MEDIA CENTER: ARTICLE
Kayakers in the Mystic River paddle past the schooner Amistad docked Aug. 11, 2016, at Mystic Seaport's H.B. duPont Preservation Shipyard. The schooner is at Mystic Seaport Museum for the summer, since its programs and trips have been canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic, but owner Discovering Amistad and the Seaport are planning to collaborate on programs to combat racism. (Sean D. Elliot/The Day).
Mystic Seaport Museum and Discovering Amistad announced Tuesday that they are working together to develop programs designed to combat racism and promote diversity.
The two organizations said details of the educational programming will be released in the coming weeks.
Discovering Amistad had to cancel its in-person programs with school systems and other groups and trips to cities around the state this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic but has made its summer program virtual and plans to resume normal operations next spring.
The museum and Discovering Amistad said the schooner, which will remain docked at the museum for the summer, will become “a platform for education, discussion, and outreach” and the two organizations will combine staff and resources “to nurture engagement and meaningful interaction on the subject.”
“We are saddened and dismayed by the death of George Floyd and other recent abhorrent acts of racism. Mystic Seaport Museum condemns all forms of racism and discrimination. As a maritime institution, we acknowledge the painful maritime roots in African American history, and we are compelled to act — and that begins with listening. Our two organizations can pull together people of all ages and races to increase awareness of social injustices and take positive, proactive steps that will benefit the broader community,” museum President Steve White said.
Len Miller, chairman of Discovering Amistad, said his organization “teaches students and adults about the history of racism in this country. In teaching this history our organization also cites examples of the harm racism brings to all of us, and what steps we all need to take to reduce and eliminate it. The recent hateful and horrific events make it imperative that we work together with Mystic Seaport Museum and others to begin an intensive effort to end racism in this country once and for all.”
The two organizations said they agree that by combining their assets and capabilities, they can effect a greater impact on the issue than they could alone.
The Amistad schooner, which was built at the Seaport, is a replica of the ship involved in an 1839 incident, in which a group of African slaves being transported along the coast of Cuba took control of the ship. They sailed the ship up the East Coast before being captured by a revenue cutter off Montauk. They initially were brought to New London and then jailed in New Haven before the U.S. Supreme Court ruled they be set free in 1841.
Discovering Amistad not only tells this story but tackles issues such as racism, justice and equality through its educational programs.
Source: http://edit.theday.com/local-news/20200609/seaport-discovering-amistad-to-collaborate-on-programs-to-combat-racism
