With the soon-to-open International African-American Museum as a neighbor, Spirit of South Carolina is in prime position to play a significant role in helping raise awareness of, and telling the stories of African Americans shaping the development of Charleston's Maritime heritage. Dr Bolster's book is a rich resource covering the African American experience in the Atlantic World, and devotes, not just paragraph's, but pages to that history shaped here in the Carolina's. Names like Vesey, and Smalls, are already well known here, but others, not so well known but depicted in these chapters add significant depth to the richness of a heritage that has been largely ignored in the low country, but worthy more attention given the recent decades of rebirth in her maritime industry and even tourism.
I could see a time, in the near future, when Spirit of South Carolina will be taking aboard both students, and adults, for weekend, even longer themed cruises, hosted by the Museum or sponsors. Educators or crew members aboard would create an immersive educational experience relating stories and lessons on the deck of a 19th century wooden sailing ship, representative of what many "Black Jacks" would've crewed and even officered.
My copy of Black Jacks will soon be stuffed into the book rack in Spirit's Saloon, for interested readers. In the meantime, You're invited to join in a Zoom presentation by Dr Bolster. He's a past tall-ship sailor himself, having crewed aboard Harvey Gamage, and Pride of Baltimore II, and sure to add that added color to the event. Weather, and technology dependent, we'll try to set up a projection Zoom onscreen of this session, on deck. Lemme know if you're interested: bryan@spiritofsc.org
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