B I O  |  E B O U  M A N G A

In 1965 when The Gambia’s independence was first recognized by the United Kingdom, it was a history-making moment to witness for Gambians like Ebou Manga, who was then a student at New York’s over two centuries-old Hamilton College (named for Alexander Hamilton). However, little did Ebou know that two years later when he met famed The Autobiography of Malcolm X author, Alex Haley, a guest lecturer at Hamilton, it would lead Ebou to not only being a witness, but being a part of some history-making events—the 1976 publication of Haley’s book, Roots, followed by the airing of the 1977 Emmy-winning, ratings juggernault miniseries Roots and its 1979 sequel, Roots: The Next Generations.  For all of which Ebou served as a consultant/research assistant, but most importantly, became a life-long friend of Haley.

 

It all began in 1967, when after meeting, Ebou helped Haley further identify African words passed down through relatives from his first paternal Atlantic Slave Trade ancestor, “Kintay”, that were key to a book Haley was writing about trying to trace his family tree to Africa. Ebou confirmed the words were a dialect of Mandinka from a region of The Gambia. From there Ebou set-up meetings for Haley with family contacts in the Gambia. Soonafter, Haley and Ebou traveled to the Gambia, with Ebou also serving as interpreter. There, in addition to introducing Haley to government officials and historians to help in Haley’s genealogical search, Ebou’s father, Alhaji Malick Manga, and other contacts, helped lead Haley to the proper griot. Through oral history, the griot traced Haley’s family back to “Kunta Kinte.” That serendipitous moment gave Haley’s Roots book project the soaring trajectory it needed. And with respect to the miniseries, Roots, as a consultant Ebou’s influence ranged from how the African-related sets should look to providing dialect/language coaching, including with Emmy nominee, LeVar Burton. In the sequel, Roots: The Next Generations, Ebou not only was a consultant, but even played the griot, while his own role in Haley’s life was portrayed by acclaimed actor, Johnny Sekka, with Oscar-nominated acting legend, James Earl Jones as Alex Haley.

 

Actually, aside from Roots, Ebou, his family and their friends have been involved in other history-making moments.  For instance, a history-maker that Ebou brought into Haley’s midst was the honorable Ousman Sallah, who was not only The Gambia’s first ambassador to the U.N., but the Gambia’s first ambassador to the U.S.  Ebou made history himself, after graduating as an economics major from the over-200 year-old revered Hamilton College—named for American founding father, Alexander Hamilton.  Ebou became the first appointed non-British worker for the national heavyweight Gambia Produce Marketing Board (“GPMB”), once Gambia gained its independence. It is ironic, that with enslaved West Africans’ historic impact on American cuisine, that Ebou would launch a career in the food industry, that included his earning a Masters in Agricultural Economics from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. Eventually, he would have a storied career in the U.S. at the Fortune 500, Hunt-Wesson/Conagra.

 

Another history-making moment involves Ebou's father, who was not only one of the framers of The Gambia’s original 1965 constitution upon independence from the U.K., but a renowned pharmacist (called a “druggist”), who was also Deputy Chair of Gambia’s Public Service Commission and a distinguished justice of the peace based in The Gambia’s capital, Banjul.  He was held in such regard that in 1969 he was appointed by Queen Elizabeth II as a Member of the Order of the British Empire, also known as the coveted “MBE”, and third highest ranking Order of the British Empire award (only behind the CBE and OBE awards).  It is no wonder that Ebou would name his son— and only child with his African-American wife, Velma Hendricks-Manga—after Ebou’s father. It is also not a surprise that Maiick has established The Inherited Roots Project in homage to his Gambian heritage through his father, as well as in Ebou’s memory, who sadly passed away on November 15, 2017.