Barracoon – Zora Neale Hurston

Barracoon: The Story of the Last “Black Cargo” is a powerful nonfiction narrative by Zora Neale Hurston, recounting the experiences of Cudjo Lewis (born Oluale Kossola), one of the last known survivors of the transatlantic slave trade. Through interviews conducted in 1927, Hurston captures Kossola’s life story, including his early years in West Africa, the brutal circumstances of his capture and enslavement, and his eventual freedom and efforts to build a life in the United States. Set against the backdrop of Africatown, Alabama, where Kossola settled after emancipation, Barracoon is both a historical document and a deeply personal account of resilience, loss, and identity.