Abina and the Important Men: A Graphic History - Softcover

Trevor R. Getz

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0199844399 ISBN 13: 9780199844395

Publisher: Oxford University Press, 2011

Synopsis

Abina and the Important Men is a compelling and powerfully illustrated "graphic history" based on an 1876 court transcript of a West African woman named Abina, who was wrongfully enslaved and took her case to court. The book is a microhistory that does much more than simply depict an event in the past; it uses the power of illustration to convey important themes in world history and to reveal the processes by which history is made.

The story of Abina Mansah--a woman "without history" who was wrongfully enslaved, escaped to British-controlled territory, and then took her former master to court--takes place in the complex world of the Gold Coast at the onset of late nineteenth-century colonialism. Slavery becomes a contested ground, as cultural practices collide with an emerging wage economy and British officials turn a blind eye to the presence of underpaid domestic workers in the households of African merchants. The main scenes of the story take place in the courtroom, where Abina strives to convince a series of "important men"--a British judge, two Euro-African attorneys, a wealthy African country "gentleman," and a jury of local leaders--that her rights matter. "Am I free?" Abina inquires. Throughout both the court case and the flashbacks that dramatically depict her life in servitude, these men strive to "silence" Abina and to impose their own understandings and meanings upon her. The story seems to conclude with the short-term success of the "important men," as Abina loses her case. But it doesn't end there: Abina is eventually redeemed. Her testimony is uncovered in the dusty archives by Trevor Getz and, through Liz Clarke's illustrations, becomes a graphic history read by people around the world. In this way, the reader takes an active part in the story along with the illustrator, the author, and Abina herself.

Following the graphic history in Part I, Parts II-V provide detailed historical context for the story, a reading guide that reconstructs and deconstructs the methods used to interpret the story, and strategies for using Abina in various classroom settings.

About this title

About the Author:

Trevor R. Getz is Professor of History at San Francisco State University. He is the author of Modern Imperialism and Colonialism: A Global Perspective (2010) and Slavery and Reform in West Africa (2004). He is also the editor for the new Oxford University Press series, African World Histories, the first volumes of which will appear in 2012.

Liz Clarke is a professional artist and graphic designer based in Cape Town, South Africa.

Review:

"This is a universal story of deception and truth that will appeal to anyone who has sought greater independence from the obligations of family, employer, or government."--Abena Dove Osseo-Asare, University of California, Berkeley

"The young Abina Mansah lost her 1876 suit for freedom, but her voice still resounds in the transcript of her testimony. From that dusty transcript, Trevor Getz brings her struggle graphically to life. He beautifully surrounds her sad tale with resources showing its links within West Africa and beyond. Through Getz and in the engaging images of Liz Clarke, Abina affirms the mark that each person can make on the world."--Patrick Manning, University of Pittsburgh

"Trevor Getz has pushed the envelope of Africanist scholarship. With Abina and the Important Men he offers unique insight into such contentious topics as personhood, gender, slavery, and colonialism. Along the way, he provides teachers and readers with a powerful tool for investigating the process of giving meaning to historical documents and narratives. This is exactly the sort of work that will help African history escape the dark and dusty halls of academia and help make it relevant to a wider audience. This is GENIUS."--Jonathan T. Reynolds, Northern Kentucky University

"This is a superb introduction to the way that historians construct the past, to the history of slavery in Africa, and to colonialism. Getz's analysis of how he reads the document and the problems he had in building the narrative displays an ability to contextualize the document, and to read it both with and against the grain."--Martin Klein, University of Toronto

"I hope that this book will serve as a model to many historians with compelling stories to tell. To tell our stories in a compelling and unconventional way does not mean that rigorous scholarship needs to be compromised. Rather, it shows that rigorous scholarship can go hand in hand with speaking to multip
"Trevor Getz's Abina and the Important Men is a tremendous step forward for the world history community."--Journal of World History

"This is a universal story of deception and truth that will appeal to anyone who has sought greater independence from the obligations of family, employer, or government."--Abena Dove Osseo-Asare, University of California, Berkeley

"The young Abina Mansah lost her 1876 suit for freedom, but her voice still resounds in the transcript of her testimony. From that dusty transcript, Trevor Getz brings her struggle graphically to life. He beautifully surrounds her sad tale with resources showing its links within West Africa and beyond. Through Getz and in the engaging images of Liz Clarke, Abina affirms the mark that each person can make on the world."--Patrick Manning, University of Pittsburgh

"Trevor Getz has pushed the envelope of Africanist scholarship. With Abina and the Important Men he offers unique insight into such contentious topics as personhood, gender, slavery, and colonialism. Along the way, he provides teachers and readers with a powerful tool for investigating the process of giving meaning to historical documents and narratives. This is exactly the sort of work that will help African history escape the dark and dusty halls of academia and help make it relevant to a wider audience. This is GENIUS."--Jonathan T. Reynolds, Northern Kentucky University

"This is a superb introduction to the way that historians construct the past, to the history of slavery in Africa, and to colonialism. Getz's analysis of how he reads the document and the problems he had in building the narrative displays an ability to contextualize the document, and to read it both with and against the grain."--Martin Klein, University of Toronto

"I hope that this book will serve as a model to many historians with compelling stories to tell. To tell our stories in a compelling and unconventional way does not mean that rigorous scholarship needs to be compromised. Rather, it shows that rigorous scholarship can go hand in hand with speaking to multiple audiences."--Heather Streets, Washington State University, Pullman

"Getz has crafted a gem, a valuable contribution to African studies and the world history classroom. The book combines a well-informed pedagogy with current historiographical trends. Its multi-layered format delves deeply and lyrically into Abina's world of image and word."--Candice Goucher, Washington State University, Vancouver

"This is an important book that takes history into the public domain in a very accessible form."--Journal of African History

About this edition

• Publisher: Oxford University Press
• Publication date: 2011
• ISBN 10: 0199844399
• ISBN 13: 9780199844395
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 179
• Illustrator: Liz Clarke