Today in Black History: July 11th
1777 – Olaudah Equiano Buys His Freedom
Olaudah Equiano, whose father was an Ibo chief, was born in 1745 in what is now Southern Nigeria. At the age of 11 years, Olaudah was captured by African slave traders and sold into bondage in the New World. On July 11, 1777 at the age of 32, Equiano, after having mastered reading, writing and arithmetic, purchased his freedom.
In 1787 Equiano became the first person of African ancestry to hold a post in the British Government when he was appointed to the post of Commissary for Stores to the Expedition for Freed Slaves. This abolitionist-supported venture would create the West African nation of Sierra Leone. In 1789 he wrote and published his autobiography, The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano or Gustavus Vassa the African, Written by Himself. His narrative soon became the first “best seller” written by a Black Briton. Olaudah Equiano died in 1797, ten years before the slave trade was abolished in England and 36 years before Parliament outlawed slavery throughout the British Empire.
2000 – Vashti Murphy Mckenzie Becomes First Female Bishop of AME
On July 11, 2000, at its annual convention in Cincinnati, the African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church elected Vashti Murphy to be its first female bishop, presiding over the 18th Episcopal District in southeast Africa. In her capacity, she was responsible for several congregations in Africa, comprising nearly 10,000 people.
In 2005 she became the first woman to serve as Titular Head of the AME Church, overseeing the Council of Bishops as its president. She currently presides over the 13th Episcopal District. Her commitment to community development is evident in her work with urban American cities as well as in AIDS-stricken Africa.
Bishop Vashti Murphy McKenzie was born on May 28, 1947 into a prominent Baltimore, Maryland family, and graduated with a degree in journalism from the University of Maryland in 1978. She later earned a master’s of divinity from Howard University and a doctor of ministry from United Theological Seminary.
