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“BLACK HISTORY,” “AFRIKAN HISTORY,” “AFRIKAN LIBERATION” MONTH DEBUT OF  NEW FULL COLOR DRAWING OF PRINCE ABDUL RAHMAN IBRAHIM FOR THE MONTH OF FEBRUARY AT THE NATCHEZ MISSISSIPPI WELCOME CENTER AFRICAN PRINCE ENSLAVED IN NATCHEZ FOR 40 YEARS

Prince Abdul Rahman Ibrahim was born into a royal family of the Fula nation in Timbo Futa Jallon, Guinea, West Africa in 1762. He was the “second or third of 33 sons” of the Fula King of Futa Jallon, at the time a created self-serving Muslim influenced political state entwined in Christian European “slave” trading demands in West Africa.

“In 1774, Ibrahim left to study at the famous ancient (African) University in Timbuktu , in present day Mali . He trained in law and philosophy. Upon completing his studies he returned to (Timbo) to join his father’s kingdom and served as an officer in the military. He achieved several notable victories as a young captain and was given the rank of colonel at the age of 26.

In 1788, Prince Abdul Rahman Ibrahim led a troop of 2,000 warriors against a group of non-Muslim Africans (Africans) who were disrupting his father’s successful slave trade with Europeans on the coast of West Africa . Ironically, Prince Ibrahim’s war with these non-Muslim, (traditional African) opponents to slavery resulted in his own capture and transport down the Gambia River to the coast, where he was sold to British slavers for two flasks of power, a few trade muskets, eight hands of tobacco and two bottles of rum.

Prince Ibrahim was transported nearly 3,000 miles to the Caribbean Island of Dominica. After a brief period of being seasoned in the islands, he was taken by ship some 1,600 miles to the large slave market town of Spanish New Orleans . From New Orleans , Prince Ibrahim was pulled upriver on a barge, along with other African captives to Natchez . There, the owner of Greenwood Plantation, a 26 year old Thomas Foster purchased Ibrahim and Samba, a fellow (Fula man) captured with him back in Africa, from a New Orleans slave trader for around $950.00 in 1794.”

Upon arrival at the plantation, Ibrahim pleaded to Foster that he was an African prince and his family would pay a handsome ransom for his freedom and return to Africa .

While enslaved on the Greenwood Plantation in what became known as “Foster Fields” he married an enslaved woman owned by Foster named Isabella, a Christian. To this union, were born nine enslaved children.

Nineteen years later, a Dr. Cox, who had lived with Ibrahim’s family back in Timbo some years ago, recognized him selling vegetables at a market in nearby Washington . Dr. Cox confirmed that indeed he was the son of the King of Timbo in Futa Jallon and set about in an unsuccessful effort to free Ibrahim by offering to buy him from Thomas Foster. Foster steadfastly refused to sell Ibrahim. He “greatly valued Ibrahim because of the respect other slaves accorded him, his loyalty and trustworthiness, his skill in tending cattle (and growing cotton, a tradition among the Fula nation) and his managerial abilities in supervising slaves in cultivation of cotton.”

Cox eventually died and the cause of Prince Ibrahim was taken up by Andrew Marschalk, the first printer in Mississippi . “Marschalk became (Ibrahim’s) friend and drafted a letter for (him) that eventually reached the government of Morocco . When Morocco expressed interest in his freedom, intervention by top U.S. officials and colonization societies in the north finally persuaded Foster to sell (Ibrahim) to Marschalk.” On “February 22, 1828, Foster delivered up Ibrahim for the sum of $200 with the condition that his esteemed slave be sent immediately back to Africa . (February 22, 2012 is the 184th freedom anniversary).

“Unwilling to leave his wife behind, (Ibrahim), with Marschalk’s help, persuaded local whites, some who were members of the Mississippi Colonization Society, to buy and emancipate Isabella.

On April 8, 1828, Ibrahim and Isabella boarded a steamboat at the Natchez Landing and traveled up the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers to Cincinnati Ohio where they stepped onto free-soil in the U.S. , after 40 years of enslavement.

For the next year, (Ibrahim) was feted and celebrated in northern cities from Cincinnati to Boston in a campaign to raise funds to buy his children’s freedom ranging in age from 7 to 27. Often dressed as a Moorish prince (Traditional royal Fula clothing), he spoke at many northern colonization and abolition societies and thrilled audiences by his remarkable story. They continued their journey to Washington D.C. , where they met with Secretary of State Henry Clay and President John Quincy Adams at the White House.

Having raised (only) about half the money needed to buy his (children), (Ibrahim), aged 67, and his beloved wife, Isabella, set sail for Liberia (West) Africa, along with some 150 other black immigrants (colonizers). Soon after reaching Liberia , and before he could contact his family in Guinea , (Ibrahim) contacted a serious illness and died.

In following years, (his) New York supporters purchased two of his sons and their families. They were reunited with their mother in Liberia while the remaining two sons, five daughters and grandchildren remained enslaved in America .

Today, Ibrahim’s son; Simon, who (was sent to Liberia) with his family, have descendants who are living in Liberia, Some of them came to the United States in exile from Liberia’s civil war, unaware of the story of their famous ancestor. One of them, Artemus Gaye, discovered (Ibrahim’s) story while searching for the parents and grandparents of his earliest known ancestors who came to Liberia from America .”

Ser Seshsh Ab Heter-CM Boxley, Coordinator of Friends of the Forks of the Road Society, Inc and member of the Board of Directors of the Ibrahim/Isabella Freedom Foundation commissioned well known from New Orleans, artist Charles “Chuck” Siler to draw a new image of Prince Ibrahim in the princely image of his African nation’s traditional dress.

Mr. Siler used facial likeness from pictures of Ibrahim’s Liberia born great-grandsons, Bubba and Artemus Gaye, now living in the Chicago area, to arrive at a family likeness of the aged Prince.

A black and white image of Ibrahim in the small frame exhibit at the Welcome Center is the image that’s has historically existed in America .

Credit the majority of the text above to an earlier story essay by Dr. Ronald L.F Davis and Dr. Dawn Dennis. Text with ( ) was inserted.

This color drawing is a First African-Ancestor of African Americans in the Americas resurrection project of Ser Seshsh Ab Heter-CM Boxley. Others will be fort-coming. The African presence in Mississippi-Central Louisiana, especially Natchez must become more visible as is that of the first European families! Were enslaved Africans brought here in captivity not family of today’s African Americans?

Full Color drawing prints are available at
P.O. Box 2188 Natchez , MS 39121 .
(601) 442-4719 or forksyroads@aol.com