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The
Kunta Kinte-
Alex
Haley Memorial
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.
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