Journey Far, A: Ibere

Imagine living in a world where every facet of your existence is beyond your control. Imagine living in a world where your God-given physical traits are resented and reviled. Imagine living in a world where your humanity is subject to judicial and legal debate. Imagine living in a world where the government of the people, by the people, and for the people is explicit and implicit in denying you the most basic of human rights - life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. For James Scott, this isn’t imagination, but a horrifically callous reality. Despite the odds stacked against him, despite the laws that hindered his future, despite the obstacles that challenged his resolve, this African American not only survived, but thrived during his journey through 19th century America. A Journey Far: Ibere (Beginnings) starts with James being sold into bondage before his 6th birthday in the 1840s antebellum South and ends in 1860s New York City as the Confederate attack on Ft. Sumter, South Carolina precipitates the U. S. Civil War. In this work of Historical Fiction - an epic along the lines of Alex Haley’s, Roots - James reacts to and interacts with historical people and events, a dramatic analogy to the movie, Forest Gump. James’ journey takes him far from his brutal beginnings, through a life of malicious prejudice, and toward a future rife with hopes of freedom, promises of equality, and revelations of self.