There were 22 students and staff who visited the Clotlida exhibit on November 11 to close out the Campus Ministry Justice and Service Week. The field trip started at 10 a.m. and ended at 12:30 p.m. Rachel Younce, who leads Spring Hill’s Campus Ministry, spoke about what she wanted for students attending this trip. “We wanted students to understand the community they are living in right here around Spring Hill College’s campus. We came here to Africa Town because we wanted to understand the history of Clotlida and understand the history behind Mobile and how it has developed. With people for Africa Town, they have helped bring a faith that does justice with something that we believe in our Jesuit education, rising up to their voices and reaching out to the history of what the Clotilda is and making sure people understand their stories of the descendants for Africa Town and is moving forward into the future, so that’s what we want our students here to understand on our trip today.” said Younce.
The Clotilda is the last known U.S. slave ship that illegally carried 110 Africans and shipped them into Mobile Bay for 52 years. At the Clotilda Exhibition at the Africatown Heritage House, their plan is to cover the stories of the people’s individuality, their perseverance, and the extraordinary community they established. In years to come, the displaced Africans survived enslavement and established a community as free Americans.
The exhibition tells the story of 110 remarkable men, women, and children. It is curated, developed, and designed in conjunction with the local community and the wider descendant community, and in consultation with experts around the country. They also maintained their African identities, creating the tight-knit independent community known as Africatown.
Students such as Kadeisha Adderley and Melanie Burrows share their feelings and emotions about the trip overall. “I want to say thank you to Campus Ministry. This was definitely an eye-opening event, I got to experience everything and see different parts of the ship they preserved here. I really appreciate the experience,” said Adderley. Burrows stated, “This is very hands-on, and I got more experience then learned more about Clotilda. And this was definitely one of a kind and I’ll definitely do it again.” This trip also included a U.S. reflection where students can present their feelings and emotions during the trip.
For more information about Campus Ministry, follow them on Instagram at @shccampusmin.
