Quote by Henry Louis Gates

You can say I had a severe case of 'Roots' envy. I wanted to be like Alex Haley, and I wanted to be able to... do my family tree back to the slave ship and then reverse the Middle Passage, as I like to put it, and find the tribe or ethnic group that I was from in Africa.

You can say I had a severe case of 'Roots' envy. I wanted to

Summary

The quote expresses a sense of longing and aspiration to connect with one's ancestral heritage. The speaker mentions being inspired by Alex Haley's book 'Roots', and wishes to trace their family history beyond the painful legacy of slavery. They express a desire to discover their African roots by retracing the journey of their ancestors, with the goal of identifying the specific tribe or ethnic group they belong to. It encapsulates a yearning for a deeper understanding of one's identity and a desire to reclaim cultural heritage lost through historical oppression.

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By Henry Louis Gates

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