"Eight years after Congo's independence, the government in place demanded that its high-ranking officials prove that they were truly of Congolese descent. Henri Lopes was thirty years old and this request landed like a bombshell. He never forgot the pain and indignation he felt. How is it possible to prove what we are, what multiple and changing identities we are composed of? Henri Lopes digs into his family history. Both his parents were of mixed descent, born from the union of a native African woman and a white colonist. Sometimes they are considered "negro", other times "white". Lopez inherited their stories - he grew up on the banks of the Congo River and the Oubangui River before he discovered the Loire and the Seine. He returned to Congo, left again, travelled, wrote and became a militant. His entire life has been about wanderings and mixed race. This superb, poignant narrative is also the portrait of a side of Africa you won't find in any tourist guide: Africa from the inside." -- Publisher's website.
This resource is supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act as administered by State Library of Iowa.