ABSTRACT
In some ways, many of the chapters in this book capture the essence of the Nigerian proverb that reflects the dilemma AfricanAmerican communities are confronted with today: "He who is being carried does not realize how far the village is." Many of the social supports and policies that were designed to replace the cultural institutions that had been destroyed during slavery have, in fact, robbed African Americans of their self-determination. What was initially a temporary solution has become the problem, with chronic, systemic, and debilitating effects. Those effects have had the greatest impact in areas that are essential for any community's survival, in health, education, economics, and politics.
