1. By Dr. Patricia Williams Diaw
Who Am I?
By Dr. Patricia Williams Diaw

2. Each individual that finds meaning for their life addresses the four fundamental questions of life:
Who am I?
Where do I come from?
Why am I here?
What will happen when I die?

3. Who am I?
My name is Patricia Williams Diaw

4. My ancestors were slaves.
Self-Concept
What does history tell me about who I am?
My ancestors were slaves.
How does this make me feel? Tell story about observation of son in 7th grade. What was the history of these people text books call “the slaves”. I did research. I cannot share it all with you today. But here is just a little of what I discovered visiting libraries, visiting Africa eight times, reading books, doing online research.

5. We are all members of the human family
Sankore
Who am I? How does history influence way I see myself and the way others see me?

6. Reflection
Strengthen our sense of pride in being African-American descendants of Africans portrayed in America as slaves, colored, Negro, Blacks, African Americans.
Should I feel proud of the person am I. One of the reasons I am here today to share information is to encourage the thinking: I am a capable and proud human being with anestors who were capable and proud human beings.

7. The so called ‘slaves’ were African People
Different tribes and family groups
Living in many parts of Africa
Engaging in meaningful work
Achievers
Culture
History
Human beings

8. Lets start at the beginning
Lets start at the beginning. Where my ancestors born on this earth as slaves? Is the word slave able to describe them as human beings or describe their history, their family life, their culture, their achievements?

10. Huni (Reign: ca B.C. – 2632 B.C.)

11. Ancient Egyptians Khasekhemwy (Reign: 18 years, ca. 2690 B.C.)

12. Khafra (Reign: 26 years, ca. 2570 B.C.)

15. African Civilization Pre-Colonial
This is the African continent, before it was Today, college degrees have been devoted to studying the history of pre-colonial African Civilization. Yet, during the time I grew up in the 1950s studying history in school, it was easy to think that Black Africa had not history before European colonization. I attended Howard University during the early 1060s when students were demanding changes in curriculum, and the first courses in African History was offered. It was there that I was able to learn about The Kingdoms of West Africa.
Lets us take a look. In the vast region south of the Sahara desert, from the Atlantic Ocean across the continent to the Red Sea, Africans organized kingdoms.

16. African Kingdoms

19. Millions of Africans were kidnapped during the period of 1440-1988
Millions of Africans were kidnapped during the period of Africans were members of families, tribes, and communities known as tribes that had existed for thousands of years. They came from various geographical locations in Africa. These millions of Africans worked for hundred of years against their will without pay or compensation, and have made a tremendous contribution to modern society.

20. Millions of Africans were kidnapped during the period of 1619-1865.

23. The entrance of the “House of Slaves” where captured Africans were housed, located on Goree Island

27. WHO WERE THE PEOPLE THAT DEPARTED?

31. Within several decades of being brought to the American colonies, Africans were stripped of human rights and enslaved as chattel, an enslavement that lasted more than two centuries. Slavers whipped slaves who displeased them. Clergy preached that slavery was the will of God. Scientists "proved" that blacks were less evolved-a subspecies of the human race. The invention of the cotton gin in 1793 solidified the importance of slavery to the South's economy. By the mid-19th century, America's westward expansion, along with a growing anti-slavery movement in the North, provoked a national debate over slavery that helped precipitate the American Civil War ( ). Though the Union victory freed the nation's four million slaves, the legacy of slavery influenced American history, from the chaotic years of Reconstruction ( ) to the civil rights movement that emerged in the 1950s.

32. Historical interpreters shoulder their tools and head for a day of labor in the fields as slaves would have done in colonial times.

35. Africans were skilled craftsman and artisans, carpenters, masonries, architects, engineers, blacksmiths, coopers, teamsters, coachmen, gardeners, stewards, seamstresses, nurses. etc.

39. What will happen when I die?
Each individual that finds meaning for their life addresses the four fundamental questions of life:
Who am I?
Where do I come from?
Why am I here?
What will happen when I die?

40. Who Am I
How would you answer this question?

41. Where do I come from? 534 South Dunlop Southward Petersburg Virginia
United States of America
North American Continent
Earth
Spirit
For me to know who I am, I had to find out where I come from. It took years for me to find my mother, 30 to be exact. So in the meantime, I grew up in the time when folks were learning to become proud of being black, proud of being African. Howard University hired an African Professor who taught me many of the things I will share with you today.

42. Why am I here? What are my gifts and special abilities?
How can I help?
myself
family
community,
city, state, country I live in
improve the planet earth

43. What will happen when I die?
Will I leave my personal business in order?
Will I be remember because of my writings, art, music, invention, achievement in a particular field (business, medicine, science, math, etc.)
What will I ;leave for the benefit of my family
What will be .my legacy for future generations to build upon?

44. References