But as a black woman from America, did you feel like you fit in or you didn't fit in? Were you welcome or unwelcome? How did people perceive you? DuBois went to Ghana to live, and ultimately died there, and still his house is there - so there is this American context.

We feel their presence but they're without names for us.ĬHIDEYA: W.E.B. So, it's about those losses that haunt us, those ancestors who we know but can't name.

To lose your mother is about losing your identity, your language, your country, and that's the way they speak of it in West Africa. SAIDIYA HARTMAN (Author, ''Lose Your Mother:' A Journey Along the Atlantic Slave Route'): It's about the loss that produced the people on the Diaspora. Hartman documents the trip in her new book, ''Lose Your Mother:' A Journey Along the Atlantic Slave Route.' She recently spoke with Farai Chideya.įARAI CHIDEYA: So 'Lose Your Mother,' that's such a haunting title. Once Hartman got to the small West African country, she found herself on a more spiritual journey than she ever expected. Ten years ago, Hartman spent a year in Ghana where thousands of people were enslaved and taken to the new world. She, like so many African-Americans, has descended from slaves and no longer and longed to learn about her family.

Saidiya Hartman is an author and expert on the African-slave trade. It's social and economic legacy affects millions of people everyday. 33 E 17th St, New York, NY 10003Today as part of NPR's series Crossing the Divide, we look at one of the oldest and deepest divides in America. ©1997-2023 Barnes & Noble Booksellers, Inc. This episode of Poured Over was hosted by Executive Producer Miwa Messer and mixed by Harry Liang.įollow us here for new episodes Tuesdays and Thursdays (with occasional Saturdays).īlack Futures by Kimberly Drew and Jenna Wortham And we end this episode with TBR Topoff book recommendations from Marc and Jamie. Listen in as both talk separately with Poured Over’s host, Miwa Messer. Chin joined us to talk about uncovering her family’s past, researching an intergenerational story and more. Sharpe joined us to talk about how these notes came to be, the wealth of literary influences on the project and more.Īva Chin’s Mott Street follows one Chinese American family through generations of struggle and resiliency as they work to build their lives. Ordinary Notes by Christina Sharpe compiles art and short vignettes into a beautiful work that explores the Black experience through a wide variety of themes. These riveting works of nonfiction by two incredible women have powerful narratives on family, race, and the way we get to tell our stories.

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