Wole Soyinka Upholds Honoring Igbo Ancestors 223 Years Later
September 23, 2025
2:17 am
Nobel Laureate Wole Soyinka has lent his support to a campaign seeking to honor Igbo ancestors more than two centuries after a historic act of resistance at Igbo Landing.
The campaign focuses on a tragic event in May 1803, when enslaved Igbo people brought to St. Simons Island, Georgia, walked into the sea in defiance of their captors. This mass suicide has become a powerful symbol of resistance against slavery and a cornerstone of memory for both the Gullah Geechee people and the Igbo diaspora.
Soyinka’s endorsement has helped amplify the campaign’s message locally, nationally, and internationally, drawing attention to …
