The Wanderer - A 150-Year Commemorative Event

Survivors of the Slave Ship, The Wanderer, to be Honored at a Commemorative Ceremony on Jekyll Island, Georgia

Jekyll Island, GA (PRWEB) November 14, 2008 -- One hundred and fifty years ago, a yacht carrying elicit cargo arrived on Jekyll Island, Georgia. On the morning of November 28, 1858, it anchored on the south end of the island, and approximately 409 enslaved Africans were rowed ashore. For six weeks, they had been held captive in this hated vessel, flying the pennant of the New York Yacht Club.

This was the Wanderer, the last known slave ship to land in Georgia and the last slaving expedition known to have reached the United States without repercussions. On November 25, 2008, at 4:30 p.m., the Jekyll Island Authority Museum will present a new exhibit and a commemorative program dedicated to the enslaved Africans who were the survivors of that Middle Passage.

The exhibit and ceremony will be at the St. Andrew's Picnic Area on the South End of Jekyll Island around where the vessel is believed to have landed. Thanks to the fundraising efforts of the Friends of Historic Jekyll Island, the project was completed in time for the 150th anniversary of the landing.

"A hundred and fifty years is a milestone number," commented John Hunter, the Director of the Jekyll Island Authority Museum. "It is important that we take some time to reflect on what happened here and to recognize the losses suffered by the captives on that voyage."

"We also want to respectfully remember the enslaved Africans who made it to shore that day for the survivors that they were and for all of the remarkable culture and heritage that they passed on to us here in Coastal Georgia," Hunter remarked. "We hope that both the exhibit and the ceremony will capture that intent."

Hunter said that the exhibit was designed by Malone Design/ Fabrication out of Atlanta.

"Three billowing sails and three imaginative text panels will tell the story of the Wanderer and a new vision begins to take shape in the landscape and in large scale," Hunter said. "The steel sails are roughly 12 feet tall, and through them we can begin to see the beauty of the vessel's form, but also the cold hard reality of slavery."

The text panels will cover the ship's arrival, the trials, the ship's specifications, the vessel's fate, what happened to the survivors, some of their personal stories, a timeline, and the significance of the landing. A number of speakers and performers will appear during the course of the afternoon ceremony planned for the hour leading up to sunset on the water.

Erik Calonius, a prominent journalist and the author of a book entitled The Wanderer: The Last American Slave Ship and the Conspiracy that Set Its Sails, will provide some brief introductory remarks about what happened, the significance of the occasion, and why it is still important to note the event 150 years later. Calonius' work has opened new avenues of discussion about the Wanderer in Savannah and on Jekyll Island. His talk at the annual dinner of the Friends of Historic Jekyll Island in 2007 helped pave the way to the funding of this memorial.

The memorial dedication ceremony will also feature traditional songs from the shout, performed by the Darien Shouters. Griffin Lotson, the group's manager, noted that Fanny Kimble documented the music sung by slaves coming over by boat from the Butler Plantation on St. Simons Island in the 1830s. Historically appropriate songs such as these will be woven into the program.

Living historian Amir Jamal Touré will present a dramatic interpretation of the landing from the perspective of the survivors. Touré fosters Gullah-Geechee culture and awareness through history tours and lectures of Savannah, Hilton Head, Riceboro, and the Lowcountry of Georgia and South Carolina with Day Clean Journeys, Day Clean: The African Soul, Inc., and Gullah Geechee Arrangements, Inc. Touré is considered the foremost Gullah-Geechee Djeli, Living Historian, in the world. He has done living history presentations for the Prime Minister of Haiti, the Gambia National Museum Official, and Danny Glover.

Denise White Fields, the founder and curator of From Africa to Eternity, will provide the dedication of the memorial. For over 20 years, Fields has developed and taught multicultural curriculums and exhibitions throughout the United States. Her travelling exhibit of over 3,000 artifacts dating from pre-enslavement to the present has been recognized by the National Park Service for its significant contributions to the understanding of the Underground Railroad in American history and is part of the National Park Service Underground Railroad Network to Freedom. Selections from this exhibit will be on display at the event.

"I genuinely believe that this is the beginning of some great partnership building for museums and other educators to create greater visibility for the historic sites and heritage of the African-American community of Coastal Georgia." Fields affirmed. "It would be great to see this region become a Plymouth Rock, celebrating Gullah-Geechee culture and heritage and drawing visitors from around the country."

"This work is so vitally important," she continued. "Everyone needs a place where they can learn about their past and see that their history is valued. I hope a lot of people come out to support this event."

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