Roots: The Saga of an American Family Race Quotes

For a young Kunta, the concept of race doesn't really exist. He doesn't get the sense that the white men he sees in Africa come from a country where people endure the same struggles as he does. Instead, they're just strange, otherworldly bogeymen, which makes sense given the horrendous deeds of slave traders.

In his childhood, Kunta is taught that one's blackness is beautiful. Sadly, he'll have the exact opposite belief spouted at him once he is stolen from his homeland.

Remember how Kunta was taught that blackness was beautiful? How's he supposed to hold on to that belief in a country that tells him he should be ashamed of it? That's the quandary he faces in America.

As Kunta notes, the slave owners never seem happier than when they are with black people, whether they're celebrating with them or abusing them. The psychology of this is so twisted that Sigmund Freud's head would explode just trying to figure it out.

Leave it to the fiddler to speak truth to power in the most concise way possible. If anything, the only thing we'd describe as savage is the mass enslavement of people.

The relationship between Missy Anne and Kizzy both breaks our hearts and gives us insight into why Kunta is so opposed to interracial friendship—the scales of power are so heavily tipped in one direction that any real relationship is impossible. For Kizzy, this is an insanely sad realization, but a necessary one.

The novel depicts a certain degree of colorism within the black community, although most of this is based on the implication that mixed-race children were the product of sexual abuse by white men. Still, this idea directly contradicts the notion of race as a binary.

Although George was born from horrifying circumstances, Kizzy refuses to let them define her son. Instead, she chooses to instill in him the same sense of racial pride that her father instilled in her by teaching him about their cultural legacy. It makes all of the difference.

If you can't tell, this is referencing the influx of European immigrants that defined late-1800's, early-1900's America. While many of these new immigrants were not accepted into white culture at the time, their children and grandchildren would be, which further highlights how racism is uniquely focused towards black people in America.

The family's love for Ol' George is adorable, but what strikes us most about this passage is that they love him because he's true to his own heritage. Their dislike of "crackers" doesn't stem from a dislike of them as people, nor their culture, but rather their denial of their true selves.