Back and Next - Back and NextThe Kunta Kinteh-Alex Haley Memorial
Friday, June 6, 2008
The Kunta Kinte-Alex Haley Memorial commemorates the place of arrival of Alex Haley's African ancestor, Kunta Kinte, to the New World, as told in the book Roots. It is located in Annapolis, Maryland at the head of the City's harbor.
This Memorial is the only memorial in the United States that commemorates the actual name and place of arrival of an enslaved African. It portrays in word and symbol Alex Haley's vision for national racial reconciliation and healing, and symbolizes in Kunta Kinte and his descendants the triumph of the human spirit in very difficult times.
The Memorial includes a sculpture group of a seated Alex Haley reading from a book on his lap to three children of different ethnic backgrounds.
As he stretches his hand toward the Chesapeake Bay, he tells his family's story and the story of the Annapolis port, a symbolic Ellis Island for African Americans.
Phase I of the Memorial construction was completed in 1997. It includes a ramp, foundation for the sculpture, and installation of a pedestal for the original commemorative bronze plaque dedicated to Kunta Kinte and his forefathers in 1981. Phase II, the sculpture group, was unveiled and dedicated on December 9, 1999.
Phase III, (the final phase) was dedicated in the Spring of 2002. It consists of an inlaid granite and bronze 14-foot diameter compass rose, special seating and lighting, a "Story Wall" with 10 bronze engraved plaques, web cameras, and an informational kiosk.
It is envisioned that the Kunta Kinte-Alex Haley Memorial will be the catalyst and focal point for renewed interest in genealogy, history, and the arts. It is in an area currently visited by nearly a million people a year.
History of Development: A Luta Continua!
A Luta Continua is a Portuguese slogan that literally means "the struggle continues." It has indeed been a struggle to erect the Kunta Kinte-Alex Haley Memorial. A struggle that has taken over twenty years!
When Alex Haley’s best selling story Roots won national acclaim, a group of Annapolis, Maryland citizens recognized the significant role of Annapolis in the story. Led by Carl O. Snowden, the group approached the Annapolis City Council in 1979 to discuss placing a memorial in honor of Kunta Kinte at the Annapolis City Dock. The Mayor at the time was quoted in the Washington Post opposing the idea, indicating that Kunta Kinte was not an Annapolitan.
Within two years a new Mayor was elected who ran on a platform that included supporting a plaque at the City Dock commemorating Kunta Kinte’s arrival in 1767. It was 1981 and the new Mayor was Richard Hillman. Before the year was out, thousands of people observed the dedication of the plaque. In attendance was Alex Haley himself, along with then-Governor Harry Hughes, County Executive Robert A. Pascal and Mayor Richard Hillman.
But that was not the end of the story. Within 48 hours of the plaque’s dedication, it was stolen, allegedly, by the Ku Klux Klan. The news of the theft made international headlines. The plaque was never recovered. Alex Haley was quoted in the Capital, saying "the theft of the plaque spoke volumes about the people who stole it." Within two months local citizens had raised enough funds to replace the stolen plaque.
In 1992, the Kunta Kinte-Alex Haley Foundation, under the leadership of President and Founder, Leonard A. Blackshear, started the process of building the now completed Kunta Kinte-Alex Haley Memorial, which includes the restored 1981 replacement plaque commemorating Kinte’s arrival.
That process was finally completed after over 23 years of challenges and struggle. On June 12, 2002 the final phase of the Kunta Kinte-Alex Haley Memorial was dedicated. The Baltimore Sun wrote, "At last, Annapolis will honor one of its most famous sons in proper fashion. After years of plodding debate over whether to erect a statue at the point where Alex Haley’s ancestor landed in chains at Annapolis, officials have finally agreed on a fitting memorial."
Today the Memorial is seen by some 1,000,000 visitors a year. Although Alex Haley did not live long enough to see this Memorial completed, if he were here today, we are sure that he would say that it "speaks volumes about the many people and organizations from around the world who helped build it!"
This Memorial is the only memorial in the United States that commemorates the actual name and place of arrival of an enslaved African. It portrays in word and symbol Alex Haley's vision for national racial reconciliation and healing, and symbolizes in Kunta Kinte and his descendants the triumph of the human spirit in very difficult times.
The Memorial includes a sculpture group of a seated Alex Haley reading from a book on his lap to three children of different ethnic backgrounds.
As he stretches his hand toward the Chesapeake Bay, he tells his family's story and the story of the Annapolis port, a symbolic Ellis Island for African Americans.
Phase I of the Memorial construction was completed in 1997. It includes a ramp, foundation for the sculpture, and installation of a pedestal for the original commemorative bronze plaque dedicated to Kunta Kinte and his forefathers in 1981. Phase II, the sculpture group, was unveiled and dedicated on December 9, 1999.
Phase III, (the final phase) was dedicated in the Spring of 2002. It consists of an inlaid granite and bronze 14-foot diameter compass rose, special seating and lighting, a "Story Wall" with 10 bronze engraved plaques, web cameras, and an informational kiosk.
It is envisioned that the Kunta Kinte-Alex Haley Memorial will be the catalyst and focal point for renewed interest in genealogy, history, and the arts. It is in an area currently visited by nearly a million people a year.
History of Development: A Luta Continua!
A Luta Continua is a Portuguese slogan that literally means "the struggle continues." It has indeed been a struggle to erect the Kunta Kinte-Alex Haley Memorial. A struggle that has taken over twenty years!
When Alex Haley’s best selling story Roots won national acclaim, a group of Annapolis, Maryland citizens recognized the significant role of Annapolis in the story. Led by Carl O. Snowden, the group approached the Annapolis City Council in 1979 to discuss placing a memorial in honor of Kunta Kinte at the Annapolis City Dock. The Mayor at the time was quoted in the Washington Post opposing the idea, indicating that Kunta Kinte was not an Annapolitan.
Within two years a new Mayor was elected who ran on a platform that included supporting a plaque at the City Dock commemorating Kunta Kinte’s arrival in 1767. It was 1981 and the new Mayor was Richard Hillman. Before the year was out, thousands of people observed the dedication of the plaque. In attendance was Alex Haley himself, along with then-Governor Harry Hughes, County Executive Robert A. Pascal and Mayor Richard Hillman.
But that was not the end of the story. Within 48 hours of the plaque’s dedication, it was stolen, allegedly, by the Ku Klux Klan. The news of the theft made international headlines. The plaque was never recovered. Alex Haley was quoted in the Capital, saying "the theft of the plaque spoke volumes about the people who stole it." Within two months local citizens had raised enough funds to replace the stolen plaque.
In 1992, the Kunta Kinte-Alex Haley Foundation, under the leadership of President and Founder, Leonard A. Blackshear, started the process of building the now completed Kunta Kinte-Alex Haley Memorial, which includes the restored 1981 replacement plaque commemorating Kinte’s arrival.
That process was finally completed after over 23 years of challenges and struggle. On June 12, 2002 the final phase of the Kunta Kinte-Alex Haley Memorial was dedicated. The Baltimore Sun wrote, "At last, Annapolis will honor one of its most famous sons in proper fashion. After years of plodding debate over whether to erect a statue at the point where Alex Haley’s ancestor landed in chains at Annapolis, officials have finally agreed on a fitting memorial."
Today the Memorial is seen by some 1,000,000 visitors a year. Although Alex Haley did not live long enough to see this Memorial completed, if he were here today, we are sure that he would say that it "speaks volumes about the many people and organizations from around the world who helped build it!"
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