Essay On Abina And The Important Men

The Gold Coast of Africa during the 1870s was full of social, economic, and political issues.. Politically, in the early 1870s, the British were working to push the Asante and their allies off of the coast to set up colonies. In the graphic novel Abina and the Important Men written by Trevor Getz, we learn that the British were successful in pushing away the Asante around 1873 and that “the British managed to create a system of agreements with local rulers that was formalized in the creation of a colony and a protectorate” (Getz 122). After occupying this region of Africa, the British would quickly learn how big the problem of slavery was. According to Getz, “an appreciable proportion of that Protectorate population was made up of people whom

Getz describes the slave work as “Slaves may have worked as agricultural laborers and gold miners, but they usually did so alongside the families and individuals to whom they belonged” meaning that they did not necessarily do all their owner's work, rather helped them with it (Getz 126). This often led people who were not in slavery to believe that the people who were considered slaves were treated fairly and were considered free. In 1875 the British passed laws that officially banned slavery and “made it possible for any slave to liberate himself or herself, but did not call for British administrators to actively pursue slave owners or free slaves” (Getz 127). These laws that abolished slavery would bring some of the largest issues the British would face on the Gold

Abina’s story points out how difficult it is to have a voice versus people of higher power. After the jury, of all important men, were brought into the courtroom and the attorneys asked their final questions, the judge and jury dismissed the case to come up with a verdict. Throughout the trial Abina brought light to how she was treated, how slavery still existed, and how unfair the treatment was, but despite her best effort the jury decided that Abina was not a slave and Eddoo had done nothing wrong. When Abina was delivered this news Getz draws her falling to the ground in sadness and Davis telling her “you needn’t fear anything you’re safe here” (Getz 77). Although this was true that Abina was safe, Abina was not upset about losing the trial she was upset because she had lost her voice. Abina states, “you don’t understand. It was never just about being safe. It was about being heard” and goes on to say “now I know that nobody heard me. Now I know that I might as well have kept silent…” (Getz 77). These two quotes by Abina hold a large amount of significance in understanding how difficult it was to speak up as not only a slave but as a women at this time period. Having a voice against figures of power is still one of the biggest issues today, and Abina’s story highlights how silencing of women and people with little power has been going on for