Article: Roots - a podcast by Christopher Stephens

(From 2/28/13)

As we all know February is black history month. We've just completed another successful Black History Program at our congregation. We learned about our history both good and bad things and we try to let our youth know where they come from. While watching BET this month I had the opportunity to finally watch Roots in its entirety by Alex Haley. This mini-series traced back Alex Haley's family all the way back to his African ancestor. But while watching this it brought back a bitter memory that I had.

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While at work talking to another co-worker he explained to me how he had traced his lineage back to William Wallace. He spoke of how he found his family's crest and learned where he was TRULY from. Well this was exciting news to me! I quickly went home and signed up on ancestry.com. I worked tirelessly asking all the older people in my family where we came from and who was who in our history. Well my history didn't end with any famous leaders or family crests. It ended with a sale. My history went as far back on my mother’s side as a sale. It was devastating to find out that my history was cut off. I wondered to myself who I was and where I was from. This brought up feelings of anger and bitterness to the hateful people who had enslaved my ancestors. It was very hurtful not knowing who I was.

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But then I realized that I've been adopted into a family of children whose father is God. I’m thankful to father Abraham for having faith. I’m thankful that through the seed of Abraham the son of God was born to a virgin. I realize now that my family was not cut off! It’s actually one of the most well documented accounts of history in the world! I’m a child of God! I’m somebody in Jesus! I belong to a family of people of EXTREME faith! Those ROOTS run the deepest and are eternal!

Further episodes of Ave G CoC

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