Discussion 04.11.13

Today in class, there was a long discussion on the chapter, "They Call Me an African." The most interesting part of this chapter for me was the fact that Aminata did not know where she originated; she was clueless to the outside world. She is a pure African and never knew it until she was told. She identified herself as a Bamana and a Fula but did not know she was born and raised in Africa. When she is on this new island, Sullivan island, she is told that she is from Africa and she is clueless about even the word, as she has never heard it. There is a quote representing dehumanization saying, "I belong to nobody, I am not an African. I am a Bamana. And a Fula. I am from Bayo near Segu. I am not what you say. I am not an African." Aminata says this to somebody who informs her of her roots. She is appalled and states her identification. She has been this all of her life and she is not about to change who she is for these new people. I personally think that Aminata does not ever struggle with her identity. Whilst going through the terror that was slavery, she still prayed and called herself a Muslim, though she did query losing faith because of her situation. Aminata may be young but she knows who she is. At least she thought she did, until she was told she was an African. She then fights it. She is not an African, she is who she believes she is and who she has been for her whole life up until that very moment. This discussion was extremely interesting to me because I cannot imagine being in a state where I am told that I am something or someone I am not... or who I thought I was not. This horror called slavery brought terror amongst the slaves. How were they to know what was the truth and what was not? They did not. Because they were not allowed to. They were told to believe and obey their 'owners' and all they could do was just that, if they wanted to dodge a beating or death.