Descendant

I found this to be a fascinating documentary, that held my attention throughout.

That said, it left me with some unanswered questions, in part because of its format, which focused on interviews with people who lived in Africatown, near where the Clotilda, evidently the last slave ship to arrive in the United States, landed.

I can completely understand why the director and producer would want to give these people a chance to express their views and feelings. They had been ignored for so long.

And I know that documentaries can only be so long before viewers start to turn out and off.

But I would have liked more background about a variety of issues. Do we know anything about the Clotilda's route to the States? Do we know where in Africa it left from? Have any of the descendants taken DNA tests that would help with this?

What was life like for the descendants of the original slaves between the time of Emancipation and today?

And on and on.

None of that is a criticism of the movie, which I enjoyed very much. But because the story it told is so interesting, it left me wanting to know so much more.

Contrary to widely held belief, just because the US slave trade was outlawed in 1808, that didn't end attempts to continue to import African slaves thereafter. It wasn't until 1860, when the last slave ship, the Clotilde, entered American waters with a hold full of slaves that the practice finally came to an end. And, to conceal this crime, which was punishable by death, the perpetrators scuttled the ship by burning it upon arrival. The location of the wreckage long remained a mystery until a diving team found it in shallow water just north of Mobile, AL in 2018-19. But the discovery was more than just an archaeological curiosity; it was also significant to the descendants of the Clotilde slaves, many of whom settled in a nearby community called Africatown when they achieved freedom after the Civil War in 1865. Those living today now have actual proof of their African lineage, as well as evidence of the crime that was committed against their ancestors. Director Margaret Brown's fourth feature outing explores this story from multiple angles in terms of its historic and personal importance, as well as from all of the fallout that stemmed from their ancestors' experience that has carried through to this day. Given the myriad threads presented in this documentary, the focus admittedly could have been a little tighter in spots, particularly in terms of how the narrative's many dots connect. But, that aside, the film effectively chronicles a little-known story that represents a significant benchmark in African-American history and a potential turning point in terms of how the American public at large views the question of this appalling institution and its after-effects, some of which have lingered but have gone virtually unaddressed and, arguably, even unrecognized all these years. This is a fine film that should be part of every grade school history class and a welcome addition to African-American History Month viewing.

The polluting factories and the highway that destroyed the Downtown area of Africatown are just other facts that help validate what the descendants are saying. Historians use oral histories as part of their research - this is a common practice. A lot of people don't want you to see this documentary. They are afraid of how it will make them look. They are afraid that it will explain someone's situation. This is one of the reasons I watched the documentary. It explains so much about the Bible Belt south. If you care about American history at all, you will find this documentary rewarding. Watch it and decide for yourself.

This documentary is top notch. As anyone who has ever looked into their family history can tell you, the single most important resource genealogists have available to them is descendants. Many of us remember family stories passed to us from our parents & grandparents and many of those stories were passed to them by their parents & grandparents. In many cases the only historical records available are those stories passed generation to generation. The Christian Bible is a prime example of the importance of those stores passed thru the generations. The first Bible began taking shape about 600 years after the death of Christ so one can reasonably assess that the entire Christian Bible is based on stories passed down from generation to generation to generation. Is it possible that one, or more, of those story tellers might have exaggerated a bit? Probably - Just as the story of Lincoln scribbling the Gettysburg Address on the back of envelope isn't true. It is even possible the person documenting the story exaggerated for some reason - maybe even to make their story more appealing or even to satisfy a financial sponsor as with Washington's cherry tree story. In any case, the slaves brought over on the Clotilda deserve to be remembered and as with the Bible, each of us is free to determine what we believe.

This is truly, deeply, sincerely an important piece of US History and an amazing story. The Clotilda and Africatown are remarkable and should be revered. The Clotilda is an extremely rare find that should be a National Monument. But of course - this represents a lot more than just the story of a ship!

I live in Mobile. I know these places! There have been a couple of documentaries now, about the Clotilda - and I have been excited to see them both; however, unfortunately - I don't think anyone has quite hit the mark yet when it comes to telling and presenting this story with the impact it deserves, but this wasn't bad - I enjoyed it - the story and the people are incredible - but I'm still waiting for a Clotilda show that tells it all with the passion and excitement to do this justice.