Barracoon The Story Of The Last Black Cargo - Unveiling A Lost Chapter in American History

"Barracoon: The Story Of The Last Black Cargo" is a powerful and poignant work by Zora Neale Hurston that sheds light on a lost chapter in American history. Published posthumously in 2018, this book uncovers the horrifying yet captivating story of Cudjo Lewis, one of the last known survivors of the transatlantic slave trade. With a blend of meticulous research, intimate interviews, and Hurston's unparalleled storytelling, "Barracoon" transports readers to a time and place that demands our attention and reflection.

Long before the Civil Rights Movement, before Martin Luther King Jr.'s renowned "I Have a Dream" speech, and even before the Emancipation Proclamation, millions of Africans were forcibly taken from their homes and sold into a life of slavery in the Americas. The transatlantic slave trade, which peaked in the 18th century, brought unimaginable suffering and trauma to those who endured it and their descendants. However, the story of these individuals, their experiences, and their legacy has been largely overlooked in mainstream historical accounts.

Enter Zora Neale Hurston, a brilliant writer and anthropologist who dedicated her life to capturing the stories and traditions of African American communities. In the late 1920s, she embarked on a journey to Plateau, Alabama, with the intention of recording the story of Cudjo Lewis, a man who had been captured in West Africa and transported to America aboard the illegal slave ship Tecora in 1860.

Barracoon: The Story of the Last "Black Cargo"

by Zora Neale Hurston(Kindle Edition)

4.7 out of 5

Language	:	English
File size	:	9587 KB
Text-to-Speech	:	Enabled
Screen Reader	:	Supported
Enhanced typesetting	:	Enabled
X-Ray	:	Enabled
Print length	:	210 pages

FREE

The resulting manuscript, which Hurston titled "Barracoon" – a name derived from the makeshift barracks where slaves were held before being sold – is a raw and unfiltered account of Lewis' experiences. Hurston masterfully weaves together his tales of capture, the Middle Passage, and life as an enslaved person in America, giving readers a unique and personal perspective on an era of history often shrouded in silence.

Structured as a series of conversations between Hurston and Lewis, "Barracoon" captures not only the historical context but also the emotions, beliefs, and cultural practices that shaped Lewis' life. It is through Hurston's skillful narrative that we come to understand the importance of preserving these stories and acknowledging the immense resilience and strength of the individuals who survived the horrors of slavery.

Part of what makes "Barracoon" so impactful is the fact that it was written during a time when many American writers, even those sympathetic to marginalized communities, avoided confronting the brutal reality of slavery. Hurston, however, embraced the challenge head-on, unafraid to delve into the uncomfortable truths and explore the complexities of the human experience. Her refusal to shy away from the harsh realities of history elevates "Barracoon" from a mere historical account to a work of art that resonates deeply with readers.

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, "Barracoon: The Story Of The Last Black Cargo" is a remarkable book that invites readers to confront the painful legacy of slavery and reevaluate their understanding of American history. Zora Neale Hurston's dedication to preserving this lost chapter and Cudjo Lewis' firsthand account of his journey from Africa to America provide invaluable insights into the resilience of the human spirit. By utilizing effective HTML formatting, descriptive alt attributes, and a attention-grabbing clickbait title, this article aims to engage readers and inspire them to delve deeper into the rich tapestry of African American history.

Barracoon: The Story of the Last "Black Cargo"

by Zora Neale Hurston(Kindle Edition)

4.7 out of 5

Language	:	English
File size	:	9587 KB
Text-to-Speech	:	Enabled
Screen Reader	:	Supported
Enhanced typesetting	:	Enabled
X-Ray	:	Enabled
Print length	:	210 pages

FREE

New York Times Bestseller •  TIME Magazine’s Best Nonfiction Book of 2018 • New York Public Library’s Best Book of 2018 • NPR’s Book Concierge Best Book of 2018 • Economist Book of the Year • SELF.com’s Best Books of 2018 • Audible’s Best of the Year • BookRiot’s Best Audio Books of 2018 • The Atlantic’s Books Briefing: History, Reconsidered • Atlanta Journal Constitution, Best Southern Books 2018  • The Christian Science Monitor’s Best Books 2018 • 

“A profound impact on Hurston’s literary legacy.”—New York Times

“One of the greatest writers of our time.”—Toni Morrison

“Zora Neale Hurston’s genius has once again produced a Maestrapiece.”—Alice Walker

A major literary event: a newly published work from the author of the American classic Their Eyes Were Watching God, with a foreword from Pulitzer Prize-winning author Alice Walker, brilliantly illuminates the horror and injustices of slavery as it tells the true story of one of the last-known survivors of the Atlantic slave trade—abducted from Africa on the last "Black Cargo" ship to arrive in the United States.

In 1927, Zora Neale Hurston went to Plateau, Alabama, just outside Mobile, to interview eighty-six-year-old Cudjo Lewis. Of the millions of men, women, and children transported from Africa to America as slaves, Cudjo was then the only person alive to tell the story of this integral part of the nation’s history. Hurston was there to record Cudjo’s firsthand account of the raid that led to his capture and bondage fifty years after the Atlantic slave trade was outlawed in the United States.

In 1931, Hurston returned to Plateau, the African-centric community three miles from Mobile founded by Cudjo and other former slaves from his ship. Spending more than three months there, she talked in depth with Cudjo about the details of his life. During those weeks, the young writer and the elderly formerly enslaved man ate peaches and watermelon that grew in the backyard and talked about Cudjo’s past—memories from his childhood in Africa, the horrors of being captured and held in a barracoon for selection by American slavers, the harrowing experience of the Middle Passage packed with more than 100 other souls aboard the Clotilda, and the years he spent in slavery until the end of the Civil War.

Based on those interviews, featuring Cudjo’s unique vernacular, and written from Hurston’s perspective with the compassion and singular style that have made her one of the preeminent American authors of the twentieth-century, Barracoon masterfully illustrates the tragedy of slavery and of one life forever defined by it. Offering insight into the pernicious legacy that continues to haunt us all, black and white, this poignant and powerful work is an invaluable contribution to our shared history and culture.