Prince Abdul Rahman Ibrahima Marker Dedication Ceremony

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 8, 2026
11:30 AM
SILVER STREET – NEAR LANDING DOCK
ALL ARE INVITED TO ATTEND

“Ibrahima was a Muslim prince from Timbo in the Futa Jallon region of present-day Guinea, West Africa. He was captured in battle in 1788 and sold into the transatlantic slave trade. He spent 40 years enslaved on Thomas Foster’s plantation near Natchez before gaining his freedom in 1828 with the help of Andrew Marschalk, the “Father of Mississippi Journalism,” and U.S. Secretary of State Henry Clay in President John Quincy Adams’ administration.” – The Natchez Democrat

Mistress of Ceremony
Vickie R. Green
Playwright/CEO Behind the Walls Ministries

Welcome
Vickie R. Green

Invocation
Rev. Joan Gandy
Pastor, First Presbyterian Church of Natchez

Music
Tony Fields
Soloist and Minister of Music
Zion Chapel A.M.E. Church

Opening Remarks
The Honorable Dan M. Gibson
Mayor of Natchez

Recognition of Guests
Dr. Roscoe Barnes III
Cultural Heritage Tourism Manager
Visit Natchez

Remarks
David Dreyer
Local Historian and Genealogist

Student presentations
Reading Excerpt from Prince Among Slaves
Ainsley Dupre and Halle Stamps
Natchez High School

Introduction of Speaker
Dr. Roscoe Barnes III

Guest Speaker
Shelia Byrd
Deputy Director of Programs and Communication Division
Mississippi Department of Archives & History

Music
Tony Fields

Benediction
Rev. Clifton Marvel Sr.
Pastor, Greater Macedonia Baptist Church

Unveiling of Prince Ibrahima Marker