While jumping the broom indeed predates African enslavement in America, it’s actually been traced to indigenous wedding rituals in Europe. In the years since Roots premiered, I’ve been invited to a number of weddings in which Black couples jumped the broom, considering it a dignifying African tradition preserved by ancestors.īut the tradition’s true origin story complicates its legacy. The broomstick wedding, for many viewers, conveyed how African descendants shared the profound joy of romantic love in the midst of incessant violation and trauma. I never forgot this scene, and I wasn’t alone: It left an indelible impression on Black America. After both respond affirmatively, she invites the bride and groom to “jump over the broom into the land of matrimony.” She then places the broom on the earthen floor in front of the couple and asks if they are confident about their decision to marry. Gripping the broomstick tightly, she shifts the broom up and down as she marches around the couple, soliciting prayers for preservation of their marriage. An elderly woman parades around the couple with a specially prepared broom, adorned with red and gold ribbons. Kunta Kinte and Belle, both enslaved, cement their wedding vows by jumping the broom. In Roots's third episode comes a rare moment of tenderness. The series chronicled the life of Kunta Kinte through his capture from Africa and enslavement in the 18th and 19th century American South. Viewed by an estimated 85 percent of American households, Roots is considered one of the most impactful shows of all time. I was in elementary school when the Emmy award-winning miniseries, Roots, aired in 1977.
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