Wednesday, 22 January 2025

The Incredible and Bizarre Story of Diallo: A Slave Trader Who Became a Slave

Born in 1701, Diallo was the son of a Fulani slave trader operating in what is now Senegal. As he grew older, he became deeply involved in his father’s business, selling slaves to European traders.

However, during one of his trading ventures, Diallo's life took a dramatic turn. While transporting slaves for sale, he was captured, chained alongside the very people he intended to sell, and shipped to Maryland, USA.

In America, Diallo refused to accept his new status as a slave. Unlike many others, he could read and write Arabic, a skill he shared with many African Muslims of the time. Diallo used this skill to write a letter to his father back in Africa, pleading for his freedom.

When his master discovered the letter, he realized Diallo came from a royal family. This revelation led to Diallo being sent to England, where he regained his freedom. Eventually, Diallo returned to Africa.

What makes Diallo’s story particularly tragic is that, despite enduring the horrors of the transatlantic voyage and the brutal conditions of slavery in America, he resumed trading slaves upon his return to Africa.

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