Gambia - The Roots connection, Juffre and Albreda

On June 25 1999 the village of Juffre finally honoured a near life long ambition of a best-selling Afro-American writer. His dream of building a mosque in the village, which inspired him to write his bestseller was fulfilled, better still the fund he had inaugurated went one step further and they were able to open not only the mosque but also the Alex Hayley School Complex. The book, of course, was Roots an international hit that spawned one of the most successful TV mini series of all time. Hayley traced his ancestry back to the village of Juffre, which was once home to his great grandfather Kunta Kinte who became synonymous with the African slave’s struggle for freedom. Every year Gambians celebrate a national heritage week called appropriately the Roots Homecoming Festival in his honour. Nearby Juffre is the town of Abreda the former trading station where legend holds if an escaped slave reached the flagpole they were freed. Both Juffre and Albreda have deep emotional significance in the hearts of the Gambian people to visit them is to pay your sincerest respect.

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Gambia top highlights and attractions

• Banjul Market
• Gambia’s Beaches
• Kiang West National Park
• River Journey to Georgetown
• The Roots connection, Juffre and Albreda