Cudjo Lewis

Back in 1927 and 1928, anthropologist Zora Neale Hurston interviewed a man called Cudjo Lewis in Africatown, Alabama. The elderly Lewis, whose birth name was Kossola, had been captured in 1860 in his native Africa, in what is now Benin, and transported aboard the very last slave ship to Louisiana. In 1927, he held the tragic distinction of being the last known survivor of those "cargo" who had been aboard. Hurston visited Lewis and, over the course of several months, recorded his fascinating but heartbreaking history, but she was unable to find a publisher willing to include either Lewis' speech as transcribed or descriptions of Africans' own involvement in the slave trade, and the book's release was aborted — until 2018.

It feels awkward to express affection for a book whose roots lie in dehumanizing hardship and misery, but I truly treasure this book and what it contributes to history. Lewis had an amazing memory, and the reader will be astounded at the level of detail he was able to recall, well into his late eighties, about his early life and his native culture. Hurston's patience and kindness shine during times when Lewis didn't feel like opening up because he had to mend a fence or work in the garden, as well as on the days when the heaviness of his losses overwhelm him to the extent that he was unable to speak at all. The scenes in which they just sit around eating peaches are so heartwarmingly wholesome. This is a quick, insightful read, and once you recognize the patterns, Lewis' speech is not difficult at all to understand, so it's unfortunate that was a reason given for it not having been published nearly 100 years ago. Highly recommended.… (más)

I had been meaning to read more by [[Zora Neale Hurston]] since reading her memoir, [Dust Tracks On a Road]. This one is based on her very early series of anthropological interviews with Oluale Kossola (also known as Cudjo Lewis) Cudjo was the last slave to remember being captured in Africa, taken aboard a slave ship and sold into slavery in the US.

The introduction of the book gave quite a bit of background on a scandal regarding this work. After she published her original article, she was criticized for having plagiarized a book published in 1914 written by Emma Langdon Roche. She later revised her work and added more details of their friendship.

Nevertheless, I found this very interesting. I just wanted More – more of Cudjo’s experiences as a free African, and as a slave. However, I fully understand that Hurston could only write what was given to her by an elderly man.

I listened to the audiobook, which gave a fine representation of the rhythm and cadence of Cudjoe’s vernacular, which according to the Wikipedia article, was one of the reasons this book wasn’t published in Hurston’s lifetime.… (más)