Olaudah Equiano
(Born: 1745 – 31 March 1797)

Olaudah Equiano was a writer and abolitionist from Southeastern Nigeria. He was the youngest son of a family that belonged to the Igbo people. When Equiano was around 11 years old, he and his sister were kidnapped by African slave traders and were separated from their family and community. Equiano was eventually sold to British slave traders, who transported him across the
Atlantic to the British colonies in North America.

In 1789, Equiano published his autobiography, "The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano”.

The book was a critical and commercial success and helped to shape public opinion about the slave trade and the conditions under which enslaved people were forced to live. In the book, Equiano describes his experiences of being enslaved, his struggles to obtain his freedom, and his subsequent travels and adventures. He also provides a detailed account of the customs and
beliefs of the Igbo people, as well as his observations about European society.

Equiano also wrote and spoke extensively about the need to end slavery. He also criticised the treatment of enslaved people, and he called for their liberation and the abolition of the slave trade. His work helped to change the attitudes of many people towards the slave trade, and he was instrumental in pushing for legislative change. The British government eventually passed the
Abolition of the Slave Trade Act in 1807, which prohibited the transatlantic slave trade.