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Boston Globe
05-07-2025
- General
- Boston Globe
In photos, the remaining descendants of the last known slave ship hold memorial ceremony
'The Clotilda history and the community that they built in Africatown is very much something that we honor, talk about, discuss, celebrate,' said Chanelle Blackwell, a ceremony organizer. The ship, known as the Clotilda, was discovered in 2019 in the murky waters of the Alabama Gulf Coast. But, more than 40 years ago, descendants of the 110 Africans who were ferried to American shores collectively founded a historical society to preserve the culture and heritage of the last Africans brought to America, and to ensure that future generations are aware of their ancestors and African history. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up Walter Jermaine Bell traveled to Mobile from Atlanta and laid down a ceremonial wreath at the event. He said he was honored and humbled to participate. Advertisement 'Such a gratifying feeling, a redeeming feeling, to be able to do something to bridge the gap, not just for this group, but also for my kids who are present,' he said. 'I really wanted them to see and participate in this.' Historical records show that Africatown, formally known as Plateau, was bought by 32 of the freed survivors of the Clotilda after the Civil War, about 3 miles (4.83 kilometers) north of Mobile. Advertisement The Clotilda had been under a $1 million state-funded investigation to excavate and preserve the ship, to be brought on land, with the goal of turning it into a museum that could generate a much-needed amount of revenue for the Africatown community. A task force of archaeologists, engineers, and historians, headed by the Alabama Historical Commission, recommended in a report that pillars be installed around the ship underwater to protect it from passing ships — an event they suspect caused the ship to break in half before it sank. Cherrelle Jefferson Smith attended the annual event for the first time. A resident of Africatown who moved to Mobile in 2014, she said 'it seems like I was meant to be here.' 'It was very sacred and personal, no matter if you're a descendant or not,' she said, adding that she was brought to tears by the event. This is a photo gallery curated by AP photo editors. ____ AP Race and Ethnicity reporter Jaylen Green reported from New York. Adrian Sainz contributed from Memphis, Tennessee.
San Francisco Chronicle
05-07-2025
- General
- San Francisco Chronicle
In photos, the remaining descendants of the last known slave ship hold memorial ceremony
MOBILE, Ala. (AP) — The remaining descendants of the last ship carrying enslaved Africans to land in the U.S. in 1860 met Saturday in Mobile, Alabama, for a memorial ceremony. Attendees, many of them dressed in white, gathered near Africatown Bridge on the banks of the river, where the ship remains submerged because it is too decayed to be extracted. Descendants say they are intent on ensuring the public never forgets what human beings endured during their two-month voyage across the Atlantic Ocean. 'The Clotilda history and the community that they built in Africatown is very much something that we honor, talk about, discuss, celebrate,' said Chanelle Blackwell, a ceremony organizer. The ship, known as the Clotilda, was discovered in 2019 in the murky waters of the Alabama Gulf Coast. But, more than 40 years ago, descendants of the 110 Africans who were ferried to American shores collectively founded a historical society to preserve the culture and heritage of the last Africans brought to America, and to ensure that future generations are aware of their ancestors and African history. Walter Jermaine Bell traveled to Mobile from Atlanta and laid down a ceremonial wreath at the event. He said he was honored and humbled to participate. "Such a gratifying feeling, a redeeming feeling, to be able to do something to bridge the gap, not just for this group, but also for my kids who are present," he said. 'I really wanted them to see and participate in this.' Historical records show that Africatown, formally known as Plateau, was bought by 32 of the freed survivors of the Clotilda after the Civil War, about 3 miles (4.83 kilometers) north of Mobile. The Clotilda had been under a $1 million state-funded investigation to excavate and preserve the ship, to be brought on land, with the goal of turning it into a museum that could generate a much-needed amount of revenue for the Africatown community. A task force of archaeologists, engineers and historians, headed by the Alabama Historical Commission, recommended in a report that pillars be installed around the ship underwater to protect it from passing ships — an event they suspect caused the ship to break in half before it sank. Cherrelle Jefferson Smith attended the annual event for the first time. A resident of Africatown who moved to Mobile in 2014, she said 'it seems like I was meant to be here.' 'It was very sacred and personal, no matter if you're a descendant or not,' she said, adding that she was brought to tears by the event.
Yahoo
18-03-2025
- Yahoo
Three affordable day trips from Birmingham to enjoy with the family this spring
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (WIAT)– With spring break upon us, it's a great time to take a trip with the family. Here are three affordable day trips to enjoy the warmer weather with the family. Old Cahawba— Just outside of Selma, where the Cahaba and Alabama rivers meet, lies Alabama's oldest ghost town. Serving as the capital from 1819 to 1826, Cahawba was a thriving river town until falling into disrepair after the Civil War. Today, the grounds are managed by the Alabama Historical Commission as an archeological park. Visitors are free to explore the ruins, hike the nature trails, or bike around. The park is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. Admission is $2 for adults, $1 for children ages 6 to 18. Orr Park— This 40-acre park in Montevallo is pleasant to walk around in, but it is notable for the artwork of Tim Tingle. In the past several decades, Tingle has been carving the trees in Orr Park into fantastical creatures and characters. Dubbed 'Tinglewood,' visitors can spot animals, faces, and various characters in the trees of the park. The park is open during daylight hours. Cahaba River National Wildlife Refuge— Managed by the U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service, this stretch of the Cahaba River near West Blocton is free to enjoy. Visitors can hunt, fish, canoe, or hike more than six miles of trails. This includes the Piper trail, which was built into a former railbed and offers scenic views of the Cahaba River. The refuge is open during daylight hours. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
28-01-2025
- General
- Yahoo
City of Decatur creates GIS marker program for historically Black cemetery
DECATUR, Ala. (WHNT) — People can now learn more about a historically Black cemetery in Decatur, and possibly even their family members, thanks to a grant from the Alabama Historical Commission. The commission gave the City of Decatur the grant to help them establish a GIS marker program for the Magnolia-Sykes Cemetery. The program will allow people to search for grave markers online. 📲 to stay updated on the go. 📧 to have news sent to your inbox. Each accessible marker was tagged with a GIS code and entered into the database showing its exact location. When clicking one of the map's dots, the information listed on the marker, such as name, birth and death dates, are shown, along with photos of the actual grave marker. The system also allows you to search by a family member's name. According to the Decatur, Alabama Historic Preservation Commission, the private cemetery was built in response to the 1901 Alabama Constitution that declared Black people could no longer be buried with white people. J. J. Sykes, who co-owned an undertaking business, saw an opportunity and acquired land with his brother S. S. Sykes to create a burial ground for Black residents. At the time, the site was located outside the city limits. The site was originally called the Magnolia Cemetery because there were two magnolia trees on the property. Over the years, the cemetery's name has changed to Magnolia-Sykes and then Sykes Cemetery. It remained the primary burial ground for Black residents until 1965 when the Sterrs Memorial addition was added to the Decatur Cemetery. There is no cemetery plot map despite more than 800 grave markers on-site, making the GIS marker program necessary. To see the map on the Decatur's historic preservation page, click here. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
