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THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2001

"WHEN CAROLYN Brown's son Michael was in the fourth grade, his teacher organized a potluck meal and instructed each student to bring in a dish that represented his or her culture.

'I asked him, 'Do you want to bring something native or do you want to bring soul food?'" remembers Brown. 'We didn't know, so I asked his teacher, and she said, 'Just bring what African- Americans eat.''

Brown got annoyed. 'It was as if all his other culture was null and void, just because of the color of his skin.'"

Get the Story:
Carolyn Brown: A Lineage That Transcends Cultures Many African-Americans find an ancestry that's rich in Indian history (Newsday 11/8)