A new film premieres Monday, February 4 called "Prince Among Slaves."
Here's a brief synopsis from the film's website:
1788. The slave ship Africa set sail from the Gambia River, its hold laden with a profitable but highly perishable cargo—hundreds of men, women and children bound in chains--headed for American shores. Eight months later, a handful of survivors found themselves for sale in Natchez, Mississippi. On the slave auction block, one of them, a 26-year-old male named Abdul Rahman Ibrahima made an astonishing claim to Thomas Foster, the plantation owner who purchased him at auction: As an African prince, highly educated and heir to a kingdom, this bedraggled African’s father would gladly pay gold for his return. Foster dismissed the claim as a tissue of lies.
Follow this link for coverage of the major historical figures that factor into Abdul Rahman Ibrahima's life including John Quincy Adams, Andrew Jackson, Francis Scott Key and David Walker. The film is based on Terry Alford's Prince Among Slaves (Oxford University Press, 2007; Thirtieth Anniversary Edition).
Here's a brief synopsis from the film's website:
1788. The slave ship Africa set sail from the Gambia River, its hold laden with a profitable but highly perishable cargo—hundreds of men, women and children bound in chains--headed for American shores. Eight months later, a handful of survivors found themselves for sale in Natchez, Mississippi. On the slave auction block, one of them, a 26-year-old male named Abdul Rahman Ibrahima made an astonishing claim to Thomas Foster, the plantation owner who purchased him at auction: As an African prince, highly educated and heir to a kingdom, this bedraggled African’s father would gladly pay gold for his return. Foster dismissed the claim as a tissue of lies.
Follow this link for coverage of the major historical figures that factor into Abdul Rahman Ibrahima's life including John Quincy Adams, Andrew Jackson, Francis Scott Key and David Walker. The film is based on Terry Alford's Prince Among Slaves (Oxford University Press, 2007; Thirtieth Anniversary Edition).
Watch clips of the film here and read some press clippings about the film. And the rapper Mos Def is the film's narrator.
In addition to Alford's book, this film appears as if it will work in tandem with Sylviane Diouf's work on the ship Clotilda, and much of Michael Gomez's outstanding scholarship on Africans in the Americas. Check out this on-line exhibit about Africans in the Americas from the Schomburg Center.
Watch the film and leave your comments.
[Photo credit here.]
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4 comments:
I thought the film was interesting. Prince's whole journey over the atlantic looked horrible. Foster didn't seem like such a bad guy though. That is, until Prince started making his plight about his children nationwide. What I found interesting was that whole family reunion at the end. It was fascinating to see the legacy that Prince has left behind.
it sounded like an interesting documentary! im sorry i missed it though stupid research paper.
I really enjoyed the film. It was interesting to see how Prince accepted his situation and put his full trust in his god. It was sad that Prince was not able to pay for all of his children’s freedom; however, at least two of his sons and their families were able to go to Africa. I liked the end of the film when it showed Prince’s descendants. –Meagan Smith
I think this sounds like a neat film. I had never heard this story and am very intrigued by it. I definitely want to watch it sometime.
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