Oluale Kossola, Renamed Cudjo Lewis, a native of the West African country of Benin, was captured by slave traders in the late 19th century and brought to America. He was one of the last known survivors of the transatlantic slave trade and his story is a testament to the resilience and courage of the human spirit.
Kossola was taken from his village at the age of 19 and brought to the United States aboard the Clotilda, a ship that was used to smuggle slaves into the country long after the practice had been outlawed. He was sold into slavery in Alabama, where he worked on a plantation for several years before being emancipated at the end of the Civil War. After gaining his freedom, Kossola settled in Africatown, a community of former slaves near Mobile, Alabama. There, he married and raised a family, but he never forgot his homeland or the trauma of his capture and enslavement.
In 1927, Kossola was interviewed by Zora Neale Hurston, a prominent writer, and anthropologist, who recorded his story in her book “Barracoon: The Story of the Last ‘Black Cargo'”. In the book, Kossola speaks candidly about his experiences as a slave and his struggles to adapt to life in America. Hurston’s book was not published during her lifetime, but it has since become a seminal work in African-American literature and an important historical document. It provides a rare firsthand account of the transatlantic slave trade from the perspective of someone who lived through it.
In recent years, Kossola’s story has gained renewed attention thanks to the efforts of his descendants and scholars who have worked to preserve his legacy. In 2019, a historical marker was erected in Africatown to honor Kossola and the other survivors of the Clotilda.
Kossola’s life is a reminder of the atrocities committed during the transatlantic slave trade and the ongoing struggle for racial justice and equality. His story also serves as a testament to the resilience and strength of those who have suffered and survived in the face of adversity.