The “Creole” slave ship was under siege in 1841 – from within! It had been headed from Richmond, Virginia to New Orleans, Louisiana, where over 100 of our people would be sold. But a week into the voyage, the captain and crew were now held hostage!
Would they cater to the demands of the enslaved men who were now in charge of the ship?
Not at first! An irate slave trader had to be killed, and the captain wounded, before the racists took our people seriously. Rather than going to New Orleans, the ship was now to head to the Bahamas – British territory where they would be free, since the UK had outlawed enslavement.
Yes! And every single enslaved person on the ship was granted freedom and citizenship in the Bahamas. However, the story doesn’t end there.
The brilliant conspirators who planned the mutiny were arrested. But they, too, were eventually freed! This successful liberatory effort sent the message to other enslaved people that freedom was possible – as long as we banded together against the racists.
Eventually, Britain sent reparations to the Americans who lost their “cargo.”
Regardless, we must always challenge any system that seeks to oppress and exploit us. When we work together for our liberation, we are unstoppable. Keep fighting!