WATCH AMISTAD AND OTHER TALL SHIPS LIVE ONLINE!  Freedom Schooner Amistad will be in the lead of Parade of Sail closing the 2009 TALL SHIPS NOVA SCOTIA FESTIVAL preceded by the Host Port Tall Ship - the famous Nova Scotian schooner Bluenose II.

TODAY - MONDAY, JULY 20th

Starting at noon local time (AtlanticTime) (11 am Eastern Time)

Just CLICK HERE for links to active Halifax High Resolution and Streaming WebCams.

Amistad will be departing her berth at Alderney Landing at 10 am local time.  Watch it Live!

Don't forget to use our AIS ships' tracking page - it will be showing LIVE chart position plotting of all the ships in the Parade of Sail!

Kenny Cieplik. is 34 years old and has been in a wheelchair for the past twenty-three years of his life.  He and his friends write short reviews of the wheelchair accessibility in the places that they visit and publish the articles on TheTravelingWheelchair.com . They also rate the wheelchair accessibility; Five Stars ***** means that the place is fully handicap accessible. If a place does not receive five stars, then the authors offer some suggestions about how those places can improve their accessibility. The writers also describe how they were treated, to highlight the importance of all people being treated with dignity and respect.

I give the Amistad Tall Ship ZERO STARS for wheelchair accessibility. In order to earn any Stars, they would need to provide a wider ramp from the dock to the ship and a threshold ramp at both ends of the ramp in order for a person in a wheelchair to access the main deck. I give the Crew of the Amistad Tall Ship FIVE STARS for their kindness, sensitivity and offer of help.

 

Read the original full article and our response at TheTravelingWheelchair.com

Kenny Cieplik's review is important reading on the eve of the SAIL BOSTON 2009 where many tall ships will face the same problems.

Two New Haven agencies are planning a maiden voyage to a new era of nonprofit budget-sharing — a route they described to state legislators as one way to stay afloat during the recession.

The trajectory that began with slavery and led to our first African-American president is rich with milestones and achievement. Rex Ellis, associate director of curatorial affairs for the Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC.si.edu), shares with Kathy Baruffi for USA TODAY his list of venues and programs to celebrate Black History Month.

 

A replica of the Amistad schooner, based in New Haven but under repair for winter (in Mystic), has sailed to Africa, the Caribbean and other ports to teach about the victorious rebellion in 1839. "This program, which provides awareness of the history of the slave trade, is a wonderful learning experience for youngsters," Ellis says. Don't miss the definitive exhibit of sketches depicting historic and present Amistad journeys displayed in New Haven's Gateway Community College from Tuesday.

The last months of Amistad's busy schedule visiting East Coast ports made her even more popular – the ship became a "cover girl" for the October edition of "The Harbor Pilot" - National Harbor's monthly magazine. I guess, we can forgive the editors calling us La Amistad, a common mistake of journalists. They didn't call Freedom Schooner Amistad "a slave ship", another common error in reporting, and referred to her visit as "... a privilege of hosting floating national treasure."  The concept of the Amistad being an American History Monument, unique in her ability to move around the world, is not new.  Hopefully. More people will see it that way. 

The hosting of the Freedom Schooner Amistad at National Harbor created a tremendous educational opportunity for the region, allowing visitors and residents to tour the vessel first hand and visit the associated exhibit, displayed in the atrium of the Prince George’s County Administration Building in Upper Marlboro, Maryland.

“Everyone at National Harbor was honored to host the Freedom Schooner Amistad, an incredible symbol of our nation’s history,” said Kent Digby, Vice President of National Harbor. “Since we began planning National Harbor we have looked to commemorate the history and heritage of our region. We were honored to have the opportunity to host this extraordinary vessel, which has such an enormous educational value.”

 

Read the Full Article - Download "The Harbor Pilot" (PDF file)

While combing today the web for "Amistadiana" I have noticed that online edition of British Times magazine reminded their readers that on August 26th "In 1839 the US Navy seized the Cuban schooner Amistad off Long Island, New York, which led to a legal ruling upholding the right of illegally enslaved Africans to mutiny on board a slave ship. "  It seems that the Amistad's visits in Liverpool, Bristol and London left some traces...

Captain Bill Pinkney, master emeritus of the Freedom Schooner Amistad, talks about the historical significance of Barack Obama and the upcoming Democratic Convention during an interview.

Bill Pinkney is master emeritus of the Amistad.  But that's just one of many identities he's lived in his 72 years. Chicagoan-turned-Nutmegger. Navy man. Around-the-world sailor. And a black American who's seen much of the racial struggles of his country...

Read the original article published by Hartford Courant on Aug. 24th, 2008.

The Amistad pulled up to the Maine State Pier on Thursday afternoon, ready to begin its stint as a floating classroom in Portland for the next week.

The visit is part of an 18-month journey commemorating the 200th anniversary of the abolition of the slave trades in the United Kingdom and the United States. The United Kingdom outlawed the trade in 1807 and the United States followed the next year, although slavery was still practiced.

Amistad's 14,000-mile voyage retraced the routes of the slave trade. The ship set sail last year in Connecticut, traveled to England and Portugal, and then to Sierra Leone, where captives of the original La Amistad eventually returned. The ship visited other spots in Africa before sailing across the Atlantic to Barbados and U.S. ports.