NATCHEZ, Miss. — The Natchez Preservation Commission recently approved a site for a marker on Silver Street that will honor Prince Abdul Rahman Ibrahima Sori. That approval came Wednesday, February 12 during a regular meeting of the commission.
Visit Natchez and the City of Natchez sought approval for the location, which is near the landing dock on the west side of Silver Street in the grassy area near the sidewalk overlooking the river. The property is owned by Silverland Inc., which has given its support for the project.
In his report on the requested location, Interim City Planner Riccardo Giani shared his assessment, stating, “Prince Ibrahima is one such figure in Natchez’s history whose captivating and important story offers a valuable opportunity to educate future generations about his time. The applicant has provided supporting documentation for this marker, including its proposed location.”
Carter Burns, executive director of the Historic Natchez Foundation, welcomed the news. “I am glad to see Prince Ibrahima recognized with an official state historic marker in Natchez,” he said. “He was an extraordinary man with an extraordinary life. The landing is an appropriate location for it since he arrived and departed from Natchez at that site.”
Ibrahima (1762-1829) was an African prince who spent 40 years enslaved on Thomas Foster’s plantation near Natchez. When he came to Natchez in 1788, he arrived at the landing dock, which is also the place where he and his wife, Isabella, departed Natchez with their freedom in 1828.
Ibrahima’s marker will be acquired through the Mississippi Department of Archives and History. In keeping with the Preservation Commission’s guidelines, the marker will be parallel with the street and located close to the lamp post that has an existing marker nearby. Ibrahima’s marker will be the same distance from the lamp post as the existing marker on the opposite side.
Lynsey Gilbert, interim director at Visit Natchez, said the location is ideal for the marker. “It will be seen by thousands of visitors, especially those traveling on the Mississippi River cruise ships,” she said. “Silver Street is frequented by many tourists and local residents throughout the year.”
Mayor Dan Gibson said he was excited about the project and the recognition it will give to Ibrahima’s legacy.
“On behalf of the City of Natchez, I want to express our gratitude to Dr. Roscoe Barnes and all who have worked to make this happen,” Gibson said. “Prince Ibrahima’s story has long been a source of inspiration to so many, not only here in Natchez but all across the world.
“His is a story of both triumph in the midst of adversity and of love overcoming hate. We have a number of the Prince’s descendants in Natchez, and I share their excitement to see this part of our amazing Natchez story being told. We consider him to be ‘Our Prince’.”
Once the application for the MDAH marker is submitted and approved, it will take at least six months for the marker to be manufactured and delivered to Natchez for installation.
The Silver Street marker will be the second one commemorating the prince in the Natchez-Adams County area. In October 2024, the Natchez Historical Society approved a donation for a marker off of Highway 61 North near the Historic Jefferson College.
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