Author of "The Original Black Panther: Prince Rivers and the Lost City of Hamburg" Join Dr. Stephen Berry to hear the long-forgotten story of the man who was a living legend. Prince Rivers is one of the most consequential Americans about whom Americans know nothing. Born enslaved near Beaufort, South Carolina, Rivers’s flight to freedom on horseback in November 1861 became legendary during his lifetime. One of the first Black men in Union uniform and one of the longest-serving men in the Union army, Rivers was integral to the formation of the United States Colored Troops. He astounded his own officers with his speed, strength, stamina, and impeccable manners. “If there should ever be a black monarchy in South Carolina,” noted his colonel, “[Rivers] will be its king.” True to this prediction, Rivers went on to serve as a South Carolina state legislator and as one of the first Black mayors
