
Who was Sengbe Pieh (Cinque) and why is it important to recognize, acknowledge and celebrate his identity as a Muslim? Cinque was the leader of the Amistad Revolt, one of the most celebrated uprisings against the Transatlantic slave trade that occurred in 1839. On the morning of June 28, 1839, La Amistad (a Spanish schooner meaning friendship) set sail from Havana, Cuba, with 53 Africans on board who had been abducted from West Africa and sold in violation of international law. Their intended fate was enslavement on plantations down coast from Havana. After overhearing the cook discuss eating them, probably spoken in jest, but these Africans were aware and deathly afraid of cannibalism, so led by Cinque, the Africans attacked the crew of the Amistad schooner, killing all but two of the crew members. They ordered that the ship be guided toward the rising sun, back to Africa, but each night the Cubans reversed direction.
For more information on the Amistad Africans and Cinque click on the links below:
- Howard Jones, “Cinque of the Amistad a Slave Trader? Perpetuating a Myth” in Journal of American History (2000)