The story of this uprooting, the stories of the factors that brought it about and of the consequences which resulted from it are part of our common historical heritage; it is also a very important part of the collective memory of hmanity. Likewise, we must all, regardless of who we are, of where we come from, keep alive this memory, enrich it and transmit it from generation to generation without forgetting the weight of pain and injustice it carries, but also the fierce struggles for liberty, for justice and for the respect of the dignity of the individual which are all natural aspirations of every human being.
Amadou Mahtar M’Bow, “Reflections on the Trans-Saharan Cultural and Literary Relations and the Same Relations Between the Continent and the African Diasporas Across the Atlantic Ocean.” in North-South Linkages and the Connections in Continental and Diaspora African Literatures. pg 20
Thesising 