OUR ROOTS
CELEBRATING A MAN WHO CHANGED THE WORLD AS WE KNOW IT.
Our roots
Over 250 years ago, life was very different to what we know now. Often we hear stories of plight, treachery and overcoming adversity, but through turmoil it can shape a person, it can create beliefs, spread love and ultimately help others. None is more true than the defining journey of a man who stood for what he believed in – equality.
In 1745, Olaudah Equiano was born. His life began in Africa, but before reaching his teens, he was kidnapped and sold into slavery. Growing as a boy into a man, his experiences shaped him. During his early years he voyaged across the Atlantic Ocean to the Caribbean where he was enslaved for many years. Eventually he crossed the seas once more and landed in the United Kingdom. Tenacious and determined, he traded in rum on the side, selling a puncheon of rum at a time. In just a matter of years he managed to save forty pounds, paving his way to liberation. Equiano was free!
THROUGH TURMOIL IT CAN SHAPE
A PERSON, IT CAN CREATE BELIEFS,
SPREAD LOVE AND ULTMATELY
HELP OTHERS
Through trouble and strife, rose a brave man, an entrepreneur who overcame the odds. Not done with his achievements yet, he set out across the seas and penned his autobiography – on interesting narrative of the life of Olaudah Equiano. His work and teachings meant he become one of the first published African writers in the UK and US. His descriptions of extreme hardships and desperate conditions are punctuated by his astonishment at new sights and experiences. Experiences that drove him to fight for others.
Equiano was a visionary, a freedom fighter, whose work changed history. As a writer and speaker, his powerful memoirs went on to inform the transatlantic slave trade act and impact the freedom of people all over the world. Freedom that many of us enjoy, but that many more are still fighting for, making his story as relevant to global conversation today as he was in the 1700’s.
EQUIANO WAS A VISIONARY, A FREEDOM FIGHTER, WHOSE WORK CHANGED HISTORY
With the bold statement of being the world’s first African and Caribbean rum, we knew our name needed to respect the journey, provenance and quality of our liquid, marrying the old with the new. We knew it had to mirror our own beliefs, creating positive change through the work that we do.
Between his values, journey and impact, we feel great pride and honour in his name adorning our bottle. Equiano’s values distill our beliefs perfectly and that is why we’re giving 5% of company profits and £2/$2 of every bottle purchased here to ground-level freedom and equality projects annually, and celebrating a man who we all aspire to be more like.
We are hoping we can do our bit for Equiano’s legacy, please see how we are making a difference, by supporting ‘Freedom of Spirit’ through the Equiano Rum Co Foundation grant. Click here to go to our press release.
