Join Prof. Mbaye Lo (Duke University), author of I Cannot Write My Life: Omar ibn Said's America, for a lecture on his latest research into the life and works of the West African Muslim scholar Omar ibn Said, who authored a range of Arabic works during his enslavement in America.

Summary:

Archives usually consist of historical documents or records that offer insights into specific locales, institutions, or communities. However, what happens when these documents are seemingly indecipherable? Such is the case with the writings of Omar ibn Said, a West African Muslim scholar who endured enslavement in the Carolinas for over half a century. At the time of his death in 1863, he left behind a collection of works in Arabic, including his autobiography from 1831. Omar’s writings have elicited both scholarly intrigue and misconceptions. This talk aims to utilize his archives to investigate the ostensibly formidable challenge of representing Omar’s life and struggles.