Juxtapositions Lecture Series welcomes Prof. Mbaye Lo of Duke University 

The Impossible Archives: The Writings of Omar ibn Said, an Enslaved African in America

Archives usually consist of historical documents or records that provide insights into a specific place, institution, or community. But what happens when these documents are seemingly unreadable? Such is the case with the writings of Omar Ibn Said, a West African Muslim scholar who was enslaved 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 sparked both wonder and misconceptions among scholars. This lecture will use his archives to explore the seemingly impossible task of reading Omar’s life and struggles.

Dr. Mbaye Lo is associate professor of the practice of Asian and Middle Eastern studies and international comparative studies at Duke University. He is the author and editor of nine books in both English and Arabic that examine the intersection of intellectual and social discourse of Arabic/Islamic and African cultures. In 2023, he published with co-author Carl W. Erst I Cannot Write My Life: Islam, Arabic, and Slavery in Omar ibn Said’s America (UNC Press).

FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
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