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About > About the Book
 The first of its kind, 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.
SOCIAL MEDIA:
Abina and the Important Men: A Graphic History is on Facebook. Navigate to the book's Facebook page and click on "Like" to subscribe to our News Feed and/or "Share" (in the left-hand-side menu) to share Abina and the Important Men with your friends and family.
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