The legacy that emancipation created was the beginnings of systemic racism and a continuation of injustice based on the color of one’s skin. Freedom for most was not freedom as one might envision it. It was another kind of enslavement. Enslavement within a system that created the socio and economic divide in the United States that holds true to the present day. Emancipation continued a life that was controlled by former plantation owners and wealthy white land owners and business men. This population created the system that would exist for hundreds of years. The legacy of emancipation was one that fostered a warped sense of honoring and continued discrimination. This was very evident in 1892. The obituary for Timothy Meaher, the owner of the Clotilda read as follows in the New York Times; “last of the slave traders”. It was a salute to the northerner who became a southerner. It was seen as an achievement and not a crime. Even though slavery had ended, racism was alive in every way. and by 1901 “ a rigid de facto of separation had been a fact of life.” (Diouf,2007)
Specifically in the south, in Mobile Alabama emancipation changed the lives of those who were captives on the Clotilda forever because it opened a window of opportunity. Their story was a bit different than most of those who were free. The goal of those of the Clotilda was to return to Africa. When this goal was terminated by the system that brought them to American shores these strong people took the news and changed defeat into opportunity. This began with hard work and saving money in order to buy land. The land that was eventually purchased was from the man who actually sent a ship to enslave them. With the purchase of the land which led to the creation of Africa Town, it buffered those of the Clotilda from this racial divide to some degree. The reason being is that Africa town elected to self segregate. When I read this it is was fascinating to me because in a way those of the Clotilda took a negative and created another positive and took back ownership of choice. This self segregation allowed those of Africa town to embrace their heritage and continue traditions of their childhood from West Africa. This was empowerment, but the map in Mobile from 1889 described it very differently. Africa town was called “African Colony” and “uncivilized”. It was perfectly fine to categorize on paper a racist description on an area map at that time in history just as Meaher’s obituary. This was the beginnings and growth of socio and economic divides within our country.
Even though this divide existed, Africa town flourished and at one point had 12,000 residents with a strong sense of community and tradition, yet systemic racism eventually eroded this outstanding progressive model of what freedom and the American dream can look like when heritage is embraced. “Enslavement is racist and the byproduct caused permanent damage.” What is meant is that none of the captives of the Clotilda ever recovered from the shock of the capture, the separation from families and the middle passage” (Diouf, 2007) a town were strong filled with courage and perseverance as all who had brought and bought into slavery.
The decedents of the Clotilda still grapple with the sheer fact of what their ancestors had to go through to survive as Darren Patterson, a descendent of those who built Africa town shared in a interview. He also stated he wanted to “Just to feel what they felt, and to know what strong courageous people he had descended from.” Those of Africa town embrace their heritage. Jocelyn, a teacher shares, “my heritage tells me who I am. They are all we and they were all they had.” For those of reside in Africa town, they try to celebrate where they came from and to preserve the heritage for generations to come. Others residents state that the Meaher family needs to apologize and recognize those who have been hurt and continue to be hurt and that reparation should be part of this too.
From what I have researched those who are descendants of slavery want to understand and connect to those who came before. Especially those descendants of Africa town feel that preservation is key. This preservation needs to remain within the community as a honoring of a legacy that began so long ago. In addition celebration of African past has been going on for decades, much longer than any else in our country. You could say that they are all trail blazers in there own special way.
The most unfortunate aspect of the entire history of the Clotilda and Africa town is the fact that the systemic racism in our country took this unique story of success and destroyed it by erecting chemical and paper plants around the town. In turn, creating hazardous living conditions for those who resided in the town this affected the socio and economic prosperity of the community over time. Once again the Meaher family was part of this decline by selling land to the companies. Economic and environmental ruin occurred. In 1990 a highway was also built right through the center of Africa town. What does this say about what our country still believes? It is blatant racism. The history of slavery is continually be added to because 160 years after the Clotilda sank in Mobile Bay we still are grappling with the effects of slavery. The visual image of a depressed town speaks volumes of how our country is still entrenched in the slavery mentality of the past even thou it is the 21st century. This is clearly an excellent and compelling example for why reparations are needed for the past as well as the present to hopefully one day fix the future.
Sources
Descendants of the Last Slave Ship Fight to Preserve Their History | Feb 17, 2020 | NowThis News
Wreck of last known slave ship – found in Alabama | Jun 7, 2019 | Channel 4 News
What the Discovery of the Last American Slave Ship Means to Descendants | National Geographic | May 22, 2019 | National Geographic
How discovery of the slave ship Clotilda informs U.S. history | May 23, 2019 | PBS NewsHour
Primary Sources
Dreams of Africa in Alabama, The Slave Ship Clotilda and The Story of the Last Africans Brought to America, Written by Sylviane A Diouf, Copyright 2007, Oxford University Press
Registration of Clotilda, April 19th, 1855. National Archives and Records Administration, Southeast Region (Atlanta). RG 36 U.S. Customs Service, Collector of Customs
Land Sale, Meaher to Allen. October 21, 1872. Deed Book 30,643. Mobile County Probate Court
Marriage License, Polle Alen [sic] and Rosa Allen, Mobile, March 15th, 1880. CML 6, 438. Mobile County Probate Court.