few days later on the ship, Kunta Kinte and all the other soon-to-be slaves were lying uncomfortably on a wood shelf with iron chains. As he looked up he saw the wrestler again. This time he was telling him his plan. Hs plan was to kill the white men as soon as they get out of the chains. At the end of the episode they all were screaming something like “WE WILL WIN!” My prediction is Kunta Kinte will run away instead of killing Captain Davey, Mr. Slater and other white me.
In the end Kunta Kinte should have listened to Kintango at the manhood training. My character from the AWESOME JAR OF DESTINY (dah,dah,duuuuuhhh!) was right all along.
Patrick E
Finding slaves is not easy. Its kind of hard. You must first find slaves and when you must bring them back to base and then put them in jail. Then put them on a ship and you must feed them and to make sure that they don’t get sick and die You need them to sell.
I feel good for doing this because its easy money. I do feel bad some times but that’s my job. I need the money to keep my family living I need the money for food and a home.
Amanda G
Hello, I am Kunta Kinte’s grandmother. Kunta went away for “Man-hood Training”, we were all sad and missed the young boys that left us, and we would never see those boys again; they would come back as men. Kunta’s mother took the men being away especially hard. She cried and missed her son; she couldn’t believe that her first born son was off to man-hood training. When they got back and we had our ceremony; celebrating the boys becoming men. Getting back to our huts the new men gathered their things and moved out, I watched from afar Kunta gathering his things, and being very disrespectful to his mother. Even though he’s a man, he still needs to respect his elders, and be thankful. I think his mother said to say thank you to his father because he made Kunta a hut of his own, and he told his mother that a woman should not tell a man what to do. They stood there for a second and said goodbye. Kunta’s mother grabbed him and hugged him for a moment. He stormed off to his new hut; I walked in his new hut with a tree branch and gave him a couple whacks with it! “What?! What?!” he asked me. I told him that there were tears while he was gone, tears coming from his mother. And that he needs to know that he still needs to respect his mother and needs to visit her. I told him a gift for his mother would really touch her and let her know that he still loves her. He asked me what she would like. I said that he could get his younger brother a gift too. That would touch his mother also. “Would he like a drum?” he asked.
“I think he would like one very much,” I replied to him.
“Then I shall make my younger brother a drum, I will go look for a log tomorrow. Then I will make him the drum.”
I smiled knowing I had completed my goal; making my daughter happy and teaching my grandson a lesson. When I woke up the next morning I got dressed and looked out my small window and saw Kunta Kinte walking into the forest. I was happy to see that the boy… I mean man was following up on his word for making a drum. We went on with our regular day, doing chores, caring for the children, and cooking. Kunta’s mother came to me asking for Kunta, I told her I hadn’t seen him since he left to find wood to make his brother a drum. She said he didn’t come home to do his chores; she had a worried look on her face, eyes big, eyebrows scrunched, and a straight line across her lips. She left to go find Kunta’s father to see if he saw him, it started to get dark and there was no sigh of him. It seemed he had vanished.
Morning came around and there was still know sign of Kunta; Kunta’s father gained a party of about seven to ten men to go look for him. It was several hours until they came back. Those were the longest hours of my life, and my daughter’s too. We always caught ourselves looking to the edge of the woods to see if the men were coming. Not once where they there. I went to my hut to prepare a meal for my family; many minutes later there was a terrible screech of pain and horror. I ran from my hut to my daughters’. I looked at Kunta’s father, he nodded and I knew Kunta Kinte, my grandson, was taken and gone forever; Taken by the white men that were trying to take us and our lives away.
I still feel the pain, for it being my fault that Kunta Kinte is gone. I had to stick my nose into his business. I had to tell him to make a drum for his younger brother to touch his mother heart. I feel always guilty even now almost ten years from the terrible event; it’s terrible not knowing how he is doing, questions about him run through my head always. Is he healthy? Is he happy? Does he miss us, and his real home? And mostly; is he alive still? I miss him so very much, I always have hope that he will come home one day. But me being an old wise woman, I know that, that will never happen. I see him in dreams I have, I see his face as he leaves his home, and I hear him screaming in pain because of the terrible things the white men do to him. I feel his soft, warm hands wiping away my tears at night, but when I wake up, he is gone; still never to be seen by me or any of our people. His mother morns him still, and his father and brother do not show it but you can still see them hurting inside. Kunta’s younger brother will go to man-hood training soon, I will be sure to keep him safe, so he does not face the terrible future his brother went through. We are happy; we will forever still miss Kunta Kinte so very much. Our village, losing someone that we all cared for and loved so much, has grown stronger in the process. I hope to see him one day long from now when we are both resting with Allah our god.
Fred m
Block C
boy in manhood training
My first day of manhood training was interesting. Ilearned that I am not to talk back to my master. I also meet a man called the wrestler, he is a beast,he threw me through the air like I was nothing. I also learned that I will not be aloud to return to my fathers house./ I am glad that I am going to become a man.That reminds me, my master told me that I must never be scared and that I am to be respectful to all men And if I dont than I will never become a man so I could never court a women plus I would always be treated like a child and be supirior to none. I also must learn about all of my other duties as a man.I also have to do a special quest for my master. There have been rumors of white men in the woods.Master said that the white men would make us thier slaves.Then he told us that we must never leave camp without someone else unless we had to.He also said to watch the monkies because if the get scared then we should to, he said to hide or run and to stay near the camp.
Sage M
Block A
Kunta let one of the goats die today, A leopard got a hold of it as it was grazing on some grass. I do not understand why this had happened in the first place, losing this goat is a very terrible thing to happen because that’s how we get some of our food. I wish Kunta could have been more responsible. If only he could’ve stopped the leopard from killing the goat, i wouldn’t be this angry at him. He should’ve been more cautious while herding the goats. He also should’ve watched out for where the goat went. I’ve always told Kunta to never let a goat out of sight, because it could roam out of the woods and get eaten by a predator. I never thought that Kunta could be more careless, this is a behavior I’ve never seen from him before. I do not know, it could just be nerves before he goes into Manhood Training, it could be getting the best of him. Maybe before he goes into manhood training i could teach him a lesson on how to keep the goats in clear sight so that we will not lose anymore goats, because we cannot afford to lose anymore. I am very disappointed in Kunta, but now he will know not to lose the goat the next time he goes out herding with them. I know I should not punish him for his actions, but if it happens again I will not be as forgiving as I am now.
Trever P
Block D
I was standing at my hut when i saw the boys…i am sorry, men, come back from man hood training. I myslef have gone through the man hood training. I wonder what they were thinking when they got back from the training? They finaly did it, they i are fianly men. I remember when i was just a small boy my mother would tell me “Binta someday you too will be a man, one day u will have to go through what those brave men have gone trough. If i had known the cutting of the P**** i would have never wanted to go through man hood training. It is worth it. Now those boys have become brave soldiers and i am very proud of them. I was sitting there thinking how good it felt to be a man for the first time. To have the feeling of being free not having to listen to your mother or father. The feeling of freedom from your parents.
Today I gave my job to Captain Davies. Captain Davies is a very Christian man and I am not quiet sure he well do well in this job. The ship will be in charge of is a slave ship. I must say it is a very nasty job to do. It was even hard for me to do and I am not a Christian man. There are near to 200 slaves below the ship. They are taken out in small groups to be exercised and cleaned. It is horrible to watch and the smell below is absolutely terrible. Also woman are r****by the sailors and I really think Captain Davies will have trouble with that part of the whole concept. At first I was not too sure about hiring Captain Davies for the job of this ship captain. The reason is because he is very Christian and I thought he might do something to hurt our slave profits. What I mean by that is that he could let the slaves have too much freedom and or ensure that not as many slaves are captured and brought on the ship. He is the captain so what he says goes. More slaves mean more money. Fewer slaves mean less money. I know we want more money so there were going to be as many slaves that could possibly fit are on the ship. Captain Davies would not be too happy about this. How ever I did feel he would make a good captain. He has the most experience of running a ship out of any other man I had interviewed. I also figured even thought he is a Christian man he would wake up one morning and realize running a slave ship does not make him a bad man. It will be hard for him at first to get used to the slaves but he will soon get over it and be a great captain.
Owner of the Lord Ligoneers
Binta
When i saw the men coming home from manhood training I was so exited to see that my Kunta was one of them, but there was a part of me that was so sad to have him move out and leave me.When Kunta Kinte came home to get his stuff I didn’t want him to feel like he wasn’t wanted around any more, but now that he is gone his little brother can have more space and his father could build a shelf in his corner for all of my stuff so I wont loose any of it. I think when I said that to him it made him feel a little un wanted. There was a little bit of tension between me and kunta for a little wile after that and no one said a word.
I was so sad when he was taken off to the manhood training because I knew that me and kunta’s relationship would never be the same any more because he would be a man when he returned and not by little boy. That is why I was so sad when he came back from manhood training.
Catherine Z. Block: B
In point of view of- Mr. Slater( Talking about slaves)
Hi,
My name is Mr. Slater, I’m captain’s first man on the slave boat.
I think slaves deserve to be caught, captured and put to use working for us white people. Blacks aren’t even true humans they don’t even look like real humans, (that’s us white people), some can’t even talk like real humans either. I’ll tell you one thing slaves do help us, that is, with the things we need.
If we didn’t have any slaves workings on this ship right now we probably would have been attacked, trying to handle all the captured slaves down below, we only have a few whites working on the ship. WE probably wouldn’t have this many slaves tied down below if we didn’t have all of our own slaves being forced to help catch the other blacks who think they can just love life without working, without helping us who deserve the attention the help and the free time to do nothing. Blacks were born to be slaves they have no other purpose in like all they can do is work for us they aren’t smart like us they don’t know how to run out world, our people or them selves.
Being in this ship so long gets tiring, and boring, it’s a good thing we have some woman slaves aboard so they can entertain us, we have to exorcize them so they don’t get weak on us. Working any of the slaves men or woman isn’t easy, we first have to clean them, they smell so bad when they come up above deck and when we tell them to dance most of them stand there and we have to force them by whipping them. We put some of our own slaves to whip them so we can watch to see who is tough and can make this trip home and be put to work and who isn’t though and will die while on the ship. To make them dance we have slaves playing music for them so they can all move along with it. I think bringing these slaves back home will help them out, give them something to do instead of wasting away to nothing back at there home.
Village Girl (watching men come back from manhood training)
I watched as my brother walked out of the woods. He was standing tall, proud to be a man. All of the men were greeted by their families and friends. There was song and dance. It was the big celebration of the boys becoming men.
Later on, while I talked to my brother, he seemed different. He didn’t comfort me, and cuddle me like he usually did. It seemed like all of a sudden he thought that he was the king of the world. He didn’t care for my feelings or the feelings of any others.
Mother felt the same way too, but I think she had expected it from the time that the boys had left the village to become men. I guess that men are just a lot different than boys. The men seem to think that they can do anything that they want without getting punished, but the young boys would never do anything that would get them in trouble.
I don’t really know what the boys do out in the woods when they all leave. They keep it a big secret from everyone. I’ve heard from my friends that they learn to hunt, fight, and also face a big huge change, but I don’t know what it is. It’s Top Secret I guess. My dad said that he had to go through the same thing, and that it was a very defining day of becoming a man. It was the day that changed his life, and the way that he treated others. I wonder if girls ever have to go through the same kind of thing that the boys have to go through. I’ve never seen any of the girls leave in a big group, and come back women. Maybe the change from girl to women is different, and not as noticeable.
I guess I’ll just have to find all the answers when I’m older, and people actually tell me things.
Jake C
Block D
It all started when me and a few other men from the village went out hunting. We heard rustlings behind us. I picked up my spear, and prepared for whatever was coming toward us. That’s when the white men appeared. We tried to drive them off with our spears but they cornered us. We were captured.
They put chains on our wrists and ankles and around our necks. We had to walk miles to the ocean shore while they repeatedly whipped us. I still have the scars on my back. We got to the shore, and they threw us into wooden cages, and locked us in. I fell to the ground alongside my fellow Africans, all of many different tribes. It was then that I saw the ship.
It was one of the biggest things I had ever seen. I realized that we were going to be taken on the ship to some far off land. A land with many white men, most likely. Of the people in my cage, there were only a few from my tribe. There was a good mix of men and women in the group.
When we stepped on the ship, there were many more white men. Many of them were sneering at us like we were some type of animal. We were led down to the lower levels, where it was so dark that I couldn’t see my own hands in front of me.
I was chained to hard wooden boards, with people on each side and above. They left us in the darkness, and most of us would just sleep the day away. I started thinking about my village. My wife and children would be terrified. Surely the men would start looking for us soon. But they would not be able to find us. We were already far away.
The white men would come to give us food every day. Not good food. Bad-tasting white man’s food. I would eat it just to keep my strength up, but some others did not seem to have the will. The sea was causing sickness among the group, which turned out to be quite unpleasant, due to all of the vomiting. The man next to me was especially sick. After a few days he died.
Eventually, the white men freed us from our chains just for a few hours. We were made to stand in a group while they splashed salty seawater onto our scar-ridden bodies. The pain was almost unbearable. They made us dance, probably so we would be fit for whatever they had planned for us in the white man’s land.
Luckily they had cleaned out our “home”, if we could call it that. The dead had been discarded, and the place washed. The bad news was that we were chained up again.
One day, a big and strong man from another village started talking. I did not know his language, so I could not understand what he was saying. It sounded like he was commanding everyone to do something. One of the men next to me, who spoke the language of the big and strong man, started talking. He gradually taught me his language, and I taught him mine.
No matter where you were from, we all understood one thing: we were plotting to kill the white men.
Aiden B
Block D
When I saw Africa for the first time I was so excited because I made it across the Atlantic with out much trouble. But now after I’ve been there and have seen the people and realizing they’re not much different than us. I regret taking this position of captain on a slave ship. I wish I hadn’t. I think I won’t do it again but I don’t know how I will get money other wise. So I hope the voyage will be over soon so I can get the slaves off the boat and in to some one else’s hands and not have the responsibility for them.
Captain Davies
JEREMIES BLOCK C
My name is Mr. Slater. I am the First Mate on Captain Davies’ship. I told the slaves to dance and to get cleaned up. Captain Davies is the new captain on my ship. I tell him he can do anything he wants. I also tell him where to put the slaves. I tell him that if a slave is going to die, we can throw him overboard. I show him the weapons like the thumbscrews. I think Captain Davies is good. I thing he could be a good captain after a while.
DJ O. BLOCK:D
Kunta Kinte(before manhood training)
It all happened so fast, I was walking with the sheep when I heared the sound of a leapord. The big cat had gotten the shegoat* The fist thing that went through my head was to drive it off. I grabed my sling shot and and some rocks from out of my pouch and flung one at the cat. After that it was angry. I another at it that is when it ran away. I knew that i had to begin the grusome task of skinning the shegoat.
When I arrived back at the village I took the skin to father. He was upset that the shegoat had died. He seemed more angered that I had confronted the leopord. He said “Do not confront a wild beast, it is far too dangerous for a boy to do.
After breakfast the next day I was playing with my friends. Mother called me and I didn’t know what for. She told me to finish breakfast before I play with my friends.
Later that day: I don’t Know whats happening. I have a sack over my head, I’m being forced to walk somewhere.
Nick G (new and improved project) Block B
Fanta
Hello I am Fanta. I was out picking some berries for dinner and all of the sudden I heard some rustling in the bushes and I started to panic. I got captured by some white men and a couple black men. I was really scared because I didn’t know what was going 2 happen to me and all the other people that they captured. The white men stored us on a beach in cages for a while. Now I am on a ship that is big but it seems really small with all of the people on it. The ship is filled with about 20 white men and about 160 of my people. The white men have these sticks that make LOUD noises! The people on this ship are of different tribes and speak different languages. For a while now the white men have laid us on these boards that are rough. The boards are stacked three high! The white men don’t clean much so we just lay in our filth. The boards are so rough that some people’s backs are bare, you can see their bones! They feed us this white muck to eat. The white muck, that is supposed to be food, makes my stomach come into my mouth! A few days ago we were brought up to do some exercising. When they brought everyone up on deck they splashed everyone’s back with buckets of salt water. They said we had to exercise so the men’s exercise was to dance and for us girls …… the white men raped us! I hope this torture will be done soon!
Fanta
Hi, I am Capitan Davies and I am the captain of the slave ship on the way back to America. We captured a lot of slaves from Africa and put them in cages while we waited to board the ship. We packed all the slaves on the bottom of the ship and chained them to boards. There are three rows of boarded to put all the slaves on. We take groups of the slave out of the bottom and bring them to the top was exercise them for an hour by making them dance once and a while. I am a really good man but I have a bad job. I don’t know why I don’t quit, I have not told anyone that I don’t like it. The other captain of the ship likes to be mean to the slaves, he thinks it is ok to ra**, beat and kill the salves. We captains treat them like animals. I told him that I don’t think it is ok to ra** the slave women on the ship. The other captain brought me a slave to ra**. She looked so scared, I was trying to tell her my name and ask her what hers is but she could not understand anything I was saying. I thought that it was mean, the captain thought that it was funny. I feel kind of bad for the slaves and what we do to them. I don’t know if I want to help the slaves or hurt them! I hope that I make the right decision.
Emily Festa
Jenny D
Block A
I Kunta Kinte has just been captured by white man. I have never seen a white man befor. They have this sour smell to them. They had other people of my color. Yet the did not help me, inseted they helped the white man. They had taken me to the ocean were they had put me in a cage. They put me in the cage with many other peolpe of my color. There were alot of us in the cages. They had many cages to hold us in. Then they had a gaint canoe out in the ocean. It had to be the biggest canoe I have ever seen. I saw the wrestler and he was strong. So I knew that they were stronger. There were people from other tribes so i couldn’t talk to them. The white man aslo spoke a diffrent language then me. I had almost no one to talk to well in this cage. These peolpe are so mean they whip us and always sceam at us when we don’t even know what they are even saying. I think we mught be going on the gaint canoe later on.
We are now on the gaint canoe. I think it is a gaint canoe house. We have slept in this caone foe many nights. They give us food but it always comes back up. My ankles are bledding and also my wrist from the metel chains. This is not fun. I wouldn’t even wish this on the most hated man ever. I wish I could just go home and be with my tribe and family.
We have just been let up on the top of the canoe. They splashed up with the sea water it stun my whole back. I couldn’t see any land what so ever. They made us dance and dance for along time. Then they put us back inside the caone. Dead people had been thrown over the canoe. So there was a little more room. All I want to do is just go home.
Kunta kinte
Chris R.
Block D
I used to be a great be a great warrior in my tribe. I was taken from my family by white Men, it ha been many days since I saw them, my baby brother, my mother and father and grandfather. We were having a meal together when we were attacked d we were vastly outnumbered. My family made it out of the village in time but not me. I’e been in this cage made entirely out of wood and vine. I don’t even recognize any one of these other people in here with me. They must beof different tribes, friends with my tribe, possibly. I tried to talk to them, communicate with but when one of them looked at me. I saw it was my fellow warrior, my friend kata. We brought a large amount of fish, and other animal meats to our village when they needed it very much We were even the best of friends in our childhood. We even went through manhood training together, boy do I remember that. He said he was on a hunting trip in the tall grass all alone. When all of a sudden, slave traders came out of no wear and captured him. Bet we did not have any idea s too wear we were going. We did notice the big water house with grate big white things on it swaying in the breeze. What I saw in everybody’s face was fear, fear and confusion. Why was this happening, what was happening. We didn’t know what was going to happen over the nxt few months.
I Kunta kinte was coming back from a hunt for a hollow log for my baby brother So i could make him a drum to play with. when i found a good log i saw white man, i ran as fast as i could to get away from the white man and there slaves. then i was surrounded by 5 or 6. then i fought them off till the shackled me. they took me and others from differnt tribes. my father and his hunting party came and searched for me but only the only thing he found was my leather bag. after the white men loaded us all into the giant canoe. they had us laying in stacks of 3 we had no bathrooms they had us on plywood boreds. they fed us mush, we got so sick when we vomited it was on ourselves and others. they eventually brought us on the top of the giant canoe are backs had no skin at all on them from the plywood. the white men whipped us and killed off the ones who were going to die soon from diease. They made us dance to get some excersice. the white men took the women and R***** them because that was what the sailors did for fun. Then they poured salt water on us to get rid of the vomit and fecis and it KILLED our back with stinging pain. i fear what is going to happen in the next 2 or so months…
Maddi D
Character: Sailor on the slave ship
As a sailor on the slave ship I think that there is nothing wrong with having a slave at all. They’re nothing but animals. I work on the boat and have to deal with seeing them all the time. I, as well, as all the other white men on the ship would agree.
We have a new captain this trip. He has never been captain of a slave ship before and I’m not sure he agrees with having slaves. You can tell when we exercise the slaves on top deck and he turns away. I don’t see why it would be a problem that’s what there here for, to work. Maybe he just doesn’t like seeing the slaves around, but it’s none of my business.
When we took the slaves on deck for the first time to exercise them they just stood there until the white men started pushing them and yelling at them to dance. Everything was fine, but then the slaves started saying something like “WHALE TOO!” in a big chant. None of us white men knew what they were saying. I think there language is just a bunch of weird pointless sounds.
While the slaves were getting danced, the other workers were cleaning the disgusting areas were the slaves are kept. There was vomit everywhere from them getting sea sick and from the corn mush food they ate. They didn’t get to use a bathroom so there was feces and urine on the floors and boards they lay on. The men just through ocean water in there and it cleans everything fairly well.
Hi, I am an African slave girl who was captured by the white men. My life is tough now, I ache all over, and I’m sick and hungry. I think of how my life would be if the white men had not captured me. I would be safe and at home. I would be with my family and friends, gathering food and preparing meals.
I have been on this vessel for many days now. I lay on a bed of rough wood that rubs my skin off every move I make. They have heavy black things on my hands and feet that also rub my skin raw.
They take us above where the there is nothing but water and sky surrounding us. When down below it is pitch black but when they bring us up the stairs the light is so powerful it burn my eyes. I almost enjoy being above I get to smell fresh air, but there are many bad things that they do to us above. They wash our cuts so we don’t get infected but it stings and hurts like nothing I have ever felt before. When its time to go below I dread the smell and horror of knowing someone might die right beside me.
When I am down below I breathe in small amounts for the stench of the people’s waste is over powering. They bring us this mashed up white stuff that is our food. My stomach comes up my throat whenever I eat it. It’s horrible never again will I eat it. Not many of us speak the same language which is so difficult because I am squished between to men I cant even have a short conversation with. We are packed so tight I can feel the rough, raw skin of the man beside me.
Each day is hard to live, each day someone around me fades away. Each day I wish for a miracle to happen and for all to be set free. There is hope in my heart but my body lay limp. The wounds are getting worse each time the white men drag me out of my cramped bed of wood. But today there is something different in the air. Of all the things the white men may do to me, when I return to the darkness I know that the hope and fire will come back.
When I returned the next morning from the above, there was a man who was speaking my language he was telling all of us to talk to our neighbors teach them your words and learn theirs. We will join together and take over our freedom back. He gives me hope and to hear the different words spoken makes me believe that we will be free once again.
- Georgia S, Block B
Kunta Kinte was minding his own business in his parents hut when his father put a yellow cloth-like material over his head and handed him to some guy, I believe he was the leader of our tribe, I couldn’t really make out him, and he was gone in a jiffy. I knew that Kunta was being taken to manhood training, a horrible thing. I was hoping that he didn’t suffer too badly from this experience. The men and Kunta, after manhood training were very happy about the experience, now they could live in their own home. Kunta went and visited his mother, very shortly after that I saw Kunta walking into his hut. Kunta wasn’t there for long. I heard that the men were assigned missions in order to become considered a man in our tribe, Gambia. Kunta’s mission was to catch a bird, without weapons. I saw Kunta venture off into the woods alone and I thought to myself that this couldn’t be good. You are never supposed to go into the tall grass by yourself. He had been gone for quite some time, when all of a sudden he came back out of breath, yelling out that he had seen white men. We were all stunned by what he was saying because none of us have ever seen a white man. The tribe leader could not believe what Kunta was telling him. The next day Kunta went out hunting again to catch his bird when he never came back. I was very scared at this moment I was hoping he was just very devoted to his catch. When Kunta’s family started to get worried about Kunta, his father and a few other fellows went out to find him. They found markings in the sand of a capturing. They were not totally sure that it was Kunta that got caught until they found his pouch that his father had given him when he returned from manhood training. Kunta’s father and the men came back with dreary looks on their faces, Kunta’s father held up the pouch and his mother burst out in tears. We knew that Kunta was captured by smelly, gross, greedy, white men. I don’t know if I will ever see my friend again.
Kunta Kinte’s friend
Sam S Block A
I am Omoro, Kunta Kintes father. I had a boy, a young carefree boy. But when he came back from manhood training, I had a man. A strong, proud man. I knew the time would come when I had to send him off on his own. I built him his own hut to live in. I knew both my wife, and I would miss him. Life will be different now with him gone. Yet now we will have room for the new baby. I just pray that Kunta will be able to survive on his own. I am proud of my son. He has become into a good man. Better than I ever thought he would be. But I will still look after him. No matter how old he gets, he is still my son.
Then, disaster struck. Kunta Kinte has been missing for about a day now, and no one has seen him. We have thought the worse; the white man has taken him. I only pray to Alah that he remembered what he has learned, and to stay away of such danger. I pray to Alah, that he is well and has not been captured by the white man.
When I returned from my search along with the other fathers. We have not found my son. I return home without my son, but only with his pocket I have gave him. This must only mean that Kunta is with the white man. How will I ever be able to tell my wife? She missed him when he left to live in his own hut. Now I must tell her that her boy I gone forever? I do not understand. Why has Alah taken my son away from me? Will he ever return? Or have I lost him forever?
John D
Block A
hey I’m doing the village leader Brima Cesay.He places as a wise man that acts tough to make the boys like Kunta a tough man like him. He tells the boys becomming men way to be safe we did’nt get to see that part of the movie but he said like go in the woods with some one never be alone and i can’t think of the rest.The dad walks up to Brima Cesay and asks for suggestions to name the new son and Brima just left like a category of names like “what do you like nature? hunting? name him after your likings” and the dad got cheesed off and walk off in anger thinking that was’nt helpful i thought it was.He is also plays in a pretty large part of man hood training. i wonder if he will get caught like the wrestler.
Lindsey L
Block C
Hello, I am a sailor on the slave ship.
Working on the slave shipis hard work at times, it takes a while to get used to. Always cleaning the slave chamber, clean the deck, and making sure everything is in the correct place.
At first I knew this would be a dificult job, but I knew I’d have to deal for the next few months. The under deck was filthy and smelled discusting from all the comotion with the slaves. It was like cleaning up after barn-yard animals.
Mr.Slater insisted on 200 slaves to abord the ship, Captain Davies is responsible and says “No”. There is only room for 170 slaves to fit onto the ship.
The slaves speak their own language, in which us humans don’t understand. Mr.Slater believes that slavery is not bad at all, where Captain Davies thinks that slavery is horrible and it shouldn’t be allowed anywhere. Captain Davies is Christian, and Christains don’t believe in slavery.
I believe slavery should only be in places that need it the most, we don’t need it! Slavery is only about using people that we believe are lower class than us to work day and night for things that we could easily.
In ways I am definetly against slavery, in ways I am completely with the fact that slavery should be around these days.
Around this time of week they’r e cleaning and exercising the slaves. The slaves are being cleaned with salt water from the ocean. The pain in their eyes, the fearful emotions, and the screeching voices. Next they start exercising them, the men swing whips around to get them up and jumping.
Next they drag the girls & women to the upper deck to get them washed down and exercised. This goes on for at least an hour because of the amount of slaves that are on the ship.
Jeff L
Block
I heard my daughter scream. I looked up and saw a young man on the ground after tripping over my fence and falling in the food my daughter had picked from our garden. The young man stood up and ran toward the field. I ran after him, determined to catch him and make him fix my fence and apologize to my daughter for messing up her work. Soon I caught up to him and stopped him. When I asked him his name and why he ran, he said his name was Kunta Kinte and that he had run because he was in manhood training and he had been charged with catching a bird alive. I told him my name was Kadi Touray, and that as a man, if he breaks another man’s property, he must fix it. I also told him that he needs to apologize to my daughter Fanta for scaring her.
We both started to to walk back to my garden. When we got there I introduced him to my daughter. Then I told him to fix my fence and pick up the food he had made my daughter drop. When he was done, he apologized to me and my daughter again. I wished him good luck on catching his bird.
A few days after meeting Kunta Kinte, white men raided my family’s camp at night. I protected everyone except my daughter, whose tent I could not get to in time. I heard Fanta screaming, white men yelling and my wife shrieking. I saw white men taking my daughter away in shackles. I tried to run after her but was blocked by a white man with one of their long sticks that shoot smoke and death.
He aimed at me, and there was a loud noise. Pain erupted from my chest. I screamed. I fell backward to the ground. Soon my world went black.
Kunta’s Grandmother
When kunta came back from manhood camp his dad made him a house to live in by his self. When kuntas mom sow him for the first time from when he came back from manhood camp she said that kunta had to thank is dad for making him a house and then kunta said that girls never told a man what to do. Then when kunta went to his house his grandmother came and beet him with a paddle. His grandmother said that she did not care if he was a man now she said that she was still his grandmother and he didn’t now every thing and not to think he did so that he did not get hurt and he said that he will not think that. His grandmother said that should teach him good and make him same thing to give him so kuta said that he wood make him a drum. Kunta went out the next day and then when he was looking for some good wood to make it out of he did not listen to the monkeys the white men where watching him and trying to get him and then he heard them and he ran but they where to fast and he ran in to the middle of a sand beach type thing and he stopped and then more people came and then they got him and put him in chains. He tried to brake free but he could not do it and then he just gave up.
Austin M.
Block
Seth C
Block D
My name is Mebee Booba. I have been captured and taken away from my home in Gambia. The white man has taken me and put me on this floating wood. I am down in its belly. It is so dark and I feel like we are going to the underworld. My body hurts and I am so sick. My belly keeps bringing up my food and my legs are shaking. My fluids are running out of me and we are all lying in our own filth. This is no way for a warrior to be treated. I can smell the white man all around me; it smells like a wet chicken. There was a warrior next to me that sleeps with his eyes open and he smells really bad. I believe he is dead. There are men crying out for Allah to help them. We have metal things around our wrist and ankles that have metal ropes attached to them. The white man takes the metal ropes off and brings us up to the sun. They threw water on us that burned our skin and felt like hot fire. They made us dance like monkeys and it was very embarrassing. They took our women and they were screaming. I hate the white man; they have taken everything from us. They treat us worse than animals. They may have fancy fire sticks but we are a hundred warriors that are really mad and we will fight back. We will not let the white man take our souls.
Sailer on the slave ship
Jason D
Block B
On the way back from Africa my job was to watch the slaves while they were on deck and to stop them from causing trouble. Other than that I was doing my regular job as a sailer which involves making sure the ropes are secure. I am also a cook on board the ship.
To watch the slaves means that I mount the gun that would take a lot out at once. If I see any slave acting differently than their supposed to then I keep an eye on them and watch what they do and if they start causing trouble I take them out before it gets to big of a problem.
To secure the ropes I simply check how tight or loose they are than fix them. There are many sailer’s that help with securing the ropes. If we get caught in a storm I think I’m gonna be in trouble from the captain if anything goes wrong with the ropes cause its my job to make the ropes are secure enough to keep sailing.
As a cook I prepare the food that the slaves get and I make sure they have enough to survive the trip but not enough to give them the strength needed to fight back unless they store their energy. Some slaves have died but not many so I think the captain is happy that I’m keeping the slaves alive in the right number so we make good profit from this trip for it has been a long trip so far.
Josselyn J
Block B
Brima Cesay (village leader)
I knew it was a bad situation when I heard about Kunta Kinte seeing the white men, but I did not ever expect it to get this horrible. It is scary seeing the number of the people in my village decreasing so fast. I always knew that Kunta would be a strong man, seeing him being captured is really shocking for me.
I think back to when my village was full of happy villagers, now looking at the village is somewhat depressing seeing how many of my friends have been captured, taken by the white men. They were all warned to watch for the signs of the white men, and I am sure that they did, but sometimes there is nothing you can do. I have no regrets, because Kunta and all of the other new men are strong, brave and wise. I only wish I could have helped them all.
The white men are foul people. They kidnapped our village not caring if they were man or woman, and they did not care how old they were. They only took our people for their own selfish needs. Yet we are people too. They treat us less than human because we do not speak their language, or have the same color skin as them. One day they will learn.
I do wonder about Kunta and all the others, though I know Allah will protect and watch over them. The whites will never defeat them. They are strong warriors of Allah and he would never let them down. Allah and I both know that in time, maybe not now, maybe not for a while, but in time our village will be restored in to the beautiful, safe, peaceful place that it used to be, and all of our people will return safely and reunite with their friends and family.
The Wrestler By: Nate M. Block A
I am the wrestler. I have captured and put on this canoe house that the white men control. I am chained down to a flat metal plank of wood. The white men bring us up one at a time so that we can dance on the top of the canoe house. I have been captured by the white men not by myself, but with a young warrior named Kunta Kinte. He has just finished his man hood training. Me and Kunta plan on escaping with the other chained up men. There are only a few of us who speak the tribe language. They are teaching the person next to them our language. Then that person will teach them the language. Soon all the chained men will be able to speak our language. The white men will pay for there retched deed that they have committed and they will be sorry that the picked this group of men to be slaves. The will be sorry the tried to capture us and make us work for the white men. Kunta and I will return to our people as heroes to the village. No white man will ever come to this place again.
The chains that hold my body to the wood are very strong. So strong not even I, the wrestler, can not break them. We will need to get the key from the man who takes the dead men to the top of the canoe house. But we will find a way to escape, and we will be free men once more.
Ryan S
Block-c
Hello I am Kuntakinte, a boy from man hood training camp. I was the first person to try to beat the wrestling dude. Also I was very popular, my mom was trying to still treat me like as a baby when I got home from camp. Another thing is that I had to get my balls cup off before I came back to the village. The thing is that when you go to man hood training camp you go there as a boy and then you leave as a man. Then one day I went out to find wood so I could make a drum for my brother and I saw white men, and I was scared out of my pants. When I got back to camp everyone was scared too, but the bosses of the camp said we can beat them up cause we had more people. Then bosses said do go out in the woods alone or the whites might get me. But is was not listing so I went out alone one day. and the white people found me because I wasn’t paying attention to my surroundings. The whites got me and captured me and I got put into a cage with other men and women. Then I was put onto a slave ship where I wasn’t fed good food and there was no bathrooms to use. After awhile the white people came down and unlocked us and we got to go up top of the ship. I had cuts on my back and they through salt water on my to wash the poop and the pee and the through up. Then we got to dance to get exercise. Every time I ate the white peoples food i would through up. I wouldn’t feel good after that. Everyone wanted to get out and ambush the white people and kill them. ambush
Lauren M
block D
A female slave after being on the slave ship for a while.
Everything here is very dark. I can barely see anything. I don’t know where my family is but I hope they’re near. It’s very scary being they’re near. It’s very scary being here. It makes everyone feel very sick. The rocking of the boat makes people throw their food up. It’s not good. The smell down here is also horrendous. Everyone’s waste around them is terrible. I have seen a couple people die here. I’m hoping that I’m not the next to go.
When the white men take us above, its hurts our eyes at first but we can bear through it because it’s the only light we get to see for a while. They take the boys and girls separately. You can hear the boys scream as the white men pour water on their backs. The things they do to us, is horrible. I don’t know why they do it either. They hurt us in ways that can’t be explained.
I miss my family a lot. I wish I knew where they were. Hopefully I’ll see them when I get back. I have no idea why they are taking us on this boat but I hope we get back to our family soon. Some people say we’re never going back, but I have hope.
Mahra L. Block B
Kailubo, Kunta’s best friend(after Kunta drives away the leopard)
We were just sitting there, talking about manhood training, sitting by the tree watching the sheep. When all of a sudden a leopard came out of no where and attacked the female sheep; Kunta grabbed his sling shot and and started shooting rocks at the leopard to try and scare it away. The leopard only looked up and then back down at the sheep he was devouring. Kunta ran up to him and kept shooting, he tried scaring it away, making himself look like a bigger animal. The leopard eventually went away, as Kunta was forced to skin his sheep.
It was one of the most scariest moments I have ever experienced. I had no idea what was going to happen next. It was like those could have been the last few moments of my life, we had no knowing of what that leopard was going to do next, as Kunta charged him. I just sat and watched as Kunta used his courage and bravery to try and save his sheep. When the leopard had finely left, Kunta looked at his sheep, to find her dead. He then skinned the poor animal, as sad as he was. We then walked back home so he could give the skin to his father.
When we arrived back at the village Kunta showed his father the skin and I went back home to tell my father of this tale where my life was flashed before me and of Kunta’s bravery and courage.
Erik F
Block
Kunta kinta(after manhoodtraining)
Kunta kinta changed a lot after he went to manhood training. Before he went he was a very careless boy and made lots of mistakes. After he was very smart and noble and tough for example when he was saying goodbye to his mom he did it very calmly and in a very firm voice then he made a very idiotic mistake when he went into the woods alone and into the tall grass where they said never to go if you can help it. Then when his mother showed up at his new hut that his father had made him. His grand mother said that she will always be her grand mother and his parents will always be his parents and his brother will always be his brother. He also was going to make his brother a drum for something special. Then when he went into the woods to find a log to make the drum but he made a very dumb move and went into the woods alone and he got scene by a slave catcher and another tribeman. Then he goes on a beach and wonders where he is and see the girl he like in the same jail cell type thing. Then he finds out her father was killed and was very smart about how he figured it out.
Jen B
Block A
Binta Kinte (as a new mom)
We had our son a few days ago. He is very strong! Our baby boy’s name is Kunta Kinte. We had a hard time coming up with a name for our baby and our chief wasn’t much help when we asked him for advice, but when we found a good name, we found that it fit him perfectly. To find a name for our son my husband brought him to the stars and searched for a name. The name Kunta came to him that night.
The hut that we live in is small, but I think we will be able to provide for Kunta until manhood training. My only fear is that the day of manhood training will come too soon. I am starting to realize that we will need to work with this stubborn young child more as he grows. For now, all I need to wory about is trying to get this little man to sleep. He has a big future awaiting him.
Juleah H
Block B
Wrestler, During Manhood Training
It has now been yet another year of Manhood Training and the boys that came in are now men. We taught them the lessons of life and how to start a house and family. We give each boy a task, there was this one boy that stood out to me among the rest, and his name was Kunta. Kunta Kinte. He has the strength of a warrior. He is a courageous boy that will become a great man.
In the middle of manhood trainging we tought the boys to wrestler, yet none were as good as I, but Kunta Kinte was the first to try. Kunta had a good attempt, but when he got down he came right back up again. Having him been beaten, he sat down. I asked who would like to go next, no one was willing to make a fool of themselves. Kunta Kinte came up again, that boy has the strength of a warrior. After Kunta it was not a problem, every boy came up.
We send one boy at a time to do a task. Kunta Kintes task was to catch a bird without weapon or trap. Later on Kunta came back without the bird. I had said that he had a task to do, and that he should have done it. Kunta says, “no, I saw… White Men!” Now we all know what the white men come here for, but these soon to be men did not. We told them to never go anywhere alone if you could help it and never go after dark alone, if you can help it. We also told them that the white men have a smell and they use too much wood for their fires. So if you ever smell something strange or see to much smoke get away from there. The last thing was that you should never go through the tall weeds for the white men could be hiding in them.
We then circumcised the men and took them back to their village. It makes me so proud to se a boy become a man.
I am Kunta Kinte. I just got back from man training and I am officially a “man”. I went back to my home and my mother told me that since I am now a man I can have to live on my own now and that father has built me a hut nearby. I ventured off and easily found it.
I than went off to start my first hunt. Not paying attention and keeping the warnings that I had learned in man training I wondered into tall grass and bushes. Not paying attention to the monkeys’ actions of fright I was captured by black slaves who smelt like wet chicken.
The slaves brought me to the beach where many other African villagers were too. I saw that the wrestler from man training was captured too. I guess not even him could have avoided them; seeing that just made me so—- furious and disappointed, is there any hope of getting out of this cage? These white men put me in chains, all the others too.
They brought us onto a ship. We’re all chained up to this hard, uncomfortable board of wood. There is barely any room to move and it’s not that easy to have a conversation with the person next to you since most likely they don’t speak the same language as you.
The rocking of the ship makes me sick to my stomach and sometimes vomit. Sometimes you’ll get others waste on you too, it’s not the most pleasant thing I’ve experienced. It smells retched down here too.
The white people brought us on deck and the light burned our eyes. I couldn’t find a bay at all so I don’t know where we are, I think we left the world, we’re surrounded by water; that’s all you can see is water. They poured water onto us that made our back curl up in discomfort and stung our bodies with bolts of pain. They made us dance too. Though none of us knew each other’s language we all chanted. I chanted “whale tu.”
Now back below deck I talked to the wrestler. I told him how angry I was and how I wanted to defeat the white men in revenge. He explained to me that even though we didn’t know each other’s language we would learn their language and defeat the white men.
Angelina M
Block B
Wow Amanda that was an amazing entry! I felt as though I was there while she was tell me the story!
I really liked everyone’s coments. Amanda and Miranda’s were AMAZING(:
Cassidy M
Block C
Hello, I am Kunta Kinte’s grandmother (before manhood training). I was there when Kunta was born to help my daughter give birth to him. I was so happy when he was born and I told his father to come quickly and see his baby boy. I have always treated him like a kid. I give him chores and tell him to help his mother, but things are going to change when he goes to manhood training. When he comes back he will be considered a man, and he will be treated like one. When he goes I will have to be there for my daughter. I assume that there will be a lot of tears, because when I had my daughter, I had tears everyday. That is why I need to be there for her. I consider myself a strong woman and a leader of the family. I think that the father is a leader too though, because he is a man. Kunta has a lot to learn about the world. He needs to be smarter and wiser about his decisions, but when he goes to manhood training he will learn. Kunta is strong but not wise, like the warthog. My daughter and I will miss him dearly when he leaves for manhood training.
CodyH block:D
I am a slave that is a male.
I am 25 years old. I was captured at night because I was alone getting fire wood. And I try to run away but white man had back up and could not get away. They put me in shackles and drag me to the baot shelf tipe things that where stak up.
Haley M
Block D
My name is Huna Boubo. I am apart of the bobba tribe. I was raised here by the chief, a.k.a. my father. I want to tell you what happened to me yesterday.
The boys in my tribe had to go to manhood training to become a man. So some of the girls had to do a ceremonial dance to celebrate the boys becoming men. I was one of the girls.
So I was dancing when in the corner of my eye I saw the bravest warrior ever. He came back with a chicken in his hand. I knew at that moment that that was the man I wanted to spend the rest of my life with.
So I went up to him and asked, “What’s your name?”
He just stood there looking at me like I was stupid or something.
“ A woman should not ever ask a man what his name is. Only man can ask what woman’s name is.”
“I’m sorry I didn’t know.”
And without his name the bravest warrior walked away acting like he just taught a lesson to someone.
Soon after he came up to me and said, did you learn a lesson?”
“I’m Huna Boubo, daughter of chief Wiggie Hush I don’t think that my father would…. Before I could even get another word out he said “I’m sorry please don’t tell you father.”
“I wont unless you take care of me and build me a home.”
“Alright I will.”
So that’s the story oh yea I almost forgot my house is beautiful.
Troy P.
Block A
Omoro (Kunta Kinte’s dad)
I am writing about Kunta Kinte’s dad named Omoro. This is Omoro’s reaction to loosing Kunta to the white men.
I thought he was going to be ok. He was just going out to getsupplies for his new home. I thought he was going to be smart and use his lessons from manhood training. He was taught well and must not have remembered his lessons. He probably went somewhere where he wasn’t supposed to go because it is a spot that he was taught not to go.
When I got back spoke with my wife and told her the news. My wife fell to the ground, heart broken, and screaming. I felt her pain and was devastated. I told her where I aw his footprints. He must have got caught up and excited for being a new man. He must not have been quite ready to be alone. I saw that he walked through long grass where white men usually are in. Also I don’t think he was watching the monkeys. f he had watched the monkeys he would have known that something bad that he wouldn’t like is around. If monkeys are afraid of something then you should be afraid.
My first thought was the white men got him. I hope that my son fought back and didn’t just let them take him because he thought that they were just normal and weren’t mean. Oh but he is smart he must have known to run. Oh but he shouldn’t have been where he was. This is horrible he doesn’t know their language and can’t hear what they are saying. Now he can’t hear what they are going to do to him. I want my son back.
I wonder what is going to be of my son. I hope he is not dead. I am so scared. I saw his footprints leading to the ocean. I wonder what the white men are going to do to my son. I do not like those white men. I have seen them capture one tribe and chain them and whip them like they are monsters. My son probably doesn’t even knowwhat he is into. He is probably panicking. I want my son back I willdo anything to get him back. I would trade places with him so he does not have to go through with what ihe is going through. I do not trust those white men. I will KILL those white men.
Jesse D
Block D
I am watching the new men come back from manhood training. I am reminded of when I went to my own manhood training. I remember all the things I had to do to prove I was a man. I remember the long walk to the secret camp. It was scary and terrifying when I first went to the secret hidden village. I didn’t know where I was going because I had a bag over my head the whole walk there. We stay ed there for weeks. It was very exciting I was about to become a new man. All of the challenges I had to do were hard and difficult. I remember having to wrestle a huge guy too. I remember being cut on my private part with a sharp knife like tool. One of the challenges I had to do was go out into the woods and catch a bird and bring it back safe and unharmed. I also remember the long walk back to my village. I was finally a man. I was walking back to the village with my bow on my back and my spear in my hand. I was wearing a beautiful handwoven robe made for me by my mother. When I got back to the village my mother gave me my belongings and I went to my own hut. I was feeling happy and sad at the same time. I was happy because I had my own hut but I was sad because I wouldn’t have a hug and kiss relationship with my mother and father anymore. Now I am an old man and there are new young men to take my place running the village.
Wow, what a great feeling, whatching the new men come home from manhood training. I remember when I got back from manhood training. It’s the best thing of your live when you go from boy, to a man. the best part is the walk back, to the village. As you draw nearer to your new homes made just for you, you sense the new respect from the woman, and the higher equality from the elders. so when I saw those boys walking back, I know what they must have been feeling. they look so much more serious (because they are)and more aware. More aware to life, and how it works. and as they finaly reach the village, some men and I will show the newly made men to their houses we have made for them. but now, at the moment, I need just to watch the new men come back, and give them the serious look from a fellow man.
Hi im Brima Cesay. I feel very very down on people taking slaves. They’re people also no one should be treated as badly as the slaves. The slaves that get taken away sometimes break the rules and sometimes you want to say they deserved it, but u cant say that there important to the village. Most every person in our village. The most important people sometimes become slaves to the white men because they can easily be tricked even though its bad. I feel really bad with some people that get taken. Some of the man hood trainers have gotten taken cause they dont have many warriors there thier numbers are very low. We all wish white man would leave and let us live in peace like they live in until they get to us.
My name is Kunta Kinte. Im Kunta kinte before manhood training. Before i went to manhood training i was not considered a man, I was considered a boy. I knew things but i wasnt sure of everything that i needed to know. I was told of manhood training and what happened to us when we go there. I wondered around with my chores doing things thinking that my life is going to be so much better as a man. But for now i am just a boy. I was aware of everything going on around me but i think that when i am a man that i will be able to do much more, and i will be respected from others more often too. For now i am trying to impress my dad with everything i can get. He doesn’t seem to be too impressed with me.
The other day i was taking after the goats and i saw a cheetah threatening my pack. I wanted to do something, like kill it or scare it away, i just wanted to do anything that would please my dad. i wasnt paying attention and the cheetah killed one of my fathers goats. I was so upset at myself, and scared about how angry my dad would be with me. I cant hide it from him, so when i told him, he was very angry. But in a weird way i think he understood what i tried to do. He wasnt mad at me the rest of the day, because he told me that this is just a step towards becoming a man.
Every night i would lay in bed and think. This was one of my favorite things to do with my spare time that is, if i had any. I think about things like manhood training. My friend had told me that us boys, would be circumsized. i didnt understand what that meant, but i now know. I think if i should be proud of going to manhood training, or worrying about it. I didnt want a little thing like that getting stuck in my mind all of this time so i am deciding to let it go. I cannot wait to become a man.
i think it is a really good show