Descendants of Africans on slave ship on reconciliation with family of Alabama enslaver

Descendants of the enslaved Africans brought to Alabama on the last known slave ship met with the family of the ship’s financier to discuss reconciliation.

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[Badlighter]

@7:32 “They didn’t come with empty heads, they came with empty hands-so they found a way to make a way…” To survive the horror of being kidnapped and enslaved, but then thrive is amazing.

[linthexplorer]

15:57 was deep “they can’t be responsible for what their four fathers did many years ago however that behavior benefited them and worked to the disadvantage of us.” Very powerful conversation

[Mpirefilms]

Can you imagine all of those ancestors in the 1800's seeing their descendants fight for them more than 150 years later. This is such an impressive documentary.

[buffalonewyorker]

How fortunate they are to know they're African ancestors. Most Black Americans could only dream of such.

[choosehope]

Walmart is probably not a good partner to revitalize the community

[darleneschneck]

I applaud the courage of these people meeting together like this for the first time. Their openness and respectful attitude towards one another is the only way forward. May we elect leaders in our country who have the same spirit as these folks.

[soniatriana]

Please continue to do “Updates” about this developing story.
I was blown away by the genuineness eloquence, composure, sensitivity, & conversations by all these people. I think I would’ve had difficulty staying calm bc it’s such an enormous emotional experience. Kudos to the Meaher family’s descendants at this meeting, I was happy to see them at this meeting, because they were seriously listening & understanding towards the conversations that took place. Anderson Cooper is as exceptional as always!!

[D_in_DC]

This was a very authentic, and much needed, conversation. Very interesting. I'm black, 56 years old, and I've always thought about my last name, which was given to my family by a slaveholder. I still carry that slaveholder's name to this day.

[oofboi]

This is insane. The darkness of what humans did to humans is just horrible. Thank you for sharing this.

[reginasmith]

That is so disrespectful to build a highway in their thriving community and factories of

[bigharp]

I just visited Africatown this past weekend. The entire place STILL looks dilapidated and run down. I haven’t seen any economic development there or any semblance of construction except for the Africatown Heritage House. I met with Mr. Charlie L. Keeby, a direct descendant of the Keeby’s who were enslaved on the Clotilda, and learned a great deal. Much work is yet to be done there. On the other hand, I did feel a sense of great pride in the descendants who still live on the Plateau/Magazine Point as more people are being made aware of the rich history of that place and learning about the sheer determination and resilience of their ancestors. I hope to return soon, to learn more, and contribute in any way I can. The area should be a national historic site as well as a thriving community. I also hope that the Meaher family, and the city of Mobile will keep its word in helping to solidify relationships with the people there and bring about real socioeconomic change in Africatown. 🙏🏾✊🏾🖤

[kristintrisha]

It brings much relief to know that there are people willing to step up and face their families role in oppression. May these types of conversations be brought to light in order to work through trauma and systems of oppression that linger today. We do not heal from blaming others but through the willingness to open our hearts and acknowledge the shadow.

[Charlenedoesstuff]

one of my friends is a descendent and grew up in near AfricaTown. What was not said that many don't realize (that needs to be part of the reconciliation conversation) is the medical impact those factories had and continues to have on these residents (cancers, chronic migraines, organ failure, in addition to the mental health stuff he mentioned). They are suffering more than ppl realize (and they are good humble ppl who don't complain about it), but the air, water, and land needs to be tested because something in all of that industrial development is causing health problems for the descendants/residents.

[sabrinawilliams]

Seeing that boat and those “imaginary” people stacked up knowing those were actual people is absolutely horrifying

[melwright]

A beautiful example of education, civility, and reconciliation.

[TJ-wnkc]

So ironic to have a member of the Vanderbilt family discuss people benefitting from slavery. Ridiculous.

[Msbossup]

“I want them to recognize how that behavior benefited them and work to the disadvantage of us.” 💯🎯

[cheskanno]

I'm half Asian whose white father was born in Mobile, Alabama in 1947 and I have been visiting Mobile off and on since 1976. As expected, Alabama lives up to its reputation when it comes to black and white/segregated relations. I first heard of Coltida in 2020. My 100 year old grandmother knew of the place. She first moved to Mobile in the late 1930s and knew lived nearby in Prichard. I decided to visit Africatown in 2021. It's crazy to think how close the town is to downtown Mobile, yet I never 'stumbled' upon it, in all the times I visited Mobile as it's really in an obscure part of central Mobile, totally surrounded by industrial/factories. The town was sad, nothing but crumpling/empty and dilapidated businesses with plumes of smoke from chemical factories, surrounded by the sound of speeding cars from the nearby highway. The residential town is nothing but a couple streets with rundown homes next to a cemetery. It's nice to know their is a museum now, but ultimately, the reconciliation is what needs to happen at a community level. It's true, the Mahers have streets named after them close by. I think if an example can be set in Mobile, other cities can hold national reconciliation at a local level. We really need to have these conversations and stop passing the buck to our children and grandchildren.

[Sydcidy]

Wow! God bless them, removing the markers was a small but heartfelt gesture. ❤❤❤❤❤

[smoothiehog]

i called the interstate being built through the center of town, absolutely heartbreaking