Hurston, Zora Neale: 1891-1960
Barracoon, 2018 - Information about the Book
- General Information
- This is the oral history of Cudjo Lewis, or Oluale Kossola, the last living African “cargo” of the slave ship, Clotilda. Kossola was sold and captured from Dahomey (presently Benin) and brought to Mobile Bay in Alabama.
- Information from Wikipeda
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- Facts
- Hurston began working as an investigator for the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History (ASNLH) in 1927.
She traveled for six months throughout Florida and other places in the South to collect folklore from the Black people living there. Hurston interviewed Kossola in Mobile, Alabama. Based on this interview, the article, “Cudjo’s Own Story of the Last African Slaver,” was published in The Journal of Negro History.
Hurston made many attempts to publish the interview as "Barracoon", but was unsuccessful. She did not find a pubisher because she wanted to authentically represent Kossola’s story by writing in his dialect.
The book was finally published in 2018. - A barraccoon is a prison where captives were held before being shipped across the Atlantic.
- Awards: The book received numerous accolades and nominations and was highly acclaimed for its historical significance and literary merit.
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- The Last Survivor of the Atlantic Slave Trade
The book is based on interviews conducted by Zora Neale Hurston in 1927 with Cudjo Lewis, who was abducted from Africa in 1860 at age 19 and brought to the United States on the last known slave ship, the Clotilda. As the last living survivor of the transatlantic slave trade, Lewis's firsthand account provides a rare and invaluable perspective on this tragic chapter of history.Life in Africa Before Enslavement
Lewis vividly recounts his childhood in Africa, including details about his village, customs, and way of life before being captured and enslaved. This offers a glimpse into the rich cultures and traditions that were devastated by the slave trade.The Trauma of Capture and Middle Passage
Lewis describes in harrowing detail the raid on his village, his capture, and the horrific conditions endured during the Middle Passage journey across the Atlantic packed in the hold of the Clotilda slave ship.Preserving Language and Oral Tradition
Hurston made the deliberate choice to transcribe Lewis's story in his own dialect and vernacular English, preserving the cadence and authenticity of his voice as a griot (West African storyteller). This highlights the importance of language in maintaining cultural identity and oral histories.The Pain of Loss and Dislocation
Throughout the interviews, Lewis grapples with the profound loss of his homeland, family, and way of life – a pain that never left him. The book poignantly captures the trauma of being torn from one's roots and the struggle to rebuild a sense of community and belonging.By giving voice to Cudjo Lewis's remarkable life story, Barracoon serves as a powerful testament to the resilience of the human spirit in the face of unimaginable cruelty and injustice.
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- Articles
- Zora Neale Hurston study of last survivor of US slave trade to be published. The Guardian; December 19, 2017
- 'Barracoon' Brings A Lost Slave Story To Light. NPR Radio; May 8, 2018
- Audio (6:06)
'Barracoon' Offers a Vivid, First-Hand Account of Slavery in America. NPR Radio; May 8, 2018
Transcript - Video (1:16:31)
Ms. Plant, the book’s editor, talks about the book. C-SPAN-; June 27, 2020 - A Different Backstory. Los Angeles Review of Books; July 7, 2018
- Publishing History
- Audio (3:50)
'Barracoon' Gets Published, More than 60 Years Later. NPR Radio; May 5, 2018
Transcript - Kim Racon calls Dr. Deborah Plant, editor and African American literature and Africana Studies scholar, to talk about the publication of "Barracoon." May 3, 2018
" - Zora Neale Hurston's Book on a Former Slave Took 90 Years to Publish. Huffpost; April 27, 2018
- Long-Unpublished Barracoon Finds Its Place After Decades of Delay. Homepage; May 10, 2018
- Audio (3:50)