NEWBURYPORT — The Custom House Maritime Museum presents “Expanding the Spotlight: Black Mariners during the Age of Sail,” a First Friday lecture by Geordie Vining on Friday, June 7, at 6:30 p.m. at the Water Street museum.
Black mariners have been at the heart of maritime history, but have been given barely a footnote until recently. Seafaring was one of the main occupations for Black men in Newburyport and the rest of New England during the 19th century.
Sailors on merchant vessels, fishing ships, whalers and warships faced great hardship and danger, and Black sailors faced significantly more risks than their white crewmates.
While numbers varied by port, nearly one in five American sailors was Black in this era and, during the American Civil War, one in four U.S. Navy sailors was Black. This presentation will highlight the Southern states’ “Negro Seaman Acts,” the story of a Navy sailor and two merchant vessels with all-Black crews.
Vining is the senior project manager for Newburyport’s Office of Planning and Development, where he has worked for more than 20 years. He has managed dozens of projects enhancing Newburyport as a livable community.
Free for Custom House members, $10 for guests. RSVP on the website: customhousemaritimemuseum.org/events/.