Noel Kennedy was born December 6, 1948 in Southern Rhodesia (present day Zimbabwe). During his childhood his parents moved the family from Southern Rhodesia to Mkushi in Northern Rhodesia (present day Zambia) to start a farm. His mother, Denise Eileen "Denny" Kennedy, is referred to as the "Lady from the City" throughout the typescript. His father, John Graham Kennedy, was the son of an Irish Doctor who spent much of his life with the British army. His father was known as B.G., a shortened form of the Shona nickname Bwana Geba that was bestowed on him by the farm employees who worked for him. Noel Kennedy later departed Africa and moved to the United States.
From the guide to the Grass Roots, : Typescript by Noel Kennedy, 1994?, (Special and Area Studies Collections, George A. Smathers Libraries, University of Florida)
