These Seeds Wouldn’t Ensure Safety, But They Helped With Survival
Black History Year
PushBlack
4.6 • 2.2K Ratings
🗓️ 3 October 2024
⏱️ 3 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
Her fingers trembled as she braided the rice seeds into her daughter's hair. The thought of enslavers snatching them was terrifying. While these seeds wouldn’t ensure safety, they might grant survival.
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | The Monopoly game at McDonald's is back. There's over two million pounds worth of cash prizes to be won. |
| 0:06.5 | And a chance to get your hands on some epic prizes. Go on. It's your go. |
| 0:13.0 | 18 plus UK ends 21st of October. Selected menu items. At may be required. May depend on winning moment. |
| 0:18.4 | See macdre rules.co.com. UK. |
| 0:27.4 | Her fingers trembled as she braided the rice seeds into her daughter's hair. |
| 0:30.3 | The thought of enslavers snatching them was terrified. |
| 0:36.1 | While these seas wouldn't ensure safety, they might grant survival. |
| 0:38.6 | This is two-minute black history. |
| 0:40.9 | What you didn't learn in school. |
| 0:50.7 | Throughout the transatlantic slave trade, |
| 0:56.7 | West African women braided rice seeds into their air, knowing that being snatched was a very real possibility. And while they had no idea what awaited them, they wanted to |
| 1:02.2 | ensure they could bring a piece of home with them. Rice seeds offered culture and sustenance |
| 1:10.0 | wherever they landed. |
| 1:11.6 | Over time, greedy white enslavers capitalized on our ancestors' genius, forcing them to grow rice crops throughout North and South America. |
| 1:21.6 | While rice plantations were extremely dangerous, our ancestors remained resilient. |
| 1:28.3 | They knew they were leaving more than seeds in the soil. |
| 1:32.3 | Once enslaved Africans began running away, they often banned together and formed Maroon colonies. |
| 1:40.3 | Maroons depended on many tactics to survive, one being to sneak rice seeds from the plantations |
| 1:47.6 | when their former enslavers weren't looking. Just like their ancestors, they hid the seeds |
| 1:53.7 | in their hair. |
| 2:00.5 | Our ancestors preserved their wisdom to be passed on to us. |
| 2:05.3 | In many ways, the rice seeds are a metaphor for how to plan for a future that seems uncertain. |
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