Prince among slaves: New grant will fund Prince Ibrahima brochure

By Roscoe Barnes III
The Natchez Democrat
Published Friday, January 3, 2025  

Beverly B. Adams, a descendant of Prince Ibrahima, displays a copy of the book she wrote about the prince. It’s titled “Chronicles of the Life of Prince Abdul-Rahman Ibrahima: A Journey through Slavery From Timbo to Natchez” (The Gazell Studios LLC, 2018). Adams said she and her family are elated about the forthcoming publication on the prince. (Click on image to enlarge.)

NATCHEZ, Miss. -- Mississippi Humanities Council recently awarded a $2,111 mini-grant to Visit Natchez for a new publication on the life of Prince Abdul Rahman Ibrahima Sori (1762-1829).

 
The working title is "Prince Ibrahima: A Profile and Self-Guided Tour." It will feature a short biography of Ibrahima, a list of the sites he visited and other areas, including gravesites, related to his life history in Natchez and Adams County. A map and photos of the selected sites will be included.
 
"The story of Prince Ibrahima is one of the most fascinating chapters in Mississippi's history,” said Dr. Stuart Rockoff, executive director of the Mississippi Humanities Council. “The Humanities Council is pleased to support Visit Natchez's efforts to share this remarkable story with both visitors and local residents."
 
Lynsey Gilbert, interim director of Visit Natchez, said the publication will introduce people to an important figure in Natchez's history. 
 
"We're excited about this project on Prince Ibrahima, and we appreciate the support of the Mississippi Humanities Council in helping us to honor his legacy by publishing and promoting his story," said Gilbert.
 
She noted the publication will be designed as a pamphlet, which will make it suitable as a convenient, easy-to-use resource for self-guided tours.
 
“My family and I are elated that our ancestor is being recognized with this prestigious honor,” said Beverly B. Adams, a descendant of Prince Ibrahima. “I believe that Prince Abdul Rahman would also approve of the story of his life being shared with others to acknowledge the unfortunate events of slavery and how it affected victims of it.”
 
Bobby Dennis, executive director of the Natchez Museum of African American History and Culture, said the publication will be good for sharing Natchez history and for promoting tourism.
 
“This can bring to life a story about the skills and wisdom of the enslaved person before he was enslaved,” Dennis said. “The knowledge and skills needed for the plantation owner's success are never expressed but can be seen through Prince Ibrahima’s life here in the Natchez District.”
 
The Natchez Democrat has been tapped to provide the graphic design. Printing will be done by Murray Printing.

(Click on image to enlarge.)

Ibrahima (1762–1829) was a Muslim prince from Timbo, Guinea, West Africa, who was captured in 1788 and sold to slave traders. He spent 40 years enslaved on Thomas Foster’s plantation near Natchez.
 
Ibrahima arrived in Natchez in August 1788. He gained his freedom in 1828 with the help of  Andrew Marschalk, who was known as the “Father of Mississippi Journalism,”  and U.S. Secretary of State Henry Clay in President John Quincy Adams’ administration.
 
On April 8, 1828, Ibrahima and his wife, Isabella, boarded the Neptune steamboat and departed Natchez with their freedom as they waved goodbye to their children who remained enslaved. In 1829, they sailed to Liberia where Ibrahima died at the age of 67. He never reached his homeland.
 
Ibrahima’s story is told in Dr. Terry Alford's book, "Prince Among Slaves: The True Story of an African Prince Sold into Slavery in the American South" (New York: Oxford University Press, 1977). Most of the research in the new publication is based on Alford's book.
 
The new publication will support other historical and promotional initiatives implemented to tell Ibrahima’s story, according to Visit Natchez.
 
In October 2024, the Natchez Historical Society approved a donation of $3,420 that will cover the cost of the area’s first historical marker honoring the prince. The marker will be acquired through the Mississippi Department of Archives and History. It will be located on MDAH property off of Highway 61 North near Historic Jefferson College.
 
Read more at: https://www.natchezdemocrat.com/2025/01/03/prince-among-slaves-new-grant-will-fund-prince-ibrahima-brochure/