When a Quilt is More Than a Blanket

“The freedom schooner Amistad visits Cuba.” That was an attention-getting headline in itself last week. Reading newspaper reports of the warm welcome and hundreds of school children clamoring aboard the Amistad gave me goose bumps. Some of those who came aboard were likely hearing about the history rooted in their own family tree.

The accounts of visitors’ interest and excitement has inspired me to do two things myself. I absolutely  must put the movie Amistad in my Netflix queue! After all, Mystic Seaport’s waterfront served as a location for four days of shooting during the movie’s production.

The second thing I want to do is take a closer look at the quilts on the bunks of the Amistad the next chance I have to board the freedom schooner.

Professor Mary Staley, an art department faculty member of Montgomery College in Maryland, spent a portion of her sabbatical at Mystic Seaport, helping build the re-created Amistad.  The experience motivated her to initiate the Amistad Friendship Quilt Project in 1999. More than 1,000 quilt blocks were created and contributed by individuals from around the country and around the world. The blocks were sewn into a total of 48 individual quilts, which were then donated to the Amistad. [See an example of one quilt made by Polly Poulin.]

Many of the images and symbols portrayed in the quilt blocks are taken from the historical events surrounding the takeover of the Amistad by the 53 West Africans who were being transported to Cuba to become part of slave trade there.

It’s often said a picture is worth a thousand words, but I venture to say these quilts must say a lot, too.   

For more information about Amistad, please visit www.amistadamerica.org.

Blog written by Trudi Busey

Mystic Seaport Staffer Gives an Update from Cuba

In Cuba for Amistad‘s celebration, Mystic Seaport Shipyard Director Quentin Snediker provided this update via email yesterday:

We’ve been in Cuba for a week.  Saturday through Monday in Havana, then to Matanzas to greet the vessel.  Arrival in Matanzas was what we have come to refer to as our “soft landing,” that is, our arriving near or outside our final destination a day or two early in order to prepare the ship for a highly visible celebratory arrival.  Here in Cuba, that was important for all our usual reasons, but it was also an opportunity to visit this historical port. Matanzas is an industrial city, once referred to as the Athens of Cuba.  It is just now recovering from the economic devastation caused by the collapse of the Soviet Union, Cuba’s principal trading partner.  It has been said, with the loss of Soviet trade, the Cuban economy declined 34% in the first year.  Matanzas is also important historically because it was one of the leading ports for the importation of slaves.  The Dewolf family of Rhode Island held one of the leading companies in that trade.  We have as a partner in this expedition a descendant of this family, Katrina Browne, who recently produced a moving documentary called Traces of the Trade which broadcasted on PBS last June.  In Matanzas there is a fort built in 1693 which is now dedicated as a museum to the tragedies of slavery.  It is recognized by the UN as part of the Slave Route Project. Visit www.unesco.org for more information.

The people of Matanzas welcomed the vessel with unbelievable hospitality.  Each night we enjoyed a different cultural program, however, the first night remains a highpoint of our visit.  In a small restored 18^th-century church overlooking the city a folkloric troop of musicians and dancers performed traditional drumming and dance, highlighting the African influence on Cuban culture.  By the time it was over all of us were dancing together.  The next night, we joined a convention of journalists for a more formal concert featuring modern dance, a violin quartet, modern classical singing, and, of course, more African-influenced drumming and dance.  The caliber of these performances was as professional as any I’ve ever seen and they were all native to the city of under 200,000 people.  This dramatically illustrates the commitment to cultural ideas held by the Cuban people.  Our last night in Matanzas featured a reception at the Slavery Museum and included a tour of the museum, dance and music, and a wonderful buffet. 
 
On Thursday, March 25, the 10^th anniversary of Amistad‘s launch, we departed Matanzas at 04:00 a.m. to arrive at the pilot station off Havana by 13:00 p.m.  For me this was one of the most fulfilling days of my life.  I mentioned earlier that it has always been part of our dream for Amistad to visit Cuba because of its historic connections.  My personal interest in Cuba started much earlier.  As a child, during the peak of international tensions between our nations, I became intrigued by this small island nation’s influence on international affairs.  My interest was further peaked by a photo in one of my favorite picture books of ships.  Robert Carse, in his book on American sail, includes a rare photo of a US flag Baltimore-style schooner sailing past El Morro, the fortress at the entrance to Havana Harbor.  At the time, in the mid 1960s, I never imagined I would one day be on the deck of a vessel recreating that historic image.  [Photo credit the Peabody Museum of Salem, MA.]  I don’t mind admitting to all that at that moment I was moved to tears.  The fulfillment of so many aspects of my life came together in that one short half mile reach.  My love of history, of ships, specifically American schooners, coupled with my personal political beliefs filled me with awe, pleasure and not a small degree of pride in what we have contributed to the world in our time.
 
Dealing with the logistical needs of ship and crew, laundry, hot showers, provisions, crew participation at events, while maintaining public visits and programs aboard is difficult under normal conditions in an American port.  Here, these issues are exacerbated by language, rigid routine, security and protocol.  Maureen [Maureen Hennessey, fellow Mystic Seaport staff member in Cuba] has literally spent the last two days, Friday and Saturday, March 26 – 27, doing nothing but juggling all of these challenges; yet she is still loving the experience.

~

For more information on Amistad, as well as a schedule of the vessel’s 2010 port visits, please visit www.amistadamerica.org.

A Glimpse Inside Amistad’s Cuban Celebration

Currently taking part in Amistad‘s 10th-anniversary festivities, Mystic Seaport staff member Maureen Hennessey shares her reflections from Cuba…

Wow, so much to say about this amazing experience, and hard to capture it all in this quick email, but I’ll pick up where Quentin left off on Sunday night.
 
We stayed at the Hotel Nacional in Havana through Sunday night and left on Monday morning for Matanzas in a very nice and comfortable 24-seat bus.  Traveling were Quentin, Maureen, Cap’t Bill Pinkney, Wayne Bartow, two great journalists from The New London Day, Ted Mann (reporter) and Sean Elliot (photographer), as well as Traces of the Trade filmmaker and Dewolf family member, Katrina Browne, and Sylvia Wilhelm (our expert Cuban coordinator) and Jorge (our expert Cuban guide).   Our two-hour drive to Matanzas took us along some beautiful shoreline with blue/green waters, where it is a rarity to actually see any boats (boat ownership and fishing are heavily regulated here).  We also saw some really large housing projects (250,000 people) who commute many miles each day to get to Havana.   The landscape changed along our route and there were some beautiful vistas of mountains and waterways.  We arrived in Matanzas and dropped our luggage at the hotel before heading over to the Port to greet Amistad when she arrived shortly thereafter.  You’ve probably seen/heard about the arrival celebration (it was well covered by the press).  Needless to say, it was a very special occasion for us all.  Onboard the ship were 19 persons, including Captain Sean Bercaw, 12 crew, and an instructor and five students from UMASS.  They all deserve high praise for this great accomplishment of sailing Amistad into Cuba.
 
Monday night many of us were treated to a traditional performance of the folkloric group Ojundegara in the La Hermita de Monserrate in Matanzas.  As some of the crew need to stay onboard the vessel at all times, they are rotated around for the various activities (including grabbing a shower at our hotel).  The bus and guide have come in handy and there is a lot of coordinating, checking lists, and back and forth through customs at the port every time we come or go.   
 
Tuesday was a spectacular day and one we will all remember.  The weather was beautiful, the programs with students began onboard, there were some intimate interviews with descendents of slaves (including one from the Amistad), a field trip to a coffee plantation (where we saw some authentic shackles, equipment, and buildings from slave days, and, of course, had some Cuban Coffee).  The only disappointment on this day was that Capt. Bill was completely out of commission – truly - he did not even leave his hotel room on Tuesday.  Something he ate or drank, we’ll never know.  Tuesday night was one of the most enjoyable evenings of my life.  Our group was treated to a variety of world-class performances at the local Theater.  It included a variety of music and dance, from violins to salsa.  Following that we were honored with a reception at a local museum (beginning at 10 p.m.), where there was food and more music, but this time we were the entertainment.  We danced until midnight and it was electrifying.
 
The people of Matanzas could not be more friendly or welcoming.  They have shown us great hospitality and shared their love of their culture.  As Quentin conveyed to me this morning, “It’s easy to see why Hemingway and others fell in love with the Cuban people.”
 
It’s now Wednesday morning and I’m getting this quick email out before we continue with today’s activities and join the ship later today as we prepare to sail out at 4 a.m. tomorrow morning for the trip to Havana.
 
Stay tuned for more …
 
Adios mi amigos, Maureen

An Update from Amistad’s Stop in Cuba

Mystic Seaport Shipyard Director Quentin Snediker and Museum staff member Maureen Hennessey are currently in Cuba for Amistad’s celebration. Here are a few thoughts emailed to Mystic Seaport from Quentin, sharing the experience:

Any port visit, especially an international one, demands tremendous advance negotiation and logistical planning.  Nowhere has this been more true than with Amistad’s visit to Cuba.  Saturday evening, March 20, was spent meeting with Havana Travel, an official tourist agency of the government of Cuba, planning multi-faceted programs to be part of this visit.  During the later part of this meeting, Fernando Rojas, Vice Minister of Culture, paid a visit to greet us and finalize plans, along with Miguel Barnet, President of the Artists and Writers Union, and a recognized Amistad historian.  Saturday night, we were treated to an outstanding cultural program of music and dance at a beautiful theater built in 1930 in downtown Havana.  The program clearly demonstrated the influence of Africa on modern Cuba culture.

Quentin Snediker looks on as AMISTAD is hauled out in the Museum's Shipyard in April 2009

On Sunday, March 21, we began the day with a Press Conference held at the National Fine Arts Museum.  It was well attended by both domestic Cuban and International press, including CNN, NBC, CBS, BBC, among others.  The conference consisted of Captain Pinkney, myself and Miguel Barnet.  Following the press conference, we enjoyed a wonderful tour of the National Museum of Cuban Art.  Lead by the Director, we saw the evolution of Cuban art from Colonial times through modern works.  The collection shows the influence of European traditions through the development of a uniquely Cuban style in the late 19th century.  In front of the art museum is the National Museum of the Revolution, where Grama is on display.  Grama is a yacht that was used by Fidel Castro and 80 freedom fighters which initiated the Cuba revolution.

The rest of the day was spent touring Old Havana and enjoying authentic Cuban cuisine (and cafe’ Cubana, of course).

Sunday evening, Wayne Bartow arrived in time to join us for dinner at a private house restaurant with some Cuban friends.

Our Floating Ambassador, the AMISTAD, Celebrates her 10th Anniversary

In case you didn’t know it, the United Nations has designated March 25^th as the global Day of Remembrance for the victims of the Atlantic slave trade. But at Mystic Seaport, March 25^th is circled in red and remembered fondly as the day the freedom schooner Amistad was launched from the Museum’s Henry B. duPont Preservation Shipyard.

The AMISTAD being built in 1998

The AMISTAD almost complete in 2000

Getting ready to launch the AMISTAD in 2000

The excitement of that day is still palpable when you talk to anyone connected with the launch on March 25, 2000. The Amistad was two years in the building, and on launch day, those who had only watched her progress were as pumped up as the shipwrights whose hard work and talents recreated this living, breathing history lesson, a replica of the original vessel.

The AMISTAD at Mystic Seaport

Since that special day, thousands of visitors have walked her decks and learned of the Amistad’s role in the struggle for human rights. She has visited 70 domestic and international ports, including a most meaningful stop at Sierra Leone, West Africa, home of the original Amistad captives.

Although Amistad America, Inc. is now the schooner’s official owner, Mystic Seaport, the vessel’s birthplace,  can’t help but feel a ‘parental’ link to the ship. Consequently, the Museum is proud that the Amistad will add yet another poignant chapter to her ship’s log. As her most recent Caribbean Heritage Tour winds down, the Amistad sails into Cuban waters on March 22^nd  with scheduled port visits to Matanzas and Havanna.

Mystic Seaport has a unique connection to this particular tour since the original Amistad was built in Cuba. In 1839, she sailed from Havanna, the center of the illegal slave trade. Flying the American flag along with the Cuban flag, the Amistad’s arrival in Cuba makes a statement that she is truly a floating ambassador; Cuba has not readily welcomed American ships to its ports for some time. 

The AMISTAD at sea

Mystic Seaport takes great pride in the Museum’s contribution to history. The building and launch of the Amistad  in the year 2000 was just the beginning of her mission to ensure the slave rebellion of 1841, which ultimately led to the U.S Supreme Court ruling to free the African captives, is a lesson to be learned and not forgotten.

Blog written by Trudi Busey