Sundiata was a very powerful book. It expresses the story of a Sundiata Keita and his journeys to becoming a hero and founder of the Mali Empire. The story has been told orally for centuries and continues to be passed along in the African American culture. Through this story we are able to see to role of religious beliefs in the African culture. These beliefs include Islamic and indigenous beliefs which have been around for centuries. The Islamic beliefs are portrayed through Sundiata and his belief in the importance of family and his predetermined life set by “Allah”. The Islamic religion has a very strong belief in the predetermination of an individual’s life by the one and only “Allah”. Niane states that “Man, under the influence of certain
