Bill Haley Jr, the grandson of Alex Haley, author of the famous best seller Roots, has arrived in The Gambia yesterday, in the company of Malick L Manga in celebration of their joint legacies to kickstart the new year.
The year 2022 marked seven milestone anniversaries surrounding the award-winning book, Roots, which was written by world famous author Alex Haley. The massive trajectory of “Roots” was fostered by Haley’s chance meeting with Ebou Manga, a Gambian student and father of Malick Manga, at New York’s historic Hamilton College. Ebou Manga was a major key to unlocking Alex Haley’s family lineage in West Africa and later became Haley’s Chief Gambian Technical advisor for the novel and subsequent miniseries franchise, all of which led to a titanic shift of cultural identity by African-Americans, and of the ties between Africans, African-Americans, and the African Diaspora, according to a press release.
The technology transfer initiatives to be discussed during their visit will be focused on sustainable housing, education, healthcare, agriculture and cultural tourism; all of which are critical sectors concerning the overall development for The Gambia.
Manga and Haley plan on unleashing a series of initiatives to the global public square which celebrates and informs a new generation of their Roots Legacy and the importance of the African diaspora.
“The Technology Transfer initiatives are a generational gift to the people of The Gambia; an affirmation of our ‘Roots’ legacy; and the seven milestone anniversaries, which include the 55th Anniversary of my grandfather and Ebou Manga’s inaugural visit to The Gambia,” said Bill Haley Jr. “And, it is the story of my ancestral descendant Kunta Kinteh.”
Malick L. Manga reiterated: “These initiatives are a reflection of the deep yearning we have in connecting to our Roots, a celebration of our joint legacies but they are also an answered call for those of us in The Diaspora to help with the development of our ancestral homeland”
The seven milestone anniversaries surrounding the “Roots” book and its ongoing cultural phenomenon is being revisited through a series of initiatives. Important among the milestones is a technological transfer initiative in partnership with Affordable Human Needs (AHN) and Frontida Records as promotion to build on the continued bond between Africa to America.
Sources: Black Enterprises
