The Book of Negroes

While reading the novel “The Book of Negroes by Lawrence Hill, I recognize the quote "Got a slave mama, then you is slave. Got a slave daddy, then you is slave. Amanita is a strong African American woman in this novel. She feels as if she is doesn’t belong anywhere in the world but she still continues to survive for the sake of her long lost family. Everyone treats her as if she is worth nothing at all, but this makes her believe in herself more than ever. Any nigger in you at all, then you is slave as clear as day." (Pg.134) In today's society, this quote is still very powerful as many still believe that if you are of African descent that you are a slave. Many people in North America are still prejudice against African Americans as they accept them to only to be slaves and lower class compared to anyone else. No matter how hard African Americans try to forget the horrifying past; the word "slave" is always going to be a part of them. Although slavery is still practised in other countries it is now diminishing, but hard to forget for those who have survived through it. This quote speaks to me because African Americans are still looked upon poorly, which needs to change. As racism still continues many people still use the slang word "Negro or nigger" in everyday life, but many people do not understand the hardship behind it. The word Negro is another term for slaves. Many African American have families that have suffered through the horrific times being in the slave trade, but everyone in our society need to acknowledge it as something that has happened in the past.