Use these questions or activities to help gauge students’ familiarity with and spark their interest in the context of the work, giving them an entry point into the text itself.

Short Answer

1. What do you know about the shared history of Enslavement and Freedom in West Africa and the United States? Where do you see the legacy of the slave trade today, both on the African continent and in the United States?

Teaching Suggestion: Many American readers may be aware of the centuries-long slave trade in the United States and its lasting legacy in American culture, and particularly in African-American lives; however, much of the trauma passed between generations may come as a surprise to readers. Even less familiar to readers may be the legacy of slavery on the African continent. Getting students to think through their preconceptions about slavery, African culture, and the civil rights movement in the United States will help them navigate the experiences of Maame’s descendants.

• “A Slow Emancipation” by Kwame Anthony Appiah. In this article, a prominent philosopher and cultural theorist reflects on the enduring history of slavery in Africa and how forms of enslavement continue to exist today in the modern world.
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