Between the 16th and 19th centuries, millions of enslaved Africans were forcibly transported to the Americas across the Atlantic ocean on a voyage known as the “Middle Passage." One group is taking a literal deep dive into that history, in hopes of making some important discoveries and raising awareness of the implications it has for people today. Jeffrey Brown reports.
Black History and Ocean History are Inextricably Tied
Countless stories of the Black experience in America are connected to the sea
February 4, 2021
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In every year since 1976, February has been officially recognized as Black History Month. It was originally intended by President Gerald Ford to “
honor the too-often neglected accomplishments of Black Americans in every area of endeavor throughout our history.” Although we should celebrate the achievements and endeavors of Black Americans all year long, February is the perfect opportunity to set aside some time to reflect on Black history and the future.
Countless stories of the Black experience in America are connected to the sea. In fact, you can’t tell the African American story without it it was on transatlantic ships that the first African slaves were brought to the colonies. The ocean was a stage for horrific cruelty, where Africans were stolen and crammed into cargo holds, barely able to move. Many would not sur
Somewhere in the dark, vast abyss of the Atlantic Ocean, deep beneath the waves, lies a civilisation. For centuries the Drexciyans have lived in peaceful isolation on the seabed, occupying their bubble metropolis, unaware of the land-based realm their ancestors were forced to leave behind. The Drexciyans trace their lineage back to the pregnant African women – considered by their captors to be sick or disruptive – who were thrown off slave ships.
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Mainstream, VOL LIX No 1, New Delhi, December 19, 2020
Exploring the Indian Ocean as a rich archive of history – above and below the water line | Isabel Hofmeyr and Charne Lavery
Saturday 19 December 2020
June 7, 2020 - Updated December 6, 2020
On many beaches around the Indian Ocean, keen observers may spot bits of broken pottery. Washed smooth by the ocean, these shards are in all likelihood hundreds of years old, from centres of ceramic production like the Middle Eastern Abbasid caliphate and the Chinese Ming dynasty.
Originally destined for Indian Ocean port cities, this pottery would have been purchased by merchant elites accustomed to eating off fine plates. These traders formed part of vast commercial networks that crisscrossed the Indian Ocean arena and beyond, from East Africa to Indonesia, the Middle East and China.