Was there a Black Pope and Papal kingdom in Africa? It was a question the King of Portugal asked in 1486. Could that have been what sparked the age of exploration, perhaps codenamed: To discover the Source of the Niger? Queen Ogo of Asaba on the River Niger, tells her story, and opens up a world hidden in plain sight.
Harken back to a time of widespread injustice, of colonial wars and bitter rivalries, and an age where the best of men arose from the shadows.
1777. New York. Harry Washington once attended the man who would become the first President of the United States. Now a sergeant in the British Colonial Army, he is a confidante of US General George whose surname he bears. Unbeknown to most, are memories of the days he walked the grounds of an exotic land and was known by the name, Hanye.
Born in the heart of Africa, Hanye's tale is one of sorrow and inspiration. Captured during a war of dominance, he is sold into slavery and shipped to the American colony. While his name would echo into history, it is the legacy of his people that tells his full story.
Queen Ogo of Asaba grew up listening to tales of the great Hanye, her cousin. Her reflections of the past bring a startling revelation: The Papal Kingdom that the King of Portugal heard of in 1486, which sparked centuries of exploration in West Africa looking for The Source of the Niger, may have been hidden in plain sight.
From King James I, creating his version of the Bible to pacify the Puritans, to their exit-through her eyes, the story of Hanye and the birth of America is laid bare. She details the customs of a people who share close similarities in religious structure to the Roman Catholic Church, complete with their own Pope; of a proud people beholden to the same truths as the American Founding Fathers; and of Hanye, whose work was done and whose soul was leading him home.
Queen Ogo and the Other Pope is the richly detailed story of various intersections that would dominate modern history and how much Harry would do to return home.
"Queen Ogo and the Arrow from the Black Pope by Ike Charles Okwuobi is very well written and researched. Ike uses a variety of perspectives to paint a picture of a culture that everyone should learn about. It illuminates the enormous effect of the African slave trade on the current functioning of the U.S. and the concept of American Exceptionalism. It reveals the history of the Ibo people and their enormous impact on American democracy and uses the stories of many to jump through history, from 1619 to the modern-day. Even recent events, such as the capitol riots of 2021, have struggled with issues and ideas that were established several hundred years ago. As a whole, Queen Ogo is extremely interesting, and I recommend it to others. A powerful piece of literature by Ike Charles Okwuobi that everyone needs to read."
- The Lost Chapter Book Review
"Ike Charles Okwuobi has crafted a masterpiece. His words will make the reader stop, think, and absorb what is occurring in his scenes. It will provide them an education in African American culture like no book has attempted to show. Queen Ogo and the Arrow from the Black Pope has the potential to be awarded the distinguished honor to become a recommended book on the Black History Month list. It is filled with a rich culture that allows the reader to discover a world of times past. I feel this book is about to take the literary world by storm!"
- Suzie Housley, Midwest Book Review
