Prince Among Slaves

The extraordinary and consequential biography of Abdulrahman Ibrahim Ibn Sori, a Muslim West African prince turned enslaved plantation worker, and his lifelong fight to be free and return home. In 1762, Prince Abdulrahman Sori was born in West Africa’s prosperous kingdom of Futa Jallon. His name meant “servant of God,” and as a child, he was fascinated by the stories of the great prophets Moses, Jesus, and Muhammad. Each had faced great challenges, and each had accepted their fate as determined by God, no matter how difficult. Always curious, Abdulrahman grew up to become a scholar, fluent in five languages. He was also a warrior, a husband, a father, and an instrumental leader in his father’s court. But that happy life was cruelly ripped away the day Abdulrahman and his men were ambushed while on patrol by a rival tribe and sold to English traders. Forced aboard a ship, Abdulrahman was taken across the Atlantic to Natchez, Mississippi, and enslaved. Resistant at first, Abdulrahman ran away, but ultimately, like the prophets he revered, Abdulrahman accepted his fate as determined by God. So with a heavy heart, he began a new life helping the plantation owner prosper, and after some time, though risky, Abdulrahman found love and became a father again. Then, by virtue of an incredible coincidence, Abdulrahman’s life changed once more, setting into motion a series of events that would not only free Abdulrahman, but return him to African shores after forty years of enslavement. Incredibly well-researched, N. H. Senzai chronicles Prince Abdulrahman’s remarkable life and journey to freedom with extraordinary grace and care, illuminating not only the horrors of slavery, but how one Muslim man relied on his faith in God to persevere. Anna Rich’s striking art makes each scene of Abdulrahman’s life sing with emotion and meaning.