I Am Jayvyn - Peter D. Brown

I AM JAYVYN is a compelling work of historical fiction positioned to remind readers of the key role the enslaved played in the development of America, and the systemic racism that still plagues the nation today. 1710-On a beautiful morning full of hope and promise, twelve-year-old Javyn's world is suddenly shattered when slavers raid his peaceful village. His father is killed, he is separated from his mother and little sister, and his home is left in flames. In a whirlwind of change, Jayvyn survives the horrors of the middle passage alone, landing in Barbados, where he endures two years of 'seasoning' on a sugar plantation. His adolescent development progresses under the tutelage of a fellow enslaved African named Andrew in desperate circumstances he could never have imagined. In time, Jayvyn is transported to South Carolina, where he is auctioned off to the owner of a growing rice plantation. He lives his life amongst a diverse cast of fellow enslaved in a world where love, hate, and cruelty coexist. Families form and are separated at the whim of masters who see the enslaved as nothing more than chattel property. Colonial history unfolds while this resilient community of enslaved Africans adapt to an ever-changing world of oppression and subjugation. Over the course of his life, Jayvyn gains a healthy perspective on the virtues and flaws of humanity-even transcending the high threshold of forgiveness-leaving readers with abundant food for thought. His is a tale of pain and suffering, but also one of true faith and deliverance, told through the clear lens of history. _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Author's note: I AM JAYVYN was written to rebuke the new Florida standards of education, imposed under Gov. Ron DeSantis's ill conceived Stop Woke act, which change and omit the facts of history and ban any mention of critical race theory whatsoever. The purpose is to present a 'more balanced' history where the enslaved benefited from enslavement and were complicit in acts of violence directed against them. It is simply false and an affront to the African American population or any who suffered from human trafficking or enslavement. Further, it is a disservice to students who have the right to learn the truth about history. As was famously written by George Santayana in 1905- Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.