Conversation on the Omar Ibn Said Collection

Scholars discussed the autobiography of Omar Ibn Said, the only known autobiography by a slave written in Arabic in the United States. It is a historically unique and important primary source for those trying to understand the connections between the Muslim communities in Western Africa and the slaves who continued to practice Islamic faith after being captured during the Atlantic slave trade.
Speaker Biography: Mary Jane Deeb is chief of the African and Middle Eastern division at the Library of Congress.
Speaker Biography: Ala Alryyes is a visiting associate professor of English, Queens College, CUNY.
Speaker Biography: Sylviane A. Diouf is a visiting professor at Brown University.
Speaker Biography: Adam Rothman is professor of history at Georgetown University.
For transcript and more information, visit www.loc.gov/tod...