Abduhl Rahhahman engraved by Thomas Illman, 1833-1834, courtesy of the Library of Congress.
Ibrahima Abdur Rahman was born into a royal family in the Futa Jallon region, present-day Guinea. Educated in several centers of Islamic intellectual learning, including Timbuktu, Rahman learned to read and converse in Arabic, and came to speak at least three other languages – Bambara, Mandingo, and Jallonke. Not a first-born son, however, Rahman was then sent by his father for training in military leadership. During battle, around the age of twenty-four, Rahman was captured and sold into slavery.

We felt this story we’ve learned about throughout our travels was worthy of talking about and many more like his. Our journey through Mississippi, and many other states educated us in the rich history that African-Americans share. Hopefully we continue to learn about our history and it makes us into a better version of ourselves every day. You could find the story of Abdurahman on YouTube a series called a Prince among slaves.