Olaudah Equiano

Born in what is now Nigeria, Equiano was kidnapped and sold into slavery at age 11. He was transported to the West Indies and then to Virginia, where he was purchased by a Royal Navy officer. This officer gave him the name Gustavus Vassa, after the Swedish king, a name Equiano detested but used throughout his life.

Equiano's life was hardly typical for an enslaved person. He learned to read and write, worked as a seaman, and was involved in several battles during the Seven Years' War. After numerous voyages and sales, he eventually managed to purchase his freedom in 1766 for 40 pounds.

As a freedman, Equiano continued to travel the world, working as a barber, a merchant, and a seaman, even attempting to help establish a new colony in Sierra Leone for freed slaves. But it was his work as an abolitionist that cemented his place in history. His 1789 autobiography, "The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano," became a sensation, eloquently detailing the brutality of slavery and becoming a foundational text in the abolitionist movement.

So, not a Jew, but a man who absolutely earned the right to kvell. His story, a testament to resilience and the fight for freedom, likely made many a Jewish mother proud, even if they couldn't claim him as one of their own.