Francis Bok visits Denver, tells his story of escaping slavery

Posted by metroafrican • April 8, 2010 • Printer-friendly

By Daniel Sauvé

I first met Francis Bok in New York seven years ago. He was soft-spoken and chose his words carefully as he recounted the ten years he lived as a slave in Sudan. At that time he had been in the US for four years and was still working on his English. Originally resettled in Fargo, North Dakota, Bok moved to Ames, Iowa before being invited to work with the American Anti-Slavery Group in Boston. Bok began speaking for AASG and in 2003 published his autobiography Escape from Slavery: The True Story of My Ten Years in Captivity and My Journey to Freedom in America. He had come to New York as part of a book tour.

Flash forward to March 2010 and Francis Bok is standing in front of a bright yellow wall lined with bookshelves at West Side Books in Denver. He is speaking of slavery not as a historical fact, but he speaks as a living reminder that slavery is ongoing. In fact, Bok says, more people are in slavery now than ever crossed the Atlantic during the slave trade.

This Francis Bok seems quite different than the one I met in New York. He seems more confident and at ease, no longer unsure of his words. But he is still thoughtful and gracious. When asked to comment on U.S. foreign policy he simply says, "All I can say is the U.S. has been good to me." However, he is not so kind to the Government of Sudan and President Al Bashir. He was hopeful the upcoming elections would see a change in regime, but that was before key opposition parties dropped out of the race. Regardless, Bok is determined to bring awareness to the issue of slavery, in his homeland Sudan, and around the world.

Bok's visit to Denver was sponsored by the Colorado Coalition for Genocide Awareness and Action, an organization whose mission is to raise awareness of genocides past and present and take action to stop genocides present and future. The book singing at West Side Books was hosted and moderated by Pastor Heidi McGinness, Director of Outreach for Christian Solidarity International-USA.

Pastor Heidi McGuiness introduces Francis Bok

Pastor Heidi McGinness introduces Francis Bok, author of Escape from Slavery: The True Story of My Ten Years in Captivity and My Journey to Freedom in America

Al Lackner of the Colorado Coalition for Genocide Awareness and Action speaks about current affairs in Sudan. http://www.ccgaa.org/

Francis Bok fields questions about Sudanese politics ahead of Sudan's upcoming elections.

Pastor Heidi McGinness and Francis Bok with West Side Books owner Lois Harvey