African american Quote by Michael W. Twitty
““So much was lost - names, faces, ages, ethnic identities - that African Americans must do what no other ethnic group writ large must do: take a completely shattered vessel and piece it together, knowing that some pieces will never be recovered. This is not quite as harrowing or hopeless as it might sound I liken it to the Japanese art of kintsugi, repairing broken vessels using gold. The scars of the object are not concealed, but highlighted and embraced, thus giving them their own dignity and power. The brokenness and its subsequent repair are a recognized part of the story of the journey of the vessel, not to be obscured, and change, transition, and transformation are seen as important as honoring the original structure and its traditional meaning and beauty.””
About This Quote
Source Interview: Podcast “The History of Food”, 2020
Healing from trauma can involve openly displaying scars, turning damage into a source of strength and beauty, like kintsugi.
In simple terms: Show wounds, honor them, and grow stronger.
Key Takeaway
Embrace brokenness and rebuild with pride.
Themes
resilience
identity
culture
healing
Mood
hopeful
determined
Type
philosophical
inspirational
When to use this quote
- family history
- community rebuilding
- personal healing
- cultural preservation
Key Concepts
kintsugi
narrative reconstruction
collective memory
Questions to Reflect On
- What parts of your story remain unrecoverable?
- How can visible scars empower you?
A Different Perspective
Not all wounds can be fully repaired; some loss remains.
