Nigel Clarke celebrates the life and work of the eighteenth century anti-slavery campaigner Olaudah Equiano, once an enslaved person himself.
The video
Teacher Notes
This film covers Olaudah Equiano's early life as an enslaved person before going on to consider his work campaigning in the UK to abolish slavery. It includes some images depicting slavery, including a contemporary illustration of people forced onto a slave-ship. It is essential to watch the film before sharing to assess its suitability for your class or group.
Olaudah Equiano (1745 - 1797) was born in Nigeria. As a child he was sold as a slave and taken to America. During his time as an enslaved person he had several different masters, the last of whom allowed him to buy his freedom. Olaudah travelled to London where he worked initially as a barber. Olaudah was an early campaigner against the slave trade (an 'abolitionist') and key to his success was his autobiography The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano, in which he described his early life and the horrors of slavery. It was immensely popular during his lifetime and helped the passage of legislation banning the slave trade in the UK, which happened in 1807.
Before watching the video
Olaudah’s story inevitably requires some discussion of slavery - what it is, and its abhorrence. You may wish to describe enslaved people as people who are taken far from their homes, forced to do very hard jobs - all day - without any pay, often in dangerous conditions, and with little or no hope of release. You may wish also to draw out parallels between the experiences of enslaved people and teaching on 'Stranger danger' or bullying.
You could prepare for Olaudah's story by also asking:
- What do you think everyday life would have been like over 250 years ago when Olaudah lived? How would it have been different from today?
- What is an author?
- What is an explorer?
- Can you show me the continent of Africa on a map / globe?
- Can you help me find Nigeria on a map of Africa?
After watching the video
Consolidate pupils' recall and understanding of Olaudah's story by asking:
- Where was Olaudah born? (In modern-day Nigeria)
- What age was Olaudah when he was taken from his village? (Around age 11)
- Where was Olaudah taken? (Across the Atlantic Ocean, first to the Caribbean and then on to America)
- Where did Olaudah travel to once he was free? (London)
- What was the name of the book Olaudah wrote? (The full title is The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano)
- What did Olaudah do after writing his book? (He travelled around the UK talking about his experiences as an enslaved person, so that people would understand how bad slavery is)
Activities
Discussion. How do you think Olaudah felt when his name was changed without his permission? How do you think Olaudah felt when he was finally free? Can you find three words to describe his feelings for 'before' and 'after'?
Discussion. Olaudah is described as a 'campaigner'. What is a campaign / campaigner? Is there something that you would like to campaign for? How do you persuade other people to join your campaign?
Discussion. Slavery is wrong and shouldn't happen. When we see someone doing something hurtful to another person what should we do? Who should we talk to?
Further resources
Image from the video - click to display image full size
Image from the video - click to display image full size
Image from the video - click to display image full size
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