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...... Going farther into the issue, author Carretta says that Baptismal and naval records reflect that Equiano was born in South Carolina around 1747. If that is true, then Equiano (also known as Gustavus Vassa) basically invented his childhood in Africa, and also made up his writings about being a kidnapped, captured African citizen on a Middle Passage slave ship. Does it really matter where he was born? Professor Paul El Lovejoy of York University in Canada believes it is important; in Lovejoys scholarly research into African Diaspora he believes that Vassas claim to an African birth should be accepted (Lovejoy, 2007, p. 121)
If Vassa invented an African birth, Lovejoy writes in the journal Slavery and Abolition, Carretta does not explain satisfactorily when he would have done this (Lovejoy, p. 122). Lovejoy does admit that Equiano did not always tell the truth and he did embellish memory (Lovejoy, p. 123). Lovejoy also suggests that if Equiano had lied, it would have matteredto Vassas friends and acquaintances whom he would have fooled [and] in matters for the historical record (Lovejoy, p. 124). Lovejoy does go on to say that Carrettas biography of Equiano is authoritative and that Carrettas edition of

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