BOOK REVIEW

Abina and the Important Men

Abina and the Important Men

Slavery is a phenomenon whose origins date back to antiquity, and which lasted until the end of the nineteenth century. Slavery was widespread in the ancient indigenous African civilizations such as the Empire of Songhai was added at a later time in the practice of capturing slaves in Sub-Saharan Africa and sold them elsewhere. This trade occurred historically along several directions: first through the Sahara to the North Africa, then from the African coast of the Indian Ocean countries to the Arab and East, and finally to the European colonies in the Americas. African countries after constant resistance finally were able to abolish slavery, and therefore (theoretically) the end of the slave trade took place in the era immediately preceding the colonial partition of the continent. Women slaves faced worst fate as they were discriminated for being a woman and that too, a black woman. The book, “Abina and the Important Men,” tells the story of a young African woman, named Abina Mansah, a slave who files a case against her master, Quamina Eddoo, for purchasing and holding her as a slave.

There were many slaves who tried to protest against this slavery and discrimination. The slaves started to rebel. Usually, of course, they just flared up for a moment, refused to obey, or ran away to the woods or swamps for a while. However, thousands of slaves resisted violently. In self-defense or revenge, or maddened by cruelty and frustration, they recklessly ignored the enormous odds against them. They fought off beatings. They burned their masters' buildings, damaged their crops, and killed their livestock. They assaulted whites, robbed them, and poisoned them. These slaves faced even worse consequences for rebelling. Women slaves rebelling was a rare phenomenon, which is the reason why the case of Abina was highly unusual and the case was then closed up and hidden.

Getz and Clarke unearthed the transcript of the trial of Abina and created a compelling and interesting graphical history of the story of Abina. Getz is the author of the book and have provided the background of Abina's story and the sequenced events of the trials that lead to her freedom and justice. Clarke's illustrations has made Abina's story more realistic and interesting for the readers. Both Getz and Clarke have managed to effectively narrate the story of a strong willed woman who stood up for her freedom and justice. Abina, even though was free, filed the case so that she can be heard and became a guiding source for all the female slaves. The women slaves faced a lot of oppression and hardships that they had to endure quietly. The woman, first as a woman, then as a slave, had to suffer all the principles and all the drifts caused by a civilization symbolically, socially, economically and politically dominated by men.During that period, the black people were enslaved and were brutally treated. The female slaves were sexually abused and tormented by the male ...