The Sophistication In Prince Among Slaves, By Andrea Kalin

The devastation that was the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade stripped African’s of their culture, families, civilization, and history. Fortunately, hard working individuals like director Andrea Kalin are restoring some of this rich heritage; making African history something that is not just brushed aside, but rather appreciated and understood. Through her cinematic talents, Kalin is able to not only tell an interesting story, but succeeds in representing these people for who they were: intellectual, developed, remarkable human beings forced into captivity in a place far from home. Like Prince, each of the 10.7 million Africans that survived the horrid conditions on their journey to the New World had a past and a story that deserves to be told. This film was an excellent edition to the readings required outside of class, providing a visualization of the sophistication of Africans and African civilization mentioned both in lecture and by Michael A. Gomez in Reversing Sail. Prince Among Slaves is a fascinating documentary, and director Andrea Kalin deserves a lot of credit for her part in the unearthing of this tale that was previously lost to history. …show more content…
Prince, as he is referred to by his master Thomas Foster, learns to accept his fate and to follow the path Allah has created for him, a traditional practice of Islam. He and the woman he marries from the plantation are eventually freed, but they have to leave their children behind. Prince tries to raise enough money to free his kids, but dies before completing this or arriving back at his homeland, Futa Jallon. His story, though complicated, is told in a way that is both entertaining and