William Grimes

William Grimes (c. 1784–1865) was an African American barber and writer best known for authoring *Life of William Grimes, the Runaway Slave* (1825), widely regarded as the first published slave narrative in the United States. Born enslaved in Virginia, he escaped to the North, built a life as a businessman and barber, and later published his memoirs, including a revised edition in 1855.[1][4][9]