African Americans, moving like a river (Blog #5)

“The Negro Spreak of Rivers” speaks about the deep history of African Americans. In the first four lines the author says that he has “known rivers ancient as the world,” and that he and his people understand how nature has a factor upon civilization. Africans have the oldest known ancestries so therefore they would know how nature “rivers” can play are part in the foundation of life. He then goes on to link humans and rivers by saying “human blood in human veins.” With this the man feels as though he is one with the rivers. The Congo and the Nile, which are in Africa and the Mississippi, which is in America. The changing of location does not change his understanding and passion towards the rivers. He himself was a third generation American though he did not live in Africa he may have heard tales. The change in location is warranted by the act of slave trade. These men were brought to America from their “huts” along the Congo as well as various other places in Africa. Though he has moved locations, he still has the deep connection with his ancestry. I feel as though the statements made are to be motivational in some instance. That the people as a whole will be much like a river and continue to keep moving forward, grow, and in turn progress.