What is the significance of using terms such as kingdom and royalty to describe the land and its people?
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This may seem like an obvious answer, but how else would they separate themselves from the rest of the land and people around them? They wanted to be self-sufficient and not have to answer to anyone (but perhaps to the king and queen).
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I have wondered this many times. Happy Land is not the only book that uses king/queen/kingdom terms. It could have to do with the fact that the ancestry of these characters may have come from countries with sovereign rule. It could also have to do with biblical references. I would love to read about this very specific aspect of Black history if anyone knows of any such resources.
I agree with Cheryl T. However, I don’t understand if they thought this was legally binding. Obviously a community can use whatever terms they want to designate who is in charge. But calling the land a Kingdom seemed over the top to me.
It seemed like a way to connect with their African roots while creating their own style of governance, with a council (not a monarch making all the decisions himself)very different from the “democracy” that had betrayed them. I understood why Nikki wished she had known of her past, and the dignity and strength conveyed by “royalty” – especially knowing you had a WOMAN ancestor who had been so brave and strong
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The use of language like “Kingdom” and royal titles is a profound reversal for people emerging from enslavement. Having been stripped of humanity and defined by someone else’s ownership, claiming the vocabulary of sovereignty seems to flip the entire power dynamic — declaring self-governance, self-determination, and the right to define your own identity. It’s also feels like a direct challenge to the social hierarchy that once placed them at the very bottom, by claiming the language of those at the very top.
In addition to other members, the thoughts expressed by Rose and Michelle reflect my own. The people had no reason to feel part of the country that enslaved them. Creating their very own kingdom, just as the founders of the U.S. expressed their rejection of the old system and created their own community with their direct input and independent lifestyles.
I think it reminds them of where they came from before they were slaves, their African tribal home life,
I think in this book they signify independence and power. Calling it kingdom makes it sound larger and more powerful than it was, which gave them more freedom and independence. Calling themselves Royalty also gave them respect, trust and power to lead their people and make decisions for them as their rulers.
I think the terms of kingdom and royalty honor their dignity after the terrible experiences of slavery. I think it is also aspirational so that the people work hard to really build a kingdom and not just a settlement in the woods. They had to use all their strength to build their kingdom so why not call it that and be proud.
Those terms are the complete opposite of how they were categorized and treated as slaves. They used these terms and concepts to lift themselves up and remind themselves of their worth and their ability to have their own community governed by themselves.