Quote by Mariama Bâ: “Brotherhood of man, a beautiful expression, but often just a dream.”

This quote highlights the gap between an idealized vision of universal harmony and the harsh realities of human division and conflict. It suggests that while unity is a noble concept, its practical achievement remains elusive, often reduced to a hopeful, unfulfilled aspiration due to societal flaws.

In "So Long a Letter," Bâ explored the disillusionment faced by educated African women in post-colonial Senegal, where traditional patriarchal norms persisted despite ideals of equality. This quote reflects a cynicism born from observing societal injustices and hypocrisy.

Senegalese novelist and feminist who gained international recognition with her 1979 epistolary novel So Long a Letter, which won the first Noma Award for Publishing in Africa. The novel depicted the lives of two Senegalese women confronting polygamy and social expectations in post-independence Senegal. She died in 1981 before seeing the global impact of her work.