The Voices of Martyrs
We are a collection of voices, the assembled history of the many voices that have
spoken into our lives and shaped us. Voices of the past, voices of the present, and voices of the
future. There is an African proverb, “Se wo were fi na wosankofa a yenkyi,” which translates as
“It is not wrong to go back for that which you have forgotten.” This is why we continue to
remember the tales of struggle and tales of perseverance, even as we look to tales of hope. What
a people choose to remember about its past, the stories they pass down, informs who they are and
sets the boundaries of their identity. We remember the pain of our past to mourn, to heal, and to
learn. Only in that way can we ensure the same mistakes are not repeated. The voices make up
our stories. The stories make up who we are. A collected voice.
Maurice Broaddus’ fiction has been published in numerous venues, including Asimov's Science Fiction, Cemetery Dance, Apex Magazine, and Weird Tales Magazine. He co-edited Streets of Shadows (Alliteration Ink) and the Dark Faith anthology series (Apex Books) and was the author of the urban fantasy trilogy, Knights of Breton Court (Angry Robot Books).
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