Prince Among Slaves
By Terry Alford
In 1807, an Irish ship's surgeon recognized a slave at a Mississippi
produce market as the son of an African king who had saved his life
many years earlier. "The Prince," as he had become known to local
Natchez, Mississippi, residents, had been captured by warring tribesmen
when he was 26 years old, sold to slave traders, and shipped to
America. An educated, aristocratic slave, Abd Rahman Ibrahima was made
overseer of the large cotton and tobacco plantation of his master, who
refused to sell him to the doctor for any price. After 25 years of
petitioning, Dr. Cox finally gained Ibrahima his freedom, through the
intercession of U.S. Secretary of State Henry Clay. Sixty-six-year-old
Ibrahima sailed for Africa the following year, with his wife, two sons,
and several grandchildren, and died there of fever just five months
after his arrival. Prince Among Slaves is the first full account of
Ibrahima's life, pieced together from first-person accounts and
historical documents. It is not only a remarkable story, but the story
of a remarkable man, who endured the humiliation of slavery without
ever losing his dignity or his hope for freedom.
Paperback, 284pgs…
$16.95